The New World Post CoronaVirus

As Singer-songwriter John Lennon once said “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” This is precisely what happened to the world as it was struck by the CoronaVirus pandemic. With danger looming around with no imminent end and many speculative scenarios, the assumption that this devastating tragedy will forever change the world becomes very plausible.

The surge of Videoconferencing Applications
Zoom and other videoconferencing applications have proven to be extremely helpful and effective during the epidemic. Not only businesses were able to use these tools to conduct meetings, even news media has resorted to them. News agencies have been able to conduct interviews with doctors and experts via these mediums. Thus this will open up the door to many more similar apps to flood the app-stores.

Accelerated digital transformation
Thanks for the pandemic, businesses, schools, universities and restaurants have realized the importance to gearing up towards becoming digital.  Resorting to e-commerce websites , delivery applications , and online courses have become crucial to any business’ survival.

Live Streaming
The trend of live steaming witnessed a surge in usage. From doing concerts to cooking classes to cycling marathons to gym classes, everything you can think of has been turned into a live streaming opportunity. Thus businesses have realized the importance of live streaming as an effective marketing tool.

Working from Home
Having been forced to let employees work from home during the pandemic, business owners realized that outcome is more important than shifts. As long as the job is getting done, there is no need to keep tabs on employees. Post-CoronaVirus employers have realized that it is all about the bigger picture. In order to focus on what is important time is of the essence thus there is no need for long meetings and presentations.  However with the typical nine-hours workdays no longer existing and the need to be continuously online, bosses will learn to exercise self-control and not takeover their employees’ life, bearing in mind that they are not dealing with a robot whose sole purpose in life is to serve them and their interests. Employees need to allocate quality time for themselves and their family in order not to burnout.

Empowerment
During the pandemic certain employees have proven themselves to be independent and in no need of management, thus employers have realized  that employees handle the business far better than  newly hired managers and consultants.

Frontline Workers
The need to re-evaluate the importance of frontline employees becomes imminent as they proved themselves to be essential during the pandemic.

 Hygiene Practices
If Coronavirus has taught us anything, it is the power of good hygiene practices. With restaurants implementing rigorous hygiene practices, this will become a permanent part of their operations:
– Washing hands repeatedly.
– Wearing gloves and a mask when handling food.
– Giving sick-leave to any mildly sick employee.
– Disinfecting the kitchen and space.

Traveling
After Coronavirus, according to paper from Imperial College London  governments will need to turn lockdown measures on and off to keep thing in check. Furthermore, travelers will be needing more than only their passports to travel, some health certificates might be also required.

Automation
Long before the CoronaVirus pandemic hit, experts were speculating that sooner or later robots will replace humans in certain work areas. But with social distancing being demanded, which is suspected to continue, post CoronaVirus , certain businesses will accelerate their use of automation especially in the medical as well as well delivery field.

No matter what the future might bring, we need to go forth. As the poet Patrick Overton, once said, “When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for you to stand upon or you will be taught to fly.”

 

Venice of the Netherlands

Venice has been widely recognized as one of the most romantic cities in the world. However, tucked away in the Netherlands, you will find its rival Giethoorn, a car-free village in the northeastern Dutch province of Overijssel, known for its boat-filled waterways, footpaths, bicycle trails and centuries-old thatched-roof houses.

Giethoorn has several nicknames, like Little Venice (or) Venice of the North, as a testament to its charm and grace. It will not take you long to fall in-love with this village which gained notoriety in 1958, when the Dutch filmmaker Bert Haanstra made his famous comedy Fanfare there.

Giethoorn has over 150 bridges and is a very popular destination for tourists as it offers the perfect rural experience.  In a haven, full of lakes, reed beds and forests, the picturesque village with its thatched roofs farmhouses and characteristic wooden bridges, is a magnet for those seeking an escape from their everyday life. In the old part of the village, transport is solely by boat over its many canals.

Giethoorn has also established a culinary reputation for itself. It is home to various excellent restaurants that are sure to offer guests gastronomic enjoyment. Mostly situated at the water’s edge, restaurants, such as the 2 Michelin stars De Lindenhof, have everything to satisfy a curious food palate.

Giethoorn, is a must visit as it has all the making of a memorable adventure.

The Stunning Pink Island of the Sea

Tucked in the middle of the sea, far from the hassles of everyday life, lies Budelli, a haven with a perfect patch of sand surrounded by the great blue, where you can relax and gaze upon the beauty of an island that has no equal in the Mediterranean Sea.

