(c)Christina Bolton

(c)Christina Bolton

The CBD Living travel set offers a total of 500 mg of CBD over 6 products – a salve, lotion, tincture spray, roll on 'freeze' and two lip balms. All the products use nanotechnology which they say increases absorption of the CBD so there's no waiting. It does seem to take effect quickly – especially the freeze.

The products are made with natural ingredients for the most part and are THC free so you should be able to travel to many countries with the items. Though if you're going to Africa or Asia, especially, double check the legality before heading off as even though this is made only with hemp and doesn't have THC - its still not legal everywhere. At this time the only place in Europe you can't travel to with it is Slovakia.

The salve was my favorite product with its rich consistency (using shea butter among other things) and pleasant coconut scent. These will all easily fit into your carry on as they are all one ounce or less.

(c) Christina Bolton

Order at: www.CBDLiving.com

Virgin Limited Edition is hosting virtual yoga live from its luxury resort on Necker Island, a private island owned by Sir Richard Branson in the iconic British Virgin Islands. 

The yoga sessions will be for all levels of fitness and will start on Thursday 18^th June and run weekly for four weeks. 

When: Every Thursday at 17:00 BST (12pm EST), starting 18^th June 2020 for four weeks

Where: Instagram @VirginLimitedEdition

Other events they are putting on that you may want to join are two weekly virtual safari's:

Live game drive from the magic of the bush at Ulusaba Private Game Reserve

When: Every Monday at 3:00pm BST

Where: Instagram - @VirginLimitedEdition  

Live game drive from the majesty of the Maasai Mara at Mahali Mzuri

When:  Every Wednesday at 3:00pm BST

Where: Facebook - @VirginLimitedEdition  

Other Virtual Yoga Options: 

If the yoga schedule doesn't work for you, a number of studio's are offering virtual classes, check with your local studio, or try one of these:

Kripalu Center, one of the US's biggest yoga center's is closed until the end of the year but they are offering a 7 day free trial for online classes:

https://connect.kripalu.org/

Soul Yoga, a Baptiste studio has Zoom classes for a donation:

https://www.soulyogasr.com/schedule

Kundalini Yoga School, they have an 11 day course for free:

https://kundaliniyogaschool.org/ 

Yoga Vastu, online Iyengar yoga studio, free for 14 days:

https://yogavastu.com/

There are so many chefs doing cook at home classes on youtube or their own websites that there’s not enough time, even in quarantine, to participate in all of them. You probably get emails offering these sessions or at least recipes from your favorite local restaurants, but if not I’ll point out a few to check out.

Naya Traveler has a Recipe Book online where they give the iconic recipes from many countries. Mango salad from Cambodia, Gazpacho from Spain, Masala Chai from India:

https://www.nayatraveler.com/journal-archive/2020/4/13/naya-recipe-book

A small chain of vegetarian restaurants in the Boston area that I like, Clover Food Lab, has been hosting an afternoon cooking show that I’ve participated in several times since the stay at home advisory has started. The sessions are recorded as well so you can watch them anytime. This could come in especially handy now that it looks like there will be meat and poultry shortages - lots of great vegetarian and vegan comfort food! From New England favorites like Popovers and Boston Baked Beans to newer items like Homemade Fluff with local honey and eggs. He also covers one of the things which is all the rage now - how to make sourdough bread. Its called In Ayr’s Kitchen, check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIRI4Hfmtyr3RH5hI-qyb6w/videos

Chefsfeed has a large list of interactive streamed cooking classes to support chefs while restaurants are closed here:

https://experiences.chefsfeed.com/browse/

B&B’s have been sending recipes to their clients to stay in touch. Here’s a list of 43 with apple pie and similar recipes:

https://stillinnbusiness.com/wish-you-were-here

John Ash & Co in Sonoma shares their recipes here: 

https://www.vintnersresort.com/dining/john-ash-co/recipes-2/ 

Art galley tours are the next thing to adapt to today’s social distancing. Here are some museums you can explore online with virtual tours or with their collections online:

The Louvre, Paris

Everyone knows its impossible to see all of the Louvre in one visit anyways, so some pre- or post-visit perusal is warranted, even without a pandemic. They also have a free virtual reality app to view Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in 360: Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass. Download it on the app store for android or apple.

