Puerto Rico Hosting PGA TOUR, Top Golf Professionals Compete Feb. 27-March 5, 2023

The PGA TOUR has arrived for the 15th playing of the Puerto Rico Open this week, when many of the world's top players – including six Puerto Rican players (Boricua) – will compete for shares of the $3.8 prize money on the Championship Course at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande.

As if having the PGA TOUR make its annual stop here isn't exciting enough, this year the Puerto Rico Open comes on the heels of the Island hosting the Latin America Amateur Championship last month, when the winner earned invitations to play in this year's Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship (three of golf's four major championships). Further, last spring Puerto Rico and Grand Reserve held the first United States Golf Association championship to be played outside the mainland (Women's Amateur Four-Ball).

"We are humbled and thrilled that the PGA TOUR has returned to Puerto Rico and the Island is increasingly being honored to host these extraordinary golf tournaments that draw global attention to our wonderful destination," said Brad Dean, CEO, Discover Puerto Rico. "Our Destination Marketing Organization's mission is to highlight Puerto Rico's global brand, and the PGA TOUR, USGA, Latin America Amateur Championship and Golf Channel coverage are helping golfers throughout the world learn about our courses, culture, golf resorts, miles of beaches, and many other attributes."

The 2023 Puerto Rico Open is set to crown another champion amid the Island's tropical splendor. Some of the PGA TOUR's biggest names and rising stars have won or finished runner-up here. These include Viktor Hovland, Jordan Spieth, Daniel Berger, Jason Day, Tony Finau and Retief Goosen, all either winners of Major Championships or highly ranked in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The tournament will be contested on the Championship Course adjacent to the amenity-rich, oceanfront Hyatt Regency.

"The Puerto Rico Open has been established as the premier golf event held on the Island for the past 15 years. Through our long-standing partnership as the title sponsor, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company is proud to continue supporting the celebration of this important tournament, which has not only become a key platform to promote Puerto Rico as a world-class golf destination, but also a driving force of tourism and economic development," said Carlos Mercado, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

Michigan's Ryan Brehm captured last year's title with an exceptional final round. But it was the Island's own Rafa Campos who nearly set off a country-wide celebration in 2021 Puerto Rico Open. Leading after three rounds, he narrowly fell to the eventual champion.

Island native and legendary champion Chi Chi Rodriguez won eight times on the PGA TOUR. He designed El Legado, a popular 18-hole course in Guayama, within minutes of the ocean on the south coast. It is one of Puerto Rico's 18 golf courses, including several of the "Top 50 Courses in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and the Atlantic Islands" (source: Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play).

Other course designers represented on the Island include Tom Kite, Tom and George Fazio, Gary Player, Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and his son Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Many of the courses are amenities of beautiful resorts, including Royal Isabela; Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino; The St. Regis Bahia Beach; Wyndham Grand Rio Mar; Wyndham Palmas; Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve; and the forementioned Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve.

Golf courses are located throughout the Island with many in the Northeast near San Juan. Puerto Rico is an enchanting destination where history, gastronomy, nightlife, and natural wonders abound. It requires no passport for American citizens, is bilingual, uses the U.S. dollar for currency, and is the air hub of the Caribbean. There are more than 4,000 restaurants, and an array of award-winning lodging options of every kind.

The Puerto Rico Open is airing on Golf Channel Thursday through Sunday of tournament week.

Learn more about visiting Puerto Rico at DiscoverPuertoRico.com

Lufthansa Introduces New "First Class Suite Plus" - Private Room Above The Clouds

Lufthansa is expanding its premium First Class offering with the "Suite Plus," a separate double cabin with ceiling-high walls and an entirely closable door, large table and two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed if required. With this flying private room, Lufthansa is setting a new standard in comfort and individuality within its most sophisticated travel class.

The First Class Suite's features are unparalleled anywhere in the world: Guests can warm or cool their nearly one-meter-wide seats in the suite according to their personal needs and connect their own mobile device to the entertainment system. Ample storage space is provided by a suite wardrobe so that travelers can comfortably change and have all their personal belongings at hand.

Service at the highest level also awaits: The crew serves the gourmet menu at a time requested by the guests. The meal can be enjoyed in the private suites at the large First Class table, similar to a restaurant.
"Lufthansa Allegris"

The First Class will be introduced in 2024, on the newly delivered Airbus A350s as part of "Lufthansa Allegris," the airline’s new long-haul product. In the process, the company is improving the overall travel experience for customers in all travel classes: Economy, Premium Economy, Business and First Class. "Allegris" is part of the largest product and service overhaul in the Lufthansa Group's history, with a total investment of 2.5 billion euros by 2025.

"Every guest has their own understanding of premium, which is why we focus on maximum individuality and exclusivity. The First Class Suite Plus conveys the feeling of privacy and individuality similar to a hotel room – only at an altitude of eleven kilometers," explained Jens Ritter, CEO Lufthansa Airlines at the launch of the "First Class Suite Plus" on February 28 in Berlin. "The Allegris range promises individuality, exclusivity, and premium service along the entire travel chain."

Business Class: More flexible than ever

For the first time, guests in Lufthansa Business Class can also look forward to their own suite, which offers even more comfort and privacy due to chest-high walls and sliding doors. Here, travelers in the first rows can enjoy extended personal space, a monitor up to 27 inches in size and ample storage. Each suite also offers its own wardrobe and personal minibar. Inside, it is possible to connect the two suites so that business class guests traveling together can enjoy a large degree of privacy.

With "Allegris," the freedom of choice for Business Class guests has never been greater. Travelers can choose between six additional seat options, depending on whether they want an extra-long bed measuring 2.20 meters, extra space and work area, a seat with a baby bassinet, or simply an exclusive seat directly by the window. A double seat, in which the center console can be retracted to transform it into a reclining surface for two, is also available.

High seat walls and generous shoulder space provide greater privacy in all options. The seats can be converted into a bed at least two meters long and also offer high-definition screens (4K), generously-sized dining tables, wireless charging, noise-canceling headphones and Bluetooth connectivity. All seats are also equipped with a heating and cooling system, giving business class travelers the flexibility to set their own temperature. For extra comfortable side sleeping, seats also feature a shoulder sink-in, allowing the shoulder to sink into the seat, increasing sleeping comfort for side sleepers. A tablet-sized control unit provides access to all seating, lighting, heating/cooling and entertainment functions. Naturally, each seat is directly accessible from the aisle.

The Museum Of Science And Industry In Chicago Travels Back To 79 A.D With Pompeii: The Exhibition

The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) invites guests to step back in time and experience one of nature's most powerful moments in Pompeii: The Exhibition. This world-renowned collection of priceless artifacts and hands-on multimedia productions is staged in 79 A.D., just hours before life in Pompeii was simultaneously fixed and lost in time for centuries by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Chevy Humphrey, President, and CEO of MSI, spoke to the exhibition's fusion of history and technology saying, "The blend of scientific discovery and media-rich way of retelling history allows visitors to experience the awe of nature and human ingenuity. We're thrilled to bring this innovative exhibition to Chicago and provide our guests with the ability to travel through time and immerse themselves in Pompeii with breathtaking, real-life examples of archeology, geology, earth science, art history, culture, and more."

