September 2020

Welcome to the September 2020 issue of Travel Research Monthly!

If you are new to Travel Research Monthly, please take a moment to review the Notes for Users section in order to get the most from each journal.

Travel magazines, writers, bloggers and videographers have had a challenging year and unfortunately, some have been unable to continue through the pandemic.  That is why I cherish every story published as they serve to build my knowledge or inspire me to visit a particular destination or just teach me something new about the world.

Here are some of my favorite articles for this month:

ASIA, CHINA & INDIA

Kannauj, an ancient city in India, uses some of the world’s oldest techniques to make their fragrant perfumes.
Kannauj is the center of production of attar which is a sandalwood oil based perfume infused with botanicals.  Attar is made the old fashioned way with a master craftsman overseeing the hand picked botanicals being crushed and distilled without using electricity or gauges.

EUROPE & RUSSIA

The language of ancient city-state Sparta is slowly dying out.  Now only spoken by village elders.
Tsakonika is a 3000 year old language spoken by elders in just 13 villages in and around Pera Melana in Greece.  Roughly 5000 Spartans spoke the language in the 1950’s dropping to just 2000 speakers today.  Fortunately, interest is starting to grow among the younger generations of Tsakonians although the language is still listed as ‘critically endangered’ by UNESCO.

MEXICO, CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA

Mexico has designated over 100 “Magical Towns” throughout the country but what exactly does this mean?
Mexico’s ‘Magical Town’ designation is not just an empty title.  Communities wishing to be considered a ‘Magical Town’ must commit to preserving their history and cultural traditions and to the growth of tourism.  There are a number of criteria they must meet to achieve this designation as well as a separate set of criteria to maintain it.

UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND

Wales makes for a great staycation for UK residents but foreign travelers might want to take a look for future travels.
While the weather isn’t quite as warm as the Caribbean, Wales does offer award winning beaches and stunning coastal scenery.  In fact, the Gower Peninsula with its sandy beaches and surf ready waters was the first site in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty back in 1956. If you tire of the beaches you can always travel inland and visit stroll worthy villages, hike the hills and valleys of the countryside or tour castles and castle ruins as there is always one nearby.

I welcome your feedback. Knowing what you like and need will help me continue to curate a journal that you will find not only informative but entertaining.

Please feel free to reach out to me by clicking on ‘Send us a note’ under Contact.

Happy Travels,


President
Travel Research Monthly

BLOGS, PODCASTS & VIDEOS

Blogs

  1. Costa Rica’s Envision Festival is an eco-conscious immersive experience. (Blog, Central America, Costa Rica)
    Author: Kristen & Siya
    Source: Hopscotch the Globe
  2. Colmar invites romantics to stroll its canals and cobblestone streets. (Blog, Europe, France)
    Author: Gordon & Paula McInerney
    Source: Contented Traveller

Podcasts

  1. Relaxing summer night sounds on Lake Coeur D’Alene.  (Podcast, United States, Idaho)
    Host: Jeff Emtman
    Source: Field Recordings
    (Podcast – 6 minutes 17 seconds)
  2. Marina Carlos, a disability rights activist, speaks about what Paris needs to do to become more accessible. (Podcast, Europe, France, Travel Business)
    Host: Lindsey Tramuta
    Source: The New Paris
    (Podcast – 28 minutes and 17 seconds)

Videos

  1. Norway is betting its future on tunnels. (Video, Scandinavia, Norway)
    Source: TheRichest
    (Video – 10 minutes and 28 seconds)
  2. Singapore is leading the way to the future. (Video, Asia, Singapore)
    Source: National Geographic
    (Video – 44 minutes and 24 seconds)

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