https://www.louvre.fr/en

You can search the collection here:

https://www.louvre.fr/en/moteur-de-recherche-oeuvres

or see their masterpieces here:

https://www.louvre.fr/en/selections/masterpieces

Their list of video’s is here:

https://www.louvre.fr/en/media-en-ligne

Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

The best of their collection is right here on the first page:

https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks

You can do a virtual tour on Google and ‘walk’ around the museum here:

https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/uffizi-gallery/1AEhLnfyQCV-DQ

or use the museum's 360 for its new galleries:

https://www.uffizi.it/mostre-virtuali/uffizi-virtual-tour

The British Museum, London

https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Their virtual gallery is here:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/galleries/prints-and-drawings-virtual-gallery#&gid=1&pid=3

or you could do a virtual visit here:

artsandculture.google.com/streetview/british-museum/AwEp68JO4NECkQ

Also, the museum has podcasts here:

https://soundcloud.com/britishmuseum

Schoenbrunn Palace, Vienna

https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/about-schoenbrunn/the-palace/tour-of-the-palace/

https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/schönbrunn-palace/RAGmDEX1rezGLA

Other museums with virtual visits:

There are 2,000 on Google arts & culture:

https://artsandculture.google.com/partner

There are some smaller museums in houses on the list which are interesting such as the Museo Robert Brady in Cuernavaca, Mexico:

https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/museo-robert-brady-interior/wQFrrRqOb0gAsw

and Anne Frank House:

https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/anne-frank-s-family-home-anne-s-room/DQHUovw4dDhITw

Boca Raton Museum of Art has a youtube intro tour to their new exhibit:

Eye to I: Self Portraits from the National Portrait Gallery

Explore.org is the world’s largest live nature cam network. Imagine seeing Bald eagles, elephants, gorillas, hummingbirds, giraffes and polar bears from the comfort of your home. You can also watch highlights that others have saved if waiting for a discovery is not your thing. When you do see an animal, you can take a snapshot of the moment to comment on and share with others or download it. From oceans to birds nests to African watering holes to animal sanctuaries, there’s got to be something for everyone. Perfect for quarantining.

Northern Lights:

Want to check out the northern lights, live? Late at night check out this livecam:

https://explore.org/livecams/aurora-borealis-northern-lights/northern-lights-cam

African Wildlife:

https://explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/

https://explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/tembe-elephant-park

Baby Pandas (in a park):

https://explore.org/livecams/panda-bears/happiness-village-baby-panda-park

Kitten Rescue:

https://explore.org/livecams/cats/kitten-rescue-cam

Pacific Ocean: 

https://explore.org/livecams/oceans/pacific-ocean

The 50th Earth Day had over 100 million people participate, mostly digitally, since much of the world is sheltering in place. 

@Courtesy of Earth Day Network

Just after midnight on Earth Day, the Roman Coliseum was lit with Earth Day Network’s 50^th anniversary logo, and world-renowned musical artist Zucchero Fornaciari played the piano and sang “Canta La Vita” with Bono (adapted from Bono’s “Let Your Love Be Known”) to Pope Francis, Earth Day Italia, and Earth Day Network. 

More than 2.1 million people downloaded a multi-Grammy award winning song Dharti Ma:

If you want to participate in other climate action or see the videos from Earth Day Live visit their website: 

https://www.earthday.org/

Tucked into the Yasawa Islands is a beautiful resort with the most welcoming staff who learn your name almost as soon as you arrive. You'll likely get there on the Yasawa Flyer which is part ferry, part day cruise meandering through these lovely islands - and the main transfer system in the Yasawas. When the boat stops in the deep water near each island the speed boats of the hotels or homestays pull up to it and collect their passengers.

We were whisked off to the shore while our luggage was retrieved by a different small boat and were led up to the bar area where the staff sang us a welcome song and gave us a glass of tropical juice before being shown to our rooms where our luggage was already waiting.

Our room was in 'The Cove' - an adult only area with two pools and multiple sun beds, chairs, sofas and even a second bar/restaurant area in case you wanted to request a private meal - though we preferred the main one with its ocean view. The cove has smooth wooden paths and decking all around it, with lush, manicured gardens and flowers everywhere. Kudos to the gardeners who kept it looking so good even in the strong winds we had one day.