The exhibition depicts daily life in Pompeii through an incredible combination of projections, audio, video, and photographic murals supplemented by more than 150 priceless artifacts on display from the unparalleled collection of the Naples National Archaeological Museum in Italy. These artifacts, which include gladiator armor, weapons, pots, furniture, jewelry, medical instruments, and many more objects, provide a comprehensive view of how the people of Pompeii lived, loved, worked, worshipped, and found entertainment before disaster struck in this bustling commercial port and strategic military city.

The exhibition also includes completely immersive experiences showing holographic gladiatorial combat, a brand-new 3D experience which takes visitors through the different stages of the Mt. Vesuvius eruption, and finally a 4D theater that simulates Mount Vesuvius's deathly impact on this ancient city. This all culminates with the reveal of full-body casts of human forms who perished during this incredible volcanic event.

"The story of Pompeii's destruction and preservation is well-known around the world for providing a perfect encapsulation of life during the Roman time," John Norman, President of World Heritage Exhibitions, producers of POMPEII: The Exhibition, said. "We wanted to bring this historical event back to life and allow visitors to relive it vividly. By combining priceless artifacts with multimedia productions, we have created an authentic, captivating retelling of life in Pompeii."

Pompeii: The Exhibition is open from February 23rd to September 4th, 2023. The exhibition requires a timed-entry ticket. Advance reservations are highly recommended. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.msichicago.org/pompeii.

Velas Vallarta Announces New Equinox And Solstice Ceremonies Celebrating Huichol Culture

Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is now offering guests a chance to learn about the local Huichol culture with new equinox and solstice ceremonies. The Huichol are a Mexican indigenous group located in the states of Jalisco (where the resort is located), Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango. Their name can be interpreted as "the healers". This year at Velas Vallarta there will be different activities where guests can immerse themselves into this important culture during the Spring and Autumn Equinox as well as the Summer and Winter Solstice.

The equinox and solstice ceremonies will be led by experts of the Huichol or Wixárika culture. During the ceremonies guests will be led through various chants and prayers to father sun tawerxik+a, dedicated to the four elements of fire, water, earth, and air with the purpose of thanking him for life. Following the chants, an offering with Copal, candles and flowers will be made to showcase gratitude. Copal has been used for centuries throughout different cultures to purify the environment and keep away evil spirits. Guests will also enjoy traditional music, dancing, and Mexican dishes including tamales, atole, tortillas and more.

The ceremonies, also known as peyote ritual or hikuri, will be held on the beach over the following days:

March 20, 2023 - Spring Equinox, celebrating the end of winter and fresh new beginnings. June 21, 2023 - Summer Solstice, marking the longest day of the year and start of summer. September 23, 2023 - Autumnal Equinox, which marks a time to give thanks to harvest and to honor the changing seasons. December 22, 2023 - Winter Solstice, celebrating the cycle of nature and marking the day of the sun's rebirth.

Nightly rates at Velas Vallarta start at $190 per person per night, based on double occupancy. All-inclusive rates include suite accommodations, a la carte gourmet meals at a variety of specialty restaurants, premium branded beverages, 24-hour in-suite service, fitness center, taxes, gratuity, and more. For reservations or more information, please call 1-888-407-4869 or visit https://www.velasvallarta.com.

Air New Zealand To Offer The World’s First Lie-Flat “Pods” For Economy Class, Set To Debut In 2024

Economy flights practically guarantee a stiff neck, a child kicking the back of your seat and competition with your seatmate to claim the middle seat’s armrests.

One airline wants to cure to these traveling ailments: Air New Zealand recently announced the world’s first lie-flat “pods” for economy class airplanes, set to debut in 2024. The concept, called “Skynest,” has been in research and development for five years and will likely feature two rows of three stacked bunk beds for a total of six full-length sleeping pods. The beds will be installed on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and will exist in addition to regular seating sections.

The sleeping pods might prove necessary: This fall, Air New Zealand will host its first nonstop flight from Auckland to New York’s John K. Kennedy International Airport. The roughly 17-hour flight will be one of the world’s longest regularly scheduled passenger flights, and the eventual Skynest rollout could be a perfect fit.

But the pods – which will include cooling pillows and ventilation outlets – likely won’t come cheap. Prices have yet to be announced, but Air New Zealand says four hours of access to a sleep pod will cost an extra fee on top of your economy ticket.

“The airline did a fair bit of research around sleep cycles,” an Air New Zealand spokesperson told CNN Travel last week. “A typical sleep cycle is around 90 minutes, so a four-hour session gives the opportunity for customers to wind down, fall asleep and wake up.”

The bedding will be changed and the pods will be cleaned for 30 minutes in between every session, according to the airline.

When Air New Zealand initially announced the concept in 2020, transportation analyst Seth Kaplan told CNBC he was skeptical that economy passengers would jump in line to try it. People who are paying the lowest possible rate for a ticket probably aren’t interested in ticket add-ons, especially when the pods will occupy much of each plane’s already limited space, he said.

“The airline business is a real estate business,” Kaplan said. “Air New Zealand will have to ask itself if those beds will bring in more money than economy or premium seats in the same space.”

This isn’t Air New Zealand’s first attempt to help economy travelers sleep better. Passengers can already upgrade their coach seats to a “SkyCouch,” or coach seats with footrests that lift to create a bedlike space. That product has also been licensed by China Airlines and the Brazilian carrier Azul.

The race to put actual beds in economy class appears to have fewer participants. In 2018, Airbus said it was working with aerospace design firm Zodiac to put bunk beds in the cargo holds of planes, but no mention of the concept currently exists on Airbus’ site beyond that initial announcement.

Air Canada And United Airlines To Offer More Than 260 Daily Transborder Flights And Two New Routes This Summer

Air Canada and United Airlines announced today that, through their enhanced transborder joint business agreement, they will offer industry leading capacity and new routes between Canada and the U.S. for summer 2023 – including a new United-operated flight between Washington-Dulles and Calgary and a new Air Canada-operated flight between Washington-Dulles and Vancouver. The carriers have collaboratively optimized their schedules, subject to applicable government and regulatory conditions, and added more flights to provide customers greater connectivity and more flexible flight times, with over 80 transborder codeshare routes and more than 260 daily flights.

"Through our longstanding partnership with United Airlines, Air Canada has been able to offer customers ever-increasing and significant benefits. This summer, customers will have even greater choice and convenience with our joint summer schedule made possible by our airlines' new enhanced transborder agreement. Together we will offer more than 260 daily departures to the U.S, and new non-stop flights from Vancouver and Calgary to Washington-Dulles," said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada. "Our coordinated schedules will provide business travelers with the convenience of hourly service and the additional comfort of a business cabin on all flights between Toronto and New York and Chicago, as well as Vancouver and San Francisco."

"We're proud of our continued work with Air Canada to provide customers with even greater transborder connectivity, including adding more flights and new direct service to Calgary and Vancouver from Washington Dulles," said Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United Airlines. "With schedules designed to give customers more flexibility with timing and more convenient connection options, as well as the ability to enjoy the benefits of both airlines' loyalty programs, our agreement with Air Canada makes United the premier U.S. airline for travel to Canada."

