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

This Week in the World: Week 15

It’s a very happy Sunday here in London, because it is finally our last day of lockdown! Tomorrow, restaurants can reopen for outdoor dining, shops are finally allowed to open their doors and so much I’ve missed about London will return at long last. My calendar is slowly filling up with dinner dates to see my friends, tennis lessons to sharpen my skills, my WSET certification courses and even a few trips scheduled for the weeks and months ahead! It feels so wonderful to have normalcy breathing into life again, even if it’s in small doses to start.

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 14.

TRAVEL NEWS, UPDATES + INSPIRATION

• 4 Things to Consider As You Start Traveling Again, According to Rick Steves

• Croatia Joins This List of Countries That You Can Visit Once Vaccinated

• Conde Nast Traveler: New York Debuts Nation's First Vaccine Passport

• I loved this inspiring read of “The women explorers who changed the travel world”

AROUND THE WORLD

• London shops and restaurants (outdoor dining) finally reopen tomorrow! Here’s where to eat outdoors in London (and where to eat outdoors when it’s raining).

• UK is in ‘national mourning’ for Prince Philip – what does that mean?

• Winemakers from Bordeaux to Burgundy have lit candles and even launched helicopters to help protect the young 2021 vintage from plunging temperatures, but there have been early reports of severe damage to some vineyards.

• Notre Dame’s Rector Says It Will Take “15 or 20 Years” to Restore Cathedral

• Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle to Reopen to Visitors This Summer (and visitors will also get to explore the garden at Buckingham Palace on a self-guided tour for the first time ever!)

WEEKLY FAVORITES:

• FAVORITE LISTEN: I really enjoyed this episode of Women Who Travel on “What we wish we had known before we moved abroad.”

• FAVORITE WINES: I started my WSET Level 2 Award in Wines certification this last week (which was so fun!) and tasted five different wines during class. There were two (very different but both delicious!) wines I loved that are worth searching for online to order yourself:

  • Domaine Bruno Sorg Gewürztraminer 2018 (Slightly sweet but such an incredible bouquet of melon, ripe peaches and indisputable notes of lychee that are absolutely outstanding).

  • Pio Cesare Barolo 2014 (A quintessential Barolo: pronounced oak, vanilla, blackcurrants and earthiness. High acid. High tannin. High alcohol… this clearly packs a punch! It has a long finish and would be great with a rich truffle pasta).

• FAVORITE EDUCATIONAL READ: I enjoyed this read from AP News that explores the U.S. Mexico border situation. Spin and semantics aside, migration to the U.S. from Mexico is increasing in a major way for the third time in seven years under Republican and Democratic presidents — and for similar reasons.

• FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL READ: My neighbor is a big cyclist and yesterday got me excited about the idea of a group of us biking to Amsterdam for the weekend (it’s 136 kilometers from London to Harwich, where you then take an overnight ferry to The Hague, then bike another 64 kilometers). While that’s a journey I’ll likely spend some time working up to, it was fun to dream about. So when I stumbled upon this article titled “A cyclist on the English landscape”, a recap of travel photographer who spent the year pedaling the roads around the UK and snapping photos, it was a feast for the eyes and added to my inspiration for making that journey happen!

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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 14

Hello again! Hope those of you who celebrate Easter had a nice holiday weekend. I took yesterday off to celebrate my birthday and to enjoy the sunshine, some of my favorite treats and time with my friends. It was a really sweet day and I feel so thankful for the people in my life!

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 14.

TRAVEL NEWS + INSPIRATION:

• The CDC says that vaccinated people can travel safely again!

• 5 things we know about flying this summer.

• 9 of the best places to retire in Europe.

• The Lourve just put its entire collection online.

• Restaurant scenes have changed everywhere because of COVID. Here are the best new restaurant openings in London this year to visit next time you visit!

WEEKLY FAVORITES:

• FAVORITE LISTEN: This podcast on how to be a better listener was…a good listen.

• FAVORITE FIND: This map shows the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants around the world.

• FAVORITE READ: I loved THIS INTERVIEW with Holly McKinlay from the World Wildlife Fund where she shares about her mission to create big scale solutions to save our planet, how roses and rosé have got her through COVID-19 and why ‘It’s ok not to be ok” is something we can all learn from.

MISCELLANEOUS

• I start tennis lessons next week, so I enjoyed THIS VIDEO on some techniques you can practice… even if you’re playing solo!

• A recent landmark report claims that the UK is no longer a country where the “system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities”, but this has been largely criticized by many who feel it does not address structural issues.

• Nine destinations that should be on every cheese-lover's bucket list.

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

xx

Whitney