This Week in the World: Week 18

Happy Sunday, and Happy Greek Orthodox Easter to those who celebrate! My friend Victoria (who is half-Greek) is hosting a celebration in her garden later today for a few of us and I’m excited to embrace her culture while dining on some delicious Greek food! Being outdoors here in London is becoming nicer and nicer everyday, especially now that the beautiful wisteria is blooming!

If you’re new here, ‘This Week in the World’ is a weekly recap of content ranging from around the globe. My hope is that each week, no matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to feel more connected to it: through news, travel, food & wine… really, anything that appeals to the culturally curious. Let’s dive into the content I sourced for week 18.

TRAVEL NEWS, UPDATES + INSPIRATION

• June 9th is the set date that Americans can start visiting France again.

• Flights to Europe are more expensive than they used to be. Here are 13 affordable places to visit in Europe (both cities and countryside) to keep your trip within budget.

• Another country to add to your list: Americans will now be able to travel to Spain starting in June.

• Africa’s Elephants are in peril—but could travel help protect them?

• Delta is back to selling 100% of the seats on their flights, which means gone are the days of always having an empty seat next to you (sigh).

AROUND THE WORLD

• It is absolutely heartbreaking to see what is happening in India right now. Here are some ways to help and where you can donate to help those in crisis.

• Scotland’s election is this week (6th of May) where Nicola Sturgeon is up for re-election. I enjoyed this podcast on how if she is re-elected, it would likely mean another referendum for Scottish independence.

• The days are getting longer and warmer here in the UK (and American travelers will likely be able to visit without quarantine soon!) Here are 7 glorious outdoor spots to enjoy a cocktail and enjoy the sunshine here in London.

MISCELLANEOUS

• It may sound silly, but I’m so excited I got a UK credit card this week! (Fellow expats will understand why this feels like quite an accomplishment!) Since I was already a US Amex cardholder, I had no issue opening the British Airways Amex here in the UK. If you spend £20,000 each year, you also receive a companion voucher (and if you apply using this link, you will receive 9,000 Avios points if you spend £1,000 in your first 3 months).

• Are you keen to build your wine cellar but don’t know where to start? One of my favorite wine shops in London, Barry Brothers & Rudd has a great program where you can pay as little as £100 per month to have experts build and store your cellar. It’s a simple way to build a collection of wine perfectly tailored to your taste, and you can “cash out” to collect your wine at anytime. I think it’s such a smart idea and am considering starting one myself!

• Plastic gets to the oceans through over 1,000 rivers (way more than what we originally thought). Here’s what you can do to help.

• Can you have alcohol after the COVID vaccine? (The question all wine enthusiasts are asking right now).

• 6 documentaries on sustainability that will make you think twice about what you buy.

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That’s all for today. Happy reading and hope to see you back again next week!

xx

Whitney

This Week in the World: Week 17

Hello again! It’s been a non-stop week as clients continue to inquire about summer travel, group trips are being rescheduled, new prospective group trips are being planned and London is bustling with things to do! I’m enjoying being busy again and having so much excitement ahead!

If you’re new here, ‘This Week in the World’ is a weekly recap of content ranging from around the globe. My hope is that each week, no matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to feel more connected to it: through news, travel, food & wine… really, anything that appeals to the culturally curious. Let’s dive into the content I sourced for week 17.

TRAVEL NEWS, UPDATES + INSPIRATION:

• What will summer 2021 look like for travellers?

• With vaccinated (or negative test) Americans now able to travel to Greece, you might want to consider reading up on this list of 13 of the most beautiful villages the country has to offer.

• We don’t know for certain yet, but France is aiming to reopen to vaccinated Americans by summer.

• Even if you’re not acting on booking travel just yet, it’s a great time to be dreaming up plans for a future trip! I, personally, am reading up on this list of 5 Amazing Wine Destinations in Africa for Delicious Drinks and Beautiful Views.

• Venice isn’t the only European city filled with charming canals…consider visiting one of these other destinations for fewer crowds.