New Non-stop Flights Between Vancouver, Calgary and Washington

New, non-stop service between Vancouver and Washington-Dulles will begin June 1 and will be operated with an Air Canada Boeing 737 Max 8. United will also introduce a new, non-stop flight between Calgary and Washington-Dulles on June 2 on an Airbus 319. Air Canada and United will codeshare on these flights, allowing Aeroplan or MileagePlus® members to accumulate and redeem miles. Eligible customers and loyalty plan members will also be able to enjoy benefits including priority check-in, lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits where available.

Flight Departs Arrives Frequency AC 1036 Vancouver 8:15 Washington 16:16 Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun AC 1037 Washington 17:10 Vancouver 20:01 Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun UA 2221 Calgary 13:30 Washington 19:54 Daily UA 1125 Washington 9:00 Calgary 11:59 Daily

Transborder Schedule

The two carriers will operate more than 260 daily transborder departures in summer 2023, about a 20 percent increase in schedule capacity compared to summer 2022. The schedule will include up to 120 daily departures between the airlines' hub markets, an increase from 101 in summer 2021. Flights will be timed to offer optimized connections at both Air Canada and United's hubs and line stations.

Shuttle-Style Schedule

The coordinated schedule will enable both carriers to offer shuttle-style hourly service throughout the day between key Air Canada and United hubs. The airlines will offer 29 daily flights with complementary timings between Toronto and New York/Newark and Chicago, and 11 daily flights between Vancouver and San Francisco.

Route Frequency First Departure Last Departure Toronto-Chicago 13- times Daily 06:30 21:15 Chicago-Toronto 07:10 21:15 Toronto-New York/Newark 16-times Daily 06:15 21:00 New York/Newark-Toronto 06:00 20:15 Vancouver-San Francisco 11-times Daily 07:00 21:00 San Francisco-Vancouver 06:45 21:00

Enhanced Western Canada Network to the U.S. The airlines' summer schedule also provides increased transborder service between the U.S. and Western Canada. There will be nine daily flights between Vancouver and New York/Newark, Houston and Chicago, and seven flights daily between Los Angeles and Vancouver. A second daily flight will be added between Calgary and both Chicago and Houston, and a second daily flight will also be added from Edmonton to Denver.

Customer Experience

Air Canada and United will offer business class seats on every flight between their respective hubs. All eligible customers will be able to enjoy Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounges and United's lounges, as well as the benefits of the carriers' Aeroplan and MileagePlus® loyalty programs. Additionally, customers will have a wider range of flight options with more than 80 transborder codeshare routes. Overall, customers will be able to connect to over 100 codeshare destinations in the U.S. and 25 of the most popular cities in Canada.

Building on a Long-Standing Partnership

In July 2022, Air Canada and United announced a joint business agreement for the Canada-U.S. transborder market, building on their long-standing partnership that will give more flight options and better flight schedules to customers traveling between the two countries (coordination subject to regulatory conditions). Air Canada and United are also founding members of Star Alliance and a transatlantic joint business agreement with the Lufthansa Group.

In 2019, the U.S.-Canada transborder market was the second largest international passenger air transportation market in the world and the largest international market for both Canada and the U.S., as measured by seats.

Japanese Startup Unveils Balloon Flight Space Viewing Tours

A Japanese startup announced plans Tuesday to launch commercial space viewing balloon flights that it hopes will bring an otherwise astronomically expensive experience down to Earth.

Company CEO Keisuke Iwaya said passengers do not need to be billionaires, go through intense training or have the language skills needed to fly in a rocket.

“It’s safe, economical and gentle for people,” Iwaya told reporters. “The idea is to make space tourism for everyone.” He said he wants to “democratize space.”

The company, Iwaya Giken, based in Sapporo in northern Japan, has been working on the project since 2012 and says it has developed an airtight two-seat cabin and a balloon capable of rising up to an altitude of 25 kilometers (15 miles), where the curve of the Earth can be clearly viewed. While passengers won’t be in outer space — the balloon only goes up to roughly the middle of the stratosphere — they’ll be higher than a jet plane flies and have an unobstructed view of outer space.

The company teamed up with major Japanese travel agency JTB Corp., which announced plans to collaborate on the project when the company is ready for a commercial trip. Initially, a flight would cost about 24 million yen ($180,000), but Iwaya said he aims to eventually bring it down to several million yen (tens of thousands of dollars).

While Japanese space ventures have fallen behind U.S. companies like SpaceX, Iwaya said his aim is to make space more reachable.

SpaceX launched three rich businessmen and their astronaut escort to the International Space Station in April for $55 million each — the company’s first private charter flight to the orbiting lab after two years of carrying astronauts there for NASA.

But unlike a rocket or a hot air balloon, the Iwaya Giken vessel will be lifted by helium that can be largely reused, company officials said, and flights will safely stay above Japanese territory or airspace. The first trip is planned as early as later this year.

The balloon, which can carry a pilot and a passenger, would take off from a balloon port in Hokkaido, rise for two hours to as high as 25 kilometers (15 miles) and stay there for one hour before a one-hour descent. The drum-shaped plastic cabin is 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in diameter and has several large windows to allow a view of space above or the Earth below, the company said.

Applications for a space viewing ride opened Tuesday and will continue through the end of August. The first five passengers selected will be announced in October, company officials said, and flights will be approximately a week apart, depending on the weather.

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

Massive Winter Storm Brings Snow, Strong Winds, Frigid Cold, Thousands Of Flights Cancelled.

Brutal winter weather bringing snow, dangerous gusts of wind and bitter cold settled over much of the northern U.S. on Wednesday, shutting down roadways, closing schools and businesses and prompting dire warnings for people to stay home.

The massive storm with blizzard-like conditions to the north were part of a wild weather day across the U.S. Wind gusts, combined with snow and rain, forced closure of a long stretch of interstate highway in the Southwest. Meanwhile, many places in the mid-Atlantic down to Florida are expected to see record high temperatures — in some cases up to 40 degrees above normal.

Many schools throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were called off for Wednesday, ahead of the storm. Offices closed, and so did the Minnesota Legislature. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem shut down state executive branch offices in several parts of the state, and employees were working remotely.

In Wyoming, virtually every road was impacted, and many were closed. Officials warned they may stay that way for days.

“Please change travel plans if your are coming towards Wyoming, waiting to go west from Cheyenne or Laramie on I-80, or waiting to go east on I-80 from Rock Springs,” the Wyoming Department of Transportation posted on Facebook. “A major winter storm and multi-day closures are likely on Interstates and secondary roads throughout Wyoming!”

Michelle Wilson said business was slow at the Denny’s where she works in Fargo, North Dakota, where the morning temperatures was minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 degrees Celsius). Wilson wasn’t surprised — people know better than to venture out when the weather turns this dangerous.

“When the wind picks up and your in a flat land like North Dakota, it’s whiteout conditions immediately,” Wilson said.

The storm will make its way toward the East Coast later in the week. Places that don’t get snow may get dangerous amounts of ice. Forecasters expect up to a half-inch of ice in some areas of southern Michigan, northern Illinois and some eastern states.

The snowfall could be historic, even in a region accustomed to heavy snow. As much as 25 inches may pile up, with the heaviest amounts falling across east-central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph and wind chills are expected to hit minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius) in some parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area could see 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow or more for the first time in over 30 years.