Budelli is an island in the Maddalena archipelago, near the strait of Bonifacio in northern Sardinia, Italy. It is part of the La Maddalena National Park.  Birthed from dreams and fantasies, in the southeastern part of the island, lies Spiaggia Rosa (“Pink Beach”) . The gorgeous pinkish sand, which owes its typical color to microscopic fragments of corals and shells such as Miriapora Truncata and Miniacina Miniacea, is a thing of beauty. So much so that it has been the focus on many movies such as Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1964 film Il Deserto Rosso (The Red Desert).

Budelli is one of four ‘uninhabited’ islands in the Maddalena archipelago: the others are Caprera, Spargi, and Razzoli.  In 1994, the Italian government had to permanently close the site off to visitors and leave it in the care of Michele Ardu, due to the crowds disturbing the coral beach.

The island was previously looked after by, Mauro Morandi, who’s failing catamaran lead him to the island more than three decades ago.  Mauro Morandi, spent around 28 years, alone on the island. In an interview with National Geographic, he said, “What I love the most is the silence. The silence in winter when there isn’t a storm and no one is around, but also the summer silence of sunset.”

Budelli has a “Hotel California” effect to it, you can check-in but you can never leave. Its stunning rose-colored beach is captivating and worth gold, that is why due to incidences of sand theft, it was sealed-off from visitors.

Not-for-profit Search Engine

Environmentalist rejoice, we found the perfect search engine for you. Ecosia is the world’s largest not-for-profit search engine based in Berlin, Germany, that plants trees by donating 80% or more of its profits to nonprofit organizations that focus on Reforestation.

On its landing page, you find the number of trees planted thanks to the number of users who resorted to searching through the engine.

In 2018, Ecosia’s CEO, Christian Kroll, answered users demands over finding a way to permanently save the Hambach Forest. This resulted in Ecosia,  offered €1 million to buy and save the last remaining stretch of the Hambach Forest in Germany.

Founded in 2009, Ecosia,has honored its promise and planted over 40 million trees  across 19 planting sites worldwide. The company is planning for more by end of 2019. In Autumn, Ecosia has even taken her mission a step forward by giving away shares to the Purpose Foundation, to ensure that founders can never profit. Ecosia also has its own solar plant for renewable energy.

The Forest Man

Mājuli , an 880 square kilometers (340 sq mi) island, listed as the world’s largest river island in the Guinness Book of World Records. Long ago it was a rich flourishing oasis with wildlife bit grew barren with time as people cut down its trees and ravaged its nature.

In 1979, Jadav Payeng, who belongs to the Indian Mising tribe in Assam, decided to go to the rescue of his beloved childhood forest.

The tenacious man left every morning his small hut carrying with him seeds to plant in Mājuli . He did so not only for his love of nature but in order to secure a better future for his wife Binita, and their 3 children (two sons and a daughter).  Payeng knows the importance of the forest. Being a farm owner, who is raising cattle and buffalo in order to sell their milk for a living, he knows that the destruction of the forest is the root of his problems. He attributed the loss of  around 100 of his cows and buffaloes to tigers because wild animals have been plucked from their habitats and are seeking food elsewhere.

For 37 years, every morning Payeng repeated his routine, which resulted in the replenishment of the forest which is twice the size of New York City’s Central Park, USA. With the return of the vegetation so did the animals: deers, rhinos, and tigers.

Thanks to the tenaciousness and relentlessness of one man, Mājuli  has flourished into an unparalleled oasis.

The First Vegan Hotel

“Saorsa 1875”, first vegan hotel opens its doors in the Highland, United Kingdom. Jack McLaren-Stewart and his mother, Sandra, decided to tap into the veganism trend and open the first of its kind vegan hotel in Pitlochry, Perthshire. 

Ensconced by 2 acres of natural woodlands and gardens and overlooking the town of Pitlochry, Saorsa 1875 is a unique hotel dedicated to showcasing ethical luxury.

Designed for vegans, vegetarians and the plant-curious, Saorsa 1875 balances the building’s Victorian Gothic origins with modern amenities to offer a unique experience. More than a synthesis of tastes, the hotel offers the perfect antidote to the frantic pace of modern living.

The 19th-century baronial house has 11 bedrooms individually styled with a calming combination of luxurious linens, bohemian styling and antique furnishings.

