Take a grisly tour of Edinburgh in the footsteps of its two famous body snatchers

With a new year approaching and new resolutions in mind, learning a language is one of those items that often appears on many personal lists. Travel experts and language institutions regularly publish surveys on the best destinations to do so, echoing the simple fact that in our interconnected, “globalized” world, the ability to communicate in more than one language opens new opportunities, experiences and understanding.

You might think Magic Kingdom is the be-all and end-allof the Christmas season at Disney World, with highlights including Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, holiday parades, holiday fireworks, and snow raining down on Main Street USA.

On the windswept islands of Orkney, where the North Sea meets the Atlantic, a story every bit as gripping as the Norse sagas is unfolding.

They’re normally the holy grail of a winter holiday, but last night people living in more southern parts of Europe were left awestruck as the Northern Lights visited them at home.

With the rise of wild swimming, forest bathing (traditionally known as going for a walk in the woods) and ‘Iceman’ Wim Hof's sub-zero philosophies, there is a definite trend for reestablishing bonds with the natural world across Europe.

My father had a straightforward answer for why he moved 1,000 miles south to Florida from his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. 

There's an expression about two ships passing in the night. The full quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ends, "So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak to one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and silence." Times change and technology moves us forward. In the literal sense, it happens with airliners every minute of the day as jet airplanes zoom past each other in opposite directions. Just as often, modern airplanes are headed the same way, figuratively flying on top of each other, separated vertically by several thousand feet.

On a sunny October afternoon in the London neighborhood of Bermondsey, a cool breeze surprised me with the winy smell of apples. It brought on a sudden sharp craving for a nice chunk of Cheddar, the fruit and the cheese together being a favorite after-school snack when I was growing up in Connecticut. This was an appropriate prompt, too, since I was on my way to a very privileged lesson in British farmhouse cheeses at the beginning of an eight-day, cheese-themed trip to London and Somerset run by the specialty tour company Cheese Journeys.

Quito Turismo will be attending the new edition of World Travel Market, from 6-8 November 2023 at ExCel (London). This is one of the most important international tourism events, with the aim of promoting the capital’s top tourism products to the British market, as well as establishing relationships that will boost the flow of tourists with the European market. The outstanding work done by Quito Turismo in recent months has enabled the city to take part in the fair with its own stand, S3-405, accompanied by a select representation from the Quito tourism sector, offering the opportunity for interviews and to make new contacts and businesses. This year, Giohana Albuja, Quito Turismo technical manager, and Katia Freire, European market promotion coordinator, will be responsible for representing Quito at the fair, showing the best of the city to the press, tour operators and travel agents. Over the three days, destination presentations will be shown at the stand: Monday 6 November, 12:30-13:30 and 16:00-17:00; Tuesday 7 November, 12:30-13:30 and 16:00-17:00, and Wednesday 8 November, 11:30-12:30. Sampling will also take place at the stand on 6 and 7 November at 17:00, where visitors can taste canelazo, a traditional drink from Quito.  For yet another year, Quito Turismo’s presence at the World Travel Market reaffirms its commitment to positioning the city as a top tourism destination, driving the local economy, gastronomy, customs and traditions that make it unique.

Bessie Ellen will be calling in at fourteen ports around the UK, where there will be the opportunity to climb aboard, tour the ship and meet her skipper, Nikki Alford. A passionate sea farer, Nikki has owned and sailed Bessie Ellen for 24 years, lovingly restoring and caring for her. Listed on the National Historic Ships register, Bessie’s remarkable heritage has seen her quite literally witness the changing tides of history. Built in Plymouth in 1904 she started life as a cargo ship, crossing treacherous waters to transport goods between Ireland, Wales and the West Counties. As trade dwindled during the second World War, Bessie found herself heading to the Baltic after being purchased by a Danish captain, Moller, in 1947. This second chapter of her life saw her re-named whilst undergoing a radical transformation with the creation of a large steel hatch, reduction in rigging and a large Hundested single cylinder engine installed. Sadly, by the 1970’s, running her became unprofitable and she lay to rest until being restored back to life nearly 100 years after her initial creation.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Valerie Do, 19, a TikTok creator who posts about life as an international student. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Earlier this year, I checked into a suite at Edinburgh's The Witchery by the Castle in the city's old town.