Temperatures in the nation’s northern tier could plunge as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 degrees Celsius) Thursday and to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 32 degrees Celsius) Friday in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wind chills may fall to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius), said Nathan Rick, a meteorologist in Grand Forks.

Wind gusts may reach 50 mph in western and central Minnesota, resulting in “significant blowing and drifting snow with whiteout conditions in open areas,” the weather service said.

According to the weather service, the biggest snow event on record in the Twin Cities was 28.4 inches from Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, 1991 — known as the Halloween Blizzard. The second-largest was 21.1 inches of snow from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1, 1985. The Twin Cities got 20 inches of snow on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, 1982.

Hardware store owners said residents were generally taking the forecast in stride.

At C&S Supply, an employee-owned hardware store in Mankato, Minnesota, manager Corey Kapaun said demand was high for salt and grit, but not for shovels, snow blowers or other equipment. He attributed that to the fact that winter is two-thirds over.

“I think people are either prepared or they’re not,” Kapaun said. “It’s usually the first snowfall of the year that gets a lot of attention. With a storm like this, I expected a little bit more, but we’ve already had a big year of snow already.”

Forecasters at AccuWeather said the same storm system could result in icing across a 1,300-mile (2,092 -kilometer) band from near Omaha, Nebraska, to New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday, creating potential travel hazards in or near cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Boston.

As the northern U.S. deals with a winter blast, record warmth is expected in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast — 30 degrees to 40 degrees above normal in some places. Record highs are expected from Baltimore to New Orleans and in much of Florida, National Weather Service Meteorologist Frank Pereira said.

Washington, D.C., could hit 80 degrees on Thursday, which would top the record of 78 degrees set in 1874.

A more than 200-mile stretch of Interstate 40 from central Arizona to the New Mexico line closed Wednesday morning due to wind gusts reaching up to 80 mph, plus snow and rain. Thousands were without power in Arizona.

California was also preparing for the latest in a series of winter storms as winds that began blowing Tuesday brought the potential for rain, snow and hail for much of the state. A “major snow event” was possible in foothills and mountains near Los Angeles, with several inches predicted even for elevations as low as 1,000 feet, the weather service said.

“Nearly the entire population of CA will be able to see snow from some vantage point later this week if they look in the right direction (i.e., toward the highest hills in vicinity),” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on Twitter.

Daytime temperatures in Southern California were unlikely to get out of the low to mid-50s and potentially damaging winds reaching 50 mph were predicted along the central coast, with gusts of 70 mph possible in mountains.

By TRISHA AHMED and JIM SALTER

Abrahamic Family House In The United Arab Emirates Houses A Church, Synagogue And Mosque

On the shores of the Persian Gulf, a new complex houses a Catholic church, a Jewish synagogue and an Islamic mosque in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The Abrahamic Family House offers a concrete, marble and oak manifestation of the UAE’s publicized push toward tolerance after hosting Pope Francis in 2019 and later diplomatically recognizing Israel in 2020. Worshippers have already prayed and communed at the site on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, while the general public will be allowed in next month.

However, the UAE still criminalizes proselytizing outside of the Islamic faith. Security also remains a concern as well for Jewish worshippers in this new outpost on the Arabian Peninsula, whether from Israel’s regional enemy Iran or from those angered by Israel pursuing settlements on land Palestinians seek for their future state, although they had no interest in the territories when Jordan held them 1948-1967.

The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, announced plans for the Abrahamic Family House in 2019 during the country’s “Year of Tolerance.” Designed by the British-Ghanian architect Sir David Adjaye, the site includes the three houses of worship and a center connecting them for future events.

The site itself stands out as a stark, white-marble place of worship in a capital more known for its oil industry, ongoing arms fair, glass towers and beachfront hotels. The three houses of worship — the St. Francis of Assisi Church, the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue and the Imam al-Tayeb Mosque — stand at triangle points, each a structure of about 30 cubic meters (1,060 cubic feet).

Triangular fountains lay set inside parts of the grounds, providing a bubbling background against the sound of construction taking place elsewhere on an island that is already home to the domed Louvre Abu Dhabi, a museum opened under an agreement with France. Behind the site, the massive falcon wings of the under-construction Zayed National Museum rise overhead as workers climbed through its scaffolding on Tuesday.

While each house of worship is the same size, all appear different on the inside. In the church, eastward windows with morning light frame a marble altar and lectern with a crucifix above it. Oaken pews sit inside for the faithful under suspended wooden columns hanging from the ceiling.

The synagogue has similar pews, with the Ten Commandments inscribed in Hebrew at the front. A room for the Torah is located behind the front. Bronze netting hangs from the ceiling, playing with the light from the windows and a skylight above.

The mosque has shelves for the Quran and also outside, for the faithful to remove their shoes, hidden behind Islamic geometric designs. Gray carpeting covers the floor, with two microphones under and one above on the minbar, the platform where the imam stands for Friday prayers. Moveable walls separate the men’s and women’s sections.

Officials gave no figure for the cost of construction of the site, though the materials alone likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Still, proselytizing outside of the Islamic faith remains illegal in the UAE and Islam is enshrined as the official religion in the country’s constitution, with government websites even offering online applications to convert. Conversion from Islam to another religion, however, is illegal, as is witchcraft and sorcery, the U.S. State Department has warned.

Blasphemy and apostasy laws also carry a possible death sentence — though no such execution is known to have been carried out since the UAE became a nation in 1971. Despite facing restrictions, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and others in the UAE have never faced the violence that has targeted their communities in Syria and Iraq during the rise of the Islamic State group and other militants.

Security appears to be a major concern for the site. Though hidden as much as possible, metal detectors screen those coming into the facility. Security cameras can be seen at every major corner, both inside and outside the houses of worship. On Tuesday, black-suited private security guards also ran mirrors around vehicles to check their undercarriages for explosives — a measure rarely seen in the Emirates.

Hard-line media in Iran have previously described the UAE as a “legitimate” target, given its recognition of Israel.

By JON GAMBRELL

Italy Faces New Drought Alert As Venice Canals Run Dry

Weeks of dry winter weather have raised concerns that Italy could face another drought after last summer's emergency, with the Alps having received less than half of their normal snowfall, according to scientists and environmental groups.

The warning comes as Venice, where flooding is normally the primary concern, faces unusually low tides that are making it impossible for gondolas, water taxis and ambulances to navigate some of its famous canals.

The problems in Venice are being blamed on a combination of factors -- the lack of rain, a high pressure system, a full moon and sea currents.

Italian rivers and lakes are suffering from severe lack of water, the Legambiente environmental group said on Monday, with attention focused on the north of the country.

The Po, Italy's longest river which runs from the Alps in the northwest to the Adriatic has 61% less water than normal at this time of year, it added in a statement.

Last July Italy declared a state of emergency for areas surrounding the Po, which accounts for roughly a third of the country's agricultural production and suffered its worst drought for 70 years.

"We are in a water deficit situation that has been building up since the winter of 2020-2021," climate expert Massimiliano Pasqui from Italian scientific research institute CNR was quoted as saying by daily Corriere della Sera.

"We need to recover 500 millimetres in the north-western regions: we need 50 days of rain," he added.

Water levels on Lake Garda in northern Italy have fallen to record lows, making it possible to reach the small island of San Biagio on the lake via an exposed pathway.

An anticyclone has been dominating the weather in western Europe for 15 days, bringing mild temperatures more normally seen in late spring.