Downstairs, the lounge and restaurant is a cozy all-day spot for relaxing by the fire. Our menu is completely plant-based and showcases local, seasonal and foraged produce – all washed down with craft beers, a unique wine list and cocktails inspired by the region.

The boutique vegan hotel in the gateway to the Highlands, promises their consciousness guests a uniquely luxurious experience.

Sweden: The Edible Country

Sweden, the Scandinavian nation,  renowned for its thousands of coastal islands and inland lakesis, its IKEA brand, legendary ABBA band,  stunning natural landscapes and Michelin star culinary scene, launched a new touristic initiative.

In a touristic bid to capitalize on culinary tourism, Visit Sweden launched an exceptional program, transforming the country 100-million-acre landscape into a fine-dining restaurant thus highlighting Sweden’s wilderness and gastronomic richness.

The campaign titled Edible Table aims to create an accessible alternative to unhealthy foods and an inactive lifestyle, that is why it turned to four of Sweden’s Michelin-starred chefs. Together, they aim to transform the whole country into a do-it-yourself gourmet restaurant. Because in Sweden, delicious healthy food is just around the corner – in nature.

The concept of do-it-yourself fine dining means cooking Michelin food for free, with ingredients that one can find in Sweden.

Four Swedish Michelin-starred chefs, Titti Qvarnström, Niklas Ekstedt, Jacob Holmström and Anton Bjuhr,  have created the menu for this culinary journey to the edible country. Despite being from different backgrounds and walks of life, they have a couple of things in common: Their love for nature and what it has to offer. This is perhaps one of the keys to the Swedish culinary success: Swedish chefs started to look for produce on the other side of the hill, instead of from far away.

You have several options to book from, each with a landscape more mesmerizing than the other: https://visitsweden.com/our-chefs/

Voluntourism

Voluntourism, an emerging travel trend which is a combination of tourism and volunteering to do good. Tourists seek destinations for the purpose of providing support to the places and people they visit.

Voluntourism is consequent to initiatives launched by organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children, CARE International and World Vision.

Volontourism is mainly done by students who commit themselves short-term and take part in construction, tutoring and  food projects. They are also involved in working with social systems to support local communities materially and socially.

Voluntourism programs leads to engagement and cross-cultural experiences that help people understand and appreciate each others. Students learn first hand about the political, social, economic and cultural histories of the places they visit and are given the opportunity to help mend the depth of inequality.

VolunTourism.org Founder, David Clemmons, launched The VolunTourist Webcast, a weekly call-in show features guests from across the globe, the majority of whom are voluntourism trip providers. In addition,  The VolunTourist Newsletter features voluntourism providers in the Supply Chain column, for those interest in partaking in such initiative.

Best Island in Europe for 2019

Paros, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea renowned for its mesmerizing beaches and traditional villages, won the coveted title of  Best Island in Europe for 2019.

Paros  topped the charts, voters rated the island according to its attractions, natural landscapes, beaches, food, and friendliness.

Paros first place was achieved thanks to its Panagia Ekatontapiliani, a landmark Byzantine church from the 4th century A.D as well as its north coast’s Kolimbithres which is a beach where naturally sculpted rocks form swimming coves.

Located, a few hours away from Athens, Páros is considered as Greece’s best-kept secret and most prized hidden jewel. Combining modern with traditional elements in an original way, the award winning island is a mix of traditional Cycladic architecture, vivid nightlife, magical Paros beaches, enchanting rural villages, and historical monuments.

Discover the cosmopolitan island that scooped an award for Best Island in Europe for 2019.

The Funniest Marathon

Nothing fun about jogging, people are less motivated to run than there are to diet. The Marathon du Medoc decided to do something about it and turn this sport into a fun and enticing event.

They decided to take the 8,500 runners through the picturesque vineyards of south-west France dressed in fancy costumes of their choice, giving them the chance to sample wines and food at a chateau during the marathon.

This mardi-gras meets marathon event is one that celebrates the fine things in life, which are: Good food, good mood and good activity. During the race runners go through picturesque vineyards, stop at food and wine stations to eat fine oysters, steak, cheese, grapes and ice cream whilst watching musical performances and swaying to the music. Volunteers provide medical assistance in case needed.

After the race, runners can enjoy a funfest, with bands and local producers supplying more food and drink. Participation fee is €88, additional charges applicable depending on activities.

Marathon du Medoc makes sports an enjoyable rejuvenating experience where people can mingle, eat and enjoy jogging through nature.