SUSTAINABILITY

This past week we celebrated Earth Day. I shared some tips and tricks about how our individual micro-decisions can have a large collective impact. If you haven’t already tried incorporating these efforts into your daily life, consider giving them a go.

• This re-usable beeswax parchment paper is a great alternative to single use plastic wrap (and easy to clean!)

• Composting is an important practice that can reduce greenhouse gases and instead, turn food scraps into more fertile soil. If you’re not quite ready to set up a compost in your back garden (or perhaps you don’t even have a yard!), try collecting your food scraps in these biodegradable compost bags and popping them in the freezer. Then, find a community compost where you can drop them off.

• This podcast had a week full of great episodes including why and how to eat less meat, how to talk to your kids about climate change and several other listens that are only about 20 minutes each.

• A number of global leaders have issued carbon reduction goals that are more ambitious than previous targets…but is it enough?

• Here are eight new environmental documentaries to watch and learn from.

• And, of course, travel is a huge contributor to carbon emissions. Here are some ways to travel a bit more sustainably.

AROUND THE WORLD

• The world watched as Derek Chauvin was convicted on all accounts of George Floyd’s murder this week. I enjoyed reading this article on why celebrating Chauvin’s conviction is not enough.

• Meet Afghanistan’s incredible first female tour guide.

• Since Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup on February 1, an initial shock has lead to many protests. This article explains how the country’s people hold out hope for international help… yet none is coming. This podcast also has some good information on the subject.

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That’s all for today. Happy reading and hope to see you back again next week!

xx

Whitney

This Week in the World: Week 16

Hello again! It’s been an incredibly eventful week here in London as shops and restaurants re-opened after many months of being closed. I’ve enjoyed finally being to try new restaurants with friends, go antique shopping along Portobello Road and have drinks in a pub garden… things I will never take for granted again! I also was able to reschedule (and sell out!) my group trip to Belize this summer AND to book a holiday of my own that I’m so excited about. I am so happy about all of the above I could cry!

If you’re new here, ‘This Week in the World’ is a weekly recap of content ranging from around the globe. My hope is that each week, no matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to feel more connected to it: through news, travel, food & wine… really, anything that appeals to the culturally curious. Let’s dive into the content I sourced for week 16.

TRAVEL NEWS, UPDATES + INSPIRATION:

• If you’re dreaming up travel plans once again and are in need of inspiration, here are 21 bucket-list trips everyone should experience at least once.

• Europe's night trains are about to get a major upgrade — breakfast in bed included.

• 5 London Drinks Festivals You Should Stick In The Diary For 2021 (Americans may be able to visit without quarantine come May… more details expected to come soon).

• Italy Introduces Covid-Free Islands To Save Summer Tourism.

AROUND THE WORLD

• Earth Day is on Thursday. Here are some ways to take action on climate change.

• Tinder and Duolingo Are Teaming Up to Help International Singles Learn a New Language to Find Love.

• It has been incredibly troubling to hear about all the recent mass shootings. In fact in the last five years, there have been at least 29 shootings with four or more fatalities, according to a database compiled by the Violence Project. If you, like me, loathe guns and want to take action towards safer and smarter gun laws, HERE is a list of actions you can take.

• America is leaving Afghanistan…what does this mean? I always appreciate the way this podcast simply explains complex global issues.

WEEKLY FAVORITES

• FAVORITE PLAYLIST: My friend Chelsea turned me onto THIS PLAYLIST that Cheval-Blanc St-Barth had curated by Philippe Paris and it is SO good for summer travel vibes. (FWIW, Cheval-Blanc is a great hotel with beautiful properties in St. Barth, Saint-Tropez and several others. I highly recommend all of them for a luxurious getaway!)

• FAVORITE PURCHASES: I found some great vintage vinyl on Portobello Road yesterday (currently bopping to “Rumors”). If you can’t muster the patience to dig through your own antique market, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE are links to order the same albums online.

• FAVORITE READ: As passionate as I am about the planet, sometimes staying informed feels heavy and really discouraging. That’s why I loved this National Geographic article on “Why we’re optimistic we can save our oceans.” I highly recommend reading.

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That’s all for today. Happy reading and hope to see you back again next week!

xx

Whitney