Latest weather forecasts do however signal the arrival of much-needed precipitation and snow in the Alps in coming days.

By Cristina Carlevaro; Editing by Keith Weir and Hugh Lawson

Brazil’s Glitzy Carnival Is Back

Glittery and outrageous costumes were prepared again. Samba songs were ringing out ’til dawn at Rio de Janeiro’s sold-out parade grounds. Hundreds of raucous, roaming parties were flooding the streets. And working-class communities were buoyed, emotionally and economically, by the renewed revelry.

The COVID-19 pandemic last year prompted Rio to delay Carnival by two months, and watered down some of the fun, which was attended mostly by locals. Brazil’s federal government expects 46 million people to join the festivities that officially began Friday and run through Feb. 22. That includes visitors to cities that make Carnival a world-famous bash, especially Rio but also Salvador, Recife and metropolitan Sao Paulo, which has recently emerged as a hotspot.

These cities have already begun letting loose.

Many Brazilian mayors, including Rio’s, were marking the start of the celebrations on Friday by symbolically handing the keys to their cities to their Carnival Kings. And the first street parties of the Carnival weekend kicked off, with revelers’ costumes ranging from Pope Francis to the devil himself.

“We’ve waited for so long, we deserve this catharsis,” Thiago Varella, a 38-year-old engineer wearing a Hawaiian shirt drenched by the rain, said at a bash in Sao Paulo.

Most tourists were eager to go to the street parties, known as blocos. Rio has permitted more than 600 of them, and there are more unsanctioned blocos. The biggest blocos lure millions to the streets, including one bloco that plays Beatles songs with a Carnival rhythm for a crowd of hundreds of thousands. Such major blocos were called off last year.

“We want to see the partying, the colors, the people and ourselves enjoying Carnival,” Chilean tourist Sofia Umaña, 28, said near Copacabana beach.

The premier spectacle is at the Sambadrome. Top samba schools, which are based in Rio’s more working-class neighborhoods, spend millions on hour-long parades with elaborate floats and costumes, said Jorge Perlingeiro, president of Rio’s league of samba schools.

“What’s good and beautiful costs a lot; Carnival materials are expensive,” Perlingeiro said in an interview in his office beside the samba schools’ warehouses. “It’s such an important party ... It’s a party of culture, happiness, entertainment, leisure and, primarily, its commercial and social side.”

He added that this year’s Carnival will smash records at the Sambadrome, where some 100,000 staff and spectators are expected each day in the sold-out venue, plus 18,000 paraders. While President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is not expected to be among them, his wife Rosângela da Silva has said she will be at the parade.

The first lady’s attendance signals a shift from the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who kept his distance from the nation’s marquee cultural event.

Nearly 700,000 Brazilians died in the pandemic, the world’s second-highest national total, after the U.S., and many blamed Bolsonaro’s response, weakening the bid for reelection that he ultimately lost. Many at this year’s street parties are celebrating not just the return of Carnival, but also Bolsonaro’s defeat.

That was the case at the Heaven on Earth street party in Rio’s bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood on Feb. 11. Musicians pounded their drums as some revelers climbed fences to watch the scene from above the pulsing throng. Anilson Costa, a stilt-walker, already had a prime view from his elevated perch. Covered in flowers and brightly colored pom-poms, he poured a watering can labeled “LOVE” over people dancing below him.

“Seeing this crowd today is a dream, it’s very magical,” said Costa. “This is the post-pandemic Carnival, the Carnival of democracy, the Carnival of rebirth.”

This year shares some of the spirit of the 1919 edition, which took place right after Spanish influenza killed tens of thousands of Brazilians, but was no longer a significant threat. WWI had just ended, too, and people were eager to unburden themselves, said David Butter, the author of a book about that year’s celebration.

“There were so many people in Rio’s city center for Carnival that the whole region ran out of water within hours,” said Butter.

Carnival’s cancelation in 2021 and its lower-key version last year pummeled an industry that is a nearly year-long source of jobs for carpenters, welders, sculptors, electricians, dancers, choreographers and everyone else involved in bringing parades to the public. As such, Carnival’s full-fledged return is a shot in the arm for local economies.

“Yesterday, I went to sleep at 3 in the morning. Today, I’ll leave earlier, because I’ve lost my voice,” said seamstress Luciene Moreira, 60, as she sewed a yellow costume in samba school Salgueiro’s warehouse. “You have to sleep later one day, earlier the next; otherwise, the body can’t handle it. But it is very enjoyable!”

Rio expects some 5 billion reais (about $1 billion) in revenue at its bars, hotels and restaurants, the president of the city’s tourism agency, Ronnie Costa, told the AP. Rio’s hotels are at 85% capacity, according to Brazil’s hotel association, which expects last-minute deals to bring that figure near to its max. Small businesses are benefiting, too.

“Carnival is beautiful, people are buying, thank God all my employees are paid up to date,” said Jorge Francisco, who sells sequined and sparkled Carnival accoutrements at his shop in downtown Rio. “For me, this is an immense joy, everyone smiling and wanting. That’s how Carnival is.”

By MAURICIO SAVARESE and DAVID BILLER

Melbourne Welcomes Visitors To Experience Its Extravagant Events Season With Festivals, Live Music And more

This March, Melbourne welcomes visitors back to participate in its exciting events season featuring a wide variety of entertainment offerings with distinguished talent from around the globe. Among the top events on the schedule this year include the world-renowned Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (March 24-30) and Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix (March 30-April 2).

While Melbourne is known to have exciting entertainment year-round, its busy events season, candidly referred to as "Mad March" and "Awesome April" by locals, features some of their largest and most celebrated events. The season kicks off with Moomba Festival, Australia's largest free community festival, and features other large-scale events such as PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

"Victoria has the best line-up of events in Australia and we're looking forward to a huge Mad March and Awesome April this year. Whether food and wine, sport, fashion or culture are your thing – there's an event for everyone," stated Brendan McClements, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Victoria.

One of the most attended events during this time is the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival; best known for the "World's Longest Lunch" – a special dining experience from a celebrated chef, served on a 2,000-foot table in Melbourne's Treasury Gardens. The festival draws in impressive talent from around the world including Michelin-starred chefs and culinary experts for 10 days of interactive events, meals and masterclasses.

"Melbourne's beating heart is its thriving food and drink scene, and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival showcases some of Victoria's best industry talent and diverse produce," said McClements.

Through the festival's "Signature Chef Series" participants can learn from the best-in-class culinary minds, such as Melbourne-born Curtis Stone, or Chef Danny Bowien – known for his game-changing Mission Chinese Food. Or, visitors can experience Melbourne's authentic culinary scene through its "Crawl and Bite" tours. These tours take participants around Melbourne for quick bites and drinks at various places to showcase the diversity of flavors that the city has to offer.

The special events give visitors the opportunity to encounter Victoria's local culture, gastronomy and arts in an interactive and experiential way. This year, the Australian state is gearing up for an unprecedented events season complete with celebrations, celebrity guests, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences!

For more information, please visit www.visitvictoria.com.

Travelore News: Power Outage Cancels, Diverts International Flights At Kennedy Airport

NEW YORK (AP) — A power outage in a terminal of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport stretched into a second day Friday after forcing some flights to be canceled or diverted, including one that was turned around and sent back to New Zealand after nearly making it to the U.S.