Our room was half of a small house with a cathedral ceiling and a huge outdoor bathroom. It was stylishly decorated and had everything we needed. We loved the outdoor shower and the comfy bed. It had its own porch with a lounge area looking toward the pools as well. Unlike most places that charged way too much for mini bar items, they had stocked the mini bar with beers and sodas which were free (though if you asked for it to be re-stocked you'd be charged for the extras). The room also had a living area with a large L shaped couch. There was a TV but it was too small and far away (on the opposite wall) to be usable. That was fine for us as we don't watch much TV, but it would be better if they had it on a small movable table so it could be repositioned near the couch for use on a rainy day, as they did have a large selection of movies and you wouldn't be able to watch anything over the wifi (probably not anywhere in the Yasawas actually as wifi is not their strong suit).

The other room choices were ocean view, garden view or beachfront bungalows. The beachfront ones had their own reserved sun beds and a shady hut right in front of them. If the resort was fully booked there may not be enough loungers and huts for everyone on the beach, though you could sit up by one of the pools instead. The price range is very dependent on the dates. There were rooms as low as $150 on some of the booking sites in shoulder season when we went (late October) but popular times could be 3 or 4 times that and the beachfront bungalows much more.

The center area of the resort had a classy bar and restaurant overlooking the main pool and the ocean. Located right on a coral reef, the beach had hammocks, life sized chess, and the watersports area with free equipment for your use including snorkeling gear, paddle boards and kayaks. So there's plenty to do, or you can just relax and lie on the beach.

There are daily activities too. We went on a great snorkeling trip to a nearby reef which was much more varied than the area in front of the resort and loaded with colorful fish. The best part of the trip was seeing a huge manta ray close up with its mouth wide open. It was outside of the typical manta season which usually ends by October, so we were lucky. Our boat crew was great at tracking it and we sidled up to it several times. The trip was also reasonably priced - only about $20 each. There were also diving trips which were quite a bit more. The other activity we did was to hike up one side of the island for a great sunset view and the staff set up an impromptu bar with champagne and a few other drinks while the restaurant made a few platters of finger foods to accompany them.

The restaurant serves all the meals at the resort and there is no other option anywhere nearby as the island is so remote, for that reason the meal plan is mandatory, and at approx $100 per person, per day, its not cheap. That being said, the chefs do a wonderful job and the menu rotates every two days with a lot of choices so you'll never be bored. The food was fabulous - especially the seafood dishes and the New Zealand lamb. Breakfast is a buffet of fruits, pastries and breads and then you order an omelet, pancakes or other cooked meal as well. Lunch was a variety of salads, curries or pizzas and dinner is a delicious three course meal perfectly presented. They will cater to any food allergies and my husband has an allergy to both dairy and wheat that they were able to deal with fairly easily - he raved about their gluten free bread. The waitstaff are very friendly and go out of their way to make you feel at home and remember your allergies as well as your name. At dinnertime there is live music and a cava ceremony afterwards if you'd like to participate and taste the cava - a thick powdered root beverage which is supposed to alter your reality if you drink enough of it. Its a unique cultural experience to sit in the circle and listen to the music and singing even if you're not fond of the cava itself, which is an acquired taste.

Though we only stayed three nights it felt longer because we got to know some of the very considerate people who work at Paradise Cove as well as finally being able to truly relax and unwind far away from the rest of the world. I'd suggest a trip to Paradise as well as the rest of the Yasawas if you can.

©Christina Kay Bolton

The Red Bandanna Travel Book: The Medicine of Traveling by Joanne Socha, is a journal style book with plenty of space to write and explore where in the world your true desires can take you.

The questions Socha asks are designed to help you face your fears – whatever they might be – and to find fortitude in those who inspire you. She talks about 'Travel as Medicine' and asks where you would go if you had no excuses to fall back on and no travel dreams to defer until later.

All the exercises are meant to have you take action and live your travel dreams now. This is not the type of book to pick up if you want ideas of where to go and what to see; this is you deciding what you'd like from travel and pondering your travel 'playlist' and style afterwards. Finally, coming up with a list of things you can do to move toward your trip, like researching the destination and figuring out the best time to go and a budget.

If you like journaling and seek travel experiences perhaps you can pick up this book and use the activities to plan your next adventure.

The Red Bandanna Travel Book: The Medicine of Traveling by Joanne Socha, Amabelle Publishing, 2018

©Christina Bolton