Postcards from Amsterdam, Netherlands: ‘Stories that Matter’ told by the brave

Above: Names of journalists and photographers killed in the line of duty memorialized at the opening exhibition of the World Press Photo 2024 Awards in the Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam

In the two decades since 2003, at least 1,668 journalists have lost their lives while trying to shed light on issues of importance to us all, according to Reporters without Borders. In 2023, another 45 names were added to that list. The list prominently displayed in Amsterdam’s New Cathedral for the opening of the World Press Photo 2024 Awards must have hit the photographers hard – names of coworkers and friends they have made while covering stories in danger zones throughout the world.

The Nieuwe Kerk is hardly “new,” having been consecrated in 1409. While the “Royal Church” is still used for royal weddings and coronations, it also serves as a venue for important exhibitions, such as this one. With its soaring vaulted ceiling, floors embedded with tombs and cherubs overlooking all, the dramatic setting emphasized the seriousness of the meaningful topics delved into by the award-winning photographers.

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Postcard from Palermo, Sicily: When cocktails beckon

Above: Farmacia Alcolica

A bottle of wine with lunch means it is pretty rare that we boulevardier our way into many bars when we travel. Yes, of course, sometimes when walking long distances we quench our thirst with a beer or spritz.

But then, every single day of our stay in Palermo, we looked out our window, across the intimate palm-filled Giardino dei Giusti, straight at Farmacia Alcolica. The people spilling out onto an unusual assemblage of furniture, occupying a lane lusted after by drivers cruising the narrow streets for a rare parking spot, looked so comfortable. Hard not to conclude it was just what the doctor ordered, at least once or twice.

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