The airport operators said in a tweet late Thursday that Terminal 1, which handles some of the airport’s international flights, would remain closed Friday “due to electrical issues.”

The outage was caused by an electrical panel failure that led to a small fire, which was quickly extinguished, authorities said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs New York’s major airports, said it was working to accommodate affected flights at JFK’s four other active terminals.

The agency did not provide any estimate of how many flights were canceled or diverted, but thousands of travelers were likely affected.

Yahayra Hunt and her husband were stuck in a hotel near the airport Friday after their flight to Rome was canceled Thursday. They’re part of a group of 16 people who booked an 11-day tour to Italy and Israel.

“We actually have another agent trying to see if we can find another airport to fly out of,” she said. “It’s a nightmare.”

Hunt, 46, said they would like to leave the hotel and see the city as they wait. But they don’t want to risk missing a rescheduled flight.

“Being stuck in a hotel during your vacation is not fair at all,” said Hunt, who owns a beauty salon in North Carolina.

Some planes were forced to return to their points of origin.

An Air New Zealand flight was two-thirds of the way across the Pacific Ocean when it had to make a U-turn and head back to Auckland. The flight landed back in New Zealand after more than 16 hours in the air.

Terminal 1 opened in the late 1990s. It is scheduled to be replaced by a new, $9.5 billion terminal now under construction. Groundbreaking was initially supposed to happen in 2020 but was delayed until last summer by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wynn Resorts Receives 24 Five-Star Awards From Forbes Travel Guide On 2023 List

Wynn Resorts is proud to announce that it has maintained its 24 Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) Five-Star Awards in 2023, more than any other independent hotel company in the world. In addition, Wynn Las Vegas, Encore Las Vegas, and Wynn Palace remain the three largest FTG Five-Star casino resorts in the world.

"To be recognized on a global scale for our five-star service is a significant accomplishment, and a testament to the culture of excellence we've curated," said Brian Gullbrants, Chief Operating Officer - North America, Wynn Resorts. "We're extremely proud of our 27,000 employees across North America and China who are committed to providing unparalleled service and creating unforgettable experiences for guests every day."

In North America, Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas remains the only FTG Five-Star Chinese restaurant, while Encore Boston Harbor sustained its classification as the largest Five-Star regional resort casino after earning awards in 2022 for the spa and hotel. Globally, Wynn Macau maintains its exclusive status as the only resort worldwide with eight FTG Five-Star awards, while Wynn Palace continues to have the most FTG Five-Star restaurants of any individual resort in the world.

Wynn Resorts received the following 2023 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards:

Encore Boston Harbor:

Encore Boston Harbor (Five-Star) The Spa at Encore Boston Harbor (Five-Star)

Wynn Las Vegas:

Wynn Las Vegas (Five-Star) Encore Las Vegas (Five-Star) Wynn Tower Suites (Five-Star) Encore Tower Suites (Five-Star) The Spa at Wynn (Five-Star) The Spa at Encore (Five-Star) Wing Lei (Five-Star)

Wynn Macau:

Wynn Macau (Five-Star) Encore at Wynn Macau (Five-Star) The Spa at Wynn Macau (Five-Star) The Spa at Encore (Five-Star) Wing Lei (Five-Star) Golden Flower (Five-Star) Ristorante il Teatro (Five-Star) Mizumi (Five-Star)

Wynn Palace:

Wynn Palace (Five-Star) The Spa at Wynn Palace (Five-Star) Sushi Mizumi (Five-Star) Mizumi (Five-Star) Wing Lei Palace (Five-Star) Sichuan Moon (Five-Star) SW Steakhouse (Five-Star)

For more information on the full list of 2023 Forbes Travel Guide star award winners, please visit: https://www.forbestravelguide.com/

Travelore Update: Peru Reopens Machu Picchu After Agreement With Protesters

Peru’s Machu Picchu, an Inca-era stone citadel nestled in its southeastern jungle, reopened on Wednesday after being closed nearly a month ago amid antigovernment protests, the culture ministry announced.

The decision was made between agreements between authorities, social groups and the local tourism industry to guarantee the security of the famed tourist attraction and transport services.

Protests calling for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and members of Peru’s Congress have shaken the region, including Cuzco, for more than two months. The demonstrations caused a blockade of the train tracks leading to the stone citadel.

The protests have led to 60 deaths: 48 are civilians who died in clashes with the security forces; 11 civilians killed in traffic accidents related to road blockades; and one policeman who died inside a patrol car when it was set on fire, according to data from the Ombudsman’s Office.

The closure of Machu Picchu, on Jan. 21, forced the government to airlift more than 400 tourists from Machu Picchu to the city of Cusco by helicopter.

Machu Picchu was built by the Incas in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary high in Andes Mountains.

Southwest Working On A Series Of Updates, Upgrades To Technology

(Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) is working on a series of updates and upgrades to its technology to avoid a repeat of the operational disruption the airline suffered in late December, a top executive said on Monday.

The Dallas-based carrier's technology has been in focus ever since it suffered an operational meltdown that resulted in almost 17,000 flight cancellations around the Christmas holiday last year, disrupting travel plans for two million customers.

"December was a moment in time in our 51-year history and we're going to get through this," Southwest's Chief Information Officer Lauren Woods told Reuters in an interview.

"We're going to continue to make really smart business decisions including our technology investment."

Woods said General Electric (GE.N) has added a new functionality to its crew-scheduling software to make it more resilient.

She said Southwest is working with the Boston-based industrial conglomerate for additional improvements to its crew scheduling system, and has plans to carry out more than 8 upgrades this year.

Southwest has said its crew scheduling software got overwhelmed after the winter storm in December, turning a weather event into a "crew scheduling event."

Woods said the airline is also looking at replacing and upgrading flight planning and flight scheduling systems by 2025.

By Rajesh Kumar Singh

To Improve The Quality Of Your Sleep At Home And While Traveling, You Should Consider The Manta Sleep Mask SOUND

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Oldest Schoolhouse For Black Children In US Moved To Museum

A building believed to be the oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children in the U.S. was hoisted onto a flatbed truck and moved a half-mile Friday to Colonial Williamsburg, a Virginia museum that continues to expand its emphasis on African American history.

Built 25 years before the American Revolution, the original structure stood near the college campus of William & Mary. The pinewood building held as many as 30 students at a time, some of them free Black children studying alongside the enslaved.

Hundreds of people lined the streets to celebrate its slow-speed trip into the heart of the living history museum, which tells the story of Virginia’s colonial capital through interpreters and restored buildings.

For historians and descendants alike, the Bray School contradicts the belief that all enslaved Americans were uneducated. But the school’s faith-based curriculum — created by an English charity — also justified slavery and encouraged students to accept their fate as God’s plan.

“Religion was at the heart of the school, and it was not a gospel of abolition,” said Maureen Elgersman Lee, director of William & Mary’s Bray School Lab.

“There was this need to proselytize and to bring salvation while still not doing anything to destabilize the institution of slavery,” Lee said. “Save the soul, but continue to enslave the body. It was the here versus the hereafter.”

It was a brand of duplicity that fit easily into the larger contradictions of the country’s founding, when the Democracy being forged explicitly denied rights and freedoms to many of its people.

Williamsburg is less than 10 miles from Jamestown, which England established in 1607. The colony was supplied with enslaved Africans for labor just a dozen years later. A century and half after that, Black people, most of them still enslaved, represented just over half of Williamsburg’s 2,000 people.

The Bray School was established in 1760 at the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin, chairman of a London-based Anglican charity named after philanthropist Reverend Thomas Bray. The charity also set up schools in other cities, including New York and Philadelphia.

The curriculum ranged from spellers to the Book of Common Prayer. But even within the schools’ paternalistic framework, the education could still be empowering, perhaps even subversive.

“I was going through a facsimile of one of the books, and there are words like ‘liberty,’” Lee said. “What did learning those words do to expand these children’s sense of themselves? Their sense of the world?”

Isaac Bee, a Bray School student, would run away as an adult from a slave owner named Lewis Burwell. An ad that Burwell placed in The Virginia Gazette in 1774 offered a cash bounty for his return and warned that Bee could read.

The white teacher, a widow named Ann Wager, lived upstairs at the school, and taught an estimated 300 to 400 students, whose ages ranged from 3 to 10, according to surviving records.

The Williamsburg Bray School operated until 1774; only Philadelphia’s reopened after the Revolutionary War. The structure became a private home for many years before it was incorporated into William & Mary’s campus.

The former schoolhouse eventually was moved from its original spot to make way for a dormitory. The original structure had 1.5 stories, with a small upstairs. It was expanded over the years to include two full stories, and was last used as an office for ROTC, the college program that prepares military officers.

Historians believed they had identified the original Bray School building, but it wasn’t confirmed until 2021, through the use of dendrochronology, a scientific method that examines tree rings in lumber to determine the wood’s harvest date.

“This is a remarkable story of survival,” said Matthew Webster, Colonial Williamsburg’s executive director of architectural preservation and research. “And for us, it’s so important to put it back (to its original state) and tell the full and true story.” The Bray School was exceptional: Although Virginia waited until the 1800s to impose anti-literacy laws, white leaders across much of Colonial America forbid educating enslaved people, fearing literacy would encourage their liberty. South Carolina criminalized teaching slaves to write English in 1740.

Inside the schoolhouse, the original post at the bottom of the walnut staircase still stands, its square top rounded and nicked from centuries of use, Webster said, adding that it’s a “very powerful piece for a lot of people.”

For Tonia Merideth, the Bray School Lab’s oral historian, the building stirred up many emotions upon her first visit. It was material proof against the narrative that her ancestors were illiterate and dumb.

“Everything that I learned about my ancestors was wrong,” she said. “They could learn. They did learn. They were able.”
Merideth added: “Regardless of the intentions of the school, the children were still taking that education and possibly serving it for their own good and aiding in their community.”
Merideth can trace her roots to the Armistead family, which enslaved people in the Williamsburg area and is known to have sent at least one child, named Locust, to the Bray School. But only three years of student lists have survived.

The moving of the Bray School is part of Colonial Williamsburg’s ongoing reckoning over its past storytelling of Black history and the nation’s origin story. The museum was founded in 1926 but did not tell Black stories until 1979.

In 2021, it uncovered the brick foundation of one of the nation’s oldest Black churches. Last year, archeologists began to excavate graves at the site.

The Bray School’s new location is right next door.

“We’re going back and we’re getting that school and we’re getting that legacy,” Merideth said. “And we’re bringing it back to the historic area.”

By BEN FINLEY

Why Israel Should Be At The Top Of Your Travel List For 2023

As we look towards the future and the possibilities that 2023 holds, it's time to start planning your next adventure. What better place to visit than the vibrant, diverse, and endlessly fascinating country of Israel. From the bustling streets and nightlife of Tel Aviv to the ancient corridors of Jerusalem, Israel offers something for everyone. Whether you're a history buff, a beach lover, culture seeker or a foodie, you'll find it all here. So, pack your bags, grab your camera, and get ready to discover why Israel should be at the top of your travel list for 2023.

1. The Ultimate Mediterranean Coastline - The Mediterranean coastline of Israel is a feast for the senses. Imagine white sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters and a vibrant atmosphere that never stops. Tel Aviv known as "the city that never sleeps", is the perfect place to start your journey, where one can enjoy the sun, sand, and surf of some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, like Gordon beach or Frishman beach. The culinary scene in Tel Aviv is nothing short of amazing, with a variety of delicious flavors and styles from all around the world. At night, the city comes alive with a pulsating nightlife that will keep you dancing until the early hours of the morning. But it's not just about the party scene - Tel Aviv https://visit.tel-aviv.gov.il/ is also a city rich in culture, with world-class museums, galleries, and performance spaces. Come and experience the Mediterranean coastline of Israel and discover why Tel Aviv is a place where culture, cuisine, and nightlife meet.

2. Adventurous Desert - Experience the rugged beauty and unspoiled wilderness of the Negev desert in Israel. This vast and ancient desert is a paradise for adventure seekers, offering thrills like sand boarding down towering dunes, hiking well marked trails or mountain biking along camel paths carved into the sand, or simply exploring ancient canyons. But it's not just about the adrenaline rush - the Negev is also home to a rich cultural heritage and a unique culinary scene. Immerse yourself in the hospitality of the Bedouin people and discover the delicious flavors of traditional desert cuisine. The Negev desert is an unforgettable destination that offers a perfect blend of raw nature, adventure, wildlife, diversity of culture, and culinary experiences. Pack your comfortable hiking shoes and sun hat and come explore this amazing desert land in Israel.

3. Unique Cultural Experiences – recently announced as one of UNWTO 'tourist villages' Kfar Kama holds an ideal place to enhance the visit to Israel. Kfar Kama encompasses historic narrative about the Circassian community living near the Kfar Tabor, which was founded over 150 years ago by Muslim Circassians, emigrating to Israel from the Caucasus region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The village, which is one of two such Circassian villages in Israel, (the other is Rehaniya), allows the tourist to travel through a time tunnel. The village is full of restaurants, family riding attractions, a dairy offering workshops on cheese making processes and the Circassian Heritage Conservation Center, which offers tours of the old village alleyways, a sound and light show, and tastings from the Circassian cuisine.

4. History was Never so Innovative - a New Visitors Center Opens at Tel Megiddo National Park. A new, state-of-the-art Visitors Center was recently officially opened at the Tel Megiddo National Park, promising tourists an enhanced visiting experience. The Visitors Center, which employs the latest technology, emphasizes the connection between Tel Megiddo and the Bible, alongside displays of historical artifacts. Tel Megiddo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the most excavated archaeological site in Israel over the years, overlooking about thirty different cities from various time periods in the history of the Land of Israel. Megiddo was one of the strongest and most important cities of Canaan. The remains of the palaces, temples, gates, and the city's sophisticated water system are evidence of its great power.

5. Jerusalem – A city of magic and radiance – Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and by far one of the most famous and fascinating cities in the world, where thousands of years of history resides seamlessly intertwined with modern day life. As a UNESCO recognized heritage site, discover the overwhelming power of this 3,000-year-old city, it's innumerable historic sites of great archaeological and those of faiths' significances. It's magical walkways and panoramic vistas that leave lasting impressions. It is said that one doesn't have to be religious to visit Jerusalem. A tour of the Old City of Jerusalem is an opportunity to answer the "curiosities" that most visitors have but is not all about history or faith. The modern side of Jerusalem is composed of a multitude of museums, an outdoor market that convert into a nightly youthful playground, modern architecture, cultural events, and of course the great shopping, cuisine, and vibrant nightlife, all mixed together into a fine cocktail of experiences that are uniquely Israeli.

To make your plans, please visit: https://israel.travel/

Visitors Can Now See Famed Florence Baptistry’s Mosaics Up Close

Visitors to one of Florence’s most iconic monuments — the Baptistry of San Giovanni, opposite the city’s Duomo — are getting a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see its ceiling mosaics up close thanks to an innovative approach to a planned restoration effort.br />

br />Rather than limit the public’s access during the six-year cleaning of the vault, officials built a scaffolding platform for the art restorers that will also allow small numbers of visitors to see the ceiling mosaics at eye level.br /> br />“We had to turn this occasion into an opportunity to make it even more accessible and usable by the public through special routes that would bring visitors into direct contact with the mosaics,” Samuele Caciagli, the architect in charge of the restoration site, said.br /> br />In an interview with The Associated Press, Caciagli called the new scaffolding tour of the baptistry vault “a unique opportunity that is unlikely to be repeated in the coming decades.”br /> br />The scaffolding platform sprouts like a mushroom from the floor of the baptistry and reaches a height of 32 meters (105 feet) from the ground. Visits are set to start Feb. 24 and must be reserved in advance.br /> br />The octagonal-shaped baptistry is one of the most visible monuments of Florence. Its exterior features an alternating geometric pattern of white Carrara and green Prato marble and three great bronze doors depicting biblical scenes.br /> br />Inside, however, are spectacular mosaic scenes of The Last Judgment and John the Baptist dating from the 13th century and created using some 10 million pieces of stone and glass over 1,000 square meters of dome and wall.br /> br />The six-year restoration project is the first in over a century. It initially involves conducting studies on the current state of the mosaics to determine what needs to be done. The expected work includes addressing any water damage to the mortar , removing decades of grime and reaffixing the stones to prevent them from detaching.br /> br />″(This first phase) is a bit like the diagnosis of a patient: a whole series of diagnostic investigations are carried out to understand what pathologies of degradation are present on the mosaic material but also on the whole attachment package that holds this mosaic material to the structure behind it,” Beatrice Agostini, who is in charge of the restoration work, said.br /> br />The Baptistry of San Giovanni and its mosaics have undergone previous restorations over the centuries, many of them inefficient or even damaging to the structure. During one botched effort in 1819, an entire section of mosaics detached. Persistent water damage from roof leaks did not get resolved until 2014-2015.br /> br />Roberto Nardi, director of the Archaeological Conservation Center, the private company managing the restoration, said the planned work wouldn’t introduce any material that is foreign to the original types of stone and mortar used centuries ago.br /> br />“It is a mix of science, technology, experience and tradition,” he said.br /> br />The origins of the baptistry are something of a mystery. Some believe it was once a pagan temple, though the current structure dates from the 4th or 5th centuries.

By FRANCESCO SPORTELLI

Travelore Entertainment News: Gustavo Dudamel To Become NY Philharmonic Music Director, Leave LA

Gustavo Dudamel will become music director of the New York Philharmonic for the 2026-27 season, ending a heralded tenure with the Los Angeles Philharmonic that began in 2009.

The 42-year-old Venezuelan conductor agreed to a five-year contract as New York’s artistic and music director, the orchestra announced Tuesday. Dudamel will become the first Latino to head the orchestra since its founding in 1842.

“What the orchestra told us very, very clearly was that the person that they wanted, their dream candidate, was Gustavo,” New York Philharmonic CEO Deborah Borda said. “When you’re trying to recruit the most sought-after conductor in the world, you don’t run a sort of classic search.”

Dudamel — who will hold the title of music director designate in 2025-26 — will also remain music director of the Paris Opera, a role he’s held since 2021, and of Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, a position he took in 1999 that gained him international recognition.

Dudamel, in a statement, cited the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca’s quote: “Every step we take on earth brings us to a new world.”

“I gaze with joy and excitement at the world that lies before me in New York City, and with pride and love at the world I have shared — and will continue to share — with my dear Angelenos over the next three seasons and beyond,” Dudamel said. “All of us are united in our belief that culture creates a better world, and in our dream that music is a fundamental right.”

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum Hosts Blockbuster Vermeer Exhibition

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Some art lovers make it a mission to visit and view as many works as possible by 17th-century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer.

Starting Friday, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is making their lives a whole lot easier.

A blockbuster exhibition at the Netherlands’ national museum of art and history brings together 28 of Vermeer’s paintings from seven countries around the world. Not bad considering only 37 paintings are generally ascribed to the artist who lived from 1632-1675 in the city of Delft.

Never before have so many Vermeer works been put on show together in a single exhibition. Seven of the paintings haven’t been in the Netherlands in more than two centuries.

Rijksmuseum General Director Taco Dibbits believes the exhibition provides a chance for visitors to immerse themselves in the exquisite interior scenes for which Vermeer is best known including “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and “The Milkmaid,” but also early religious paintings and two cityscapes, both depicting his home town, Delft.

Looking at the beguiling simplicity of “Mistress and Maid,” one of three paintings loaned for the show by New York’s The Frick Collection, Dibbits said it “radiates this tranquility, this ideal world.”

Vermeer’s use of light — often coming from a window situated on the left of the canvas — the bold colors and meticulous composition can be seen throughout the exhibition.

“Vermeer has this quality of kind of everything is perfect. Everything falls in place,” Dibbits said. “There’s perfect happiness in his scenes. There’s tranquility, there’s intimacy.”

Vermeer earned the nickname “The Sphinx of Delft” because so little was known about him — he left behind no letters or diaries and there are no known portraits of him. But recent research has begun to unravel the mysteries of the painter. Studies being carried out around the exhibition are further broadening knowledge about his work.

“We’re really coming closer to Vermeer than we’ve ever been,” said Pieter Roelofs, the Rijksmuseum’s Head of Paintings and Sculpture. Recent research means that “we really understand more about his life, about his household, about his direct contacts, the people for whom he made these paintings, and what they mean,”

In preparation for the exhibition, the museum has been taking an extremely close look at its own Vermeer paintings, which include iconic “The Milkmaid.” High-tech scans that peer through the surface of the work have revealed that Vermeer tweaked the background as he painted, apparently to ensure that the focus shone solely on the woman pouring milk. A jug holder – similar to a wall-mounted coat rack – that was originally in the background was painted over.

Tracy Chevalier loved another of Vermeer’s best-known works — “Girl with a Pearl Earring” — so much so that she wrote a novel about it that was in turn made into a film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.

Chevalier was at a preview of the exhibition on Monday taking in that painting and the other 27 on show in a suite of 10 galleries.

“I think the curators really understood that for him, less is more. And I feel that way too; that you don’t need lots and lots of stuff. So this exhibition only has 28 paintings, but 28 is perfect because you have the space and the time to really take in each one.”

“Girl with a Pearl Earring” only had to make a short trip from the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, and isn’t sticking around until the end of the exhibition. She returns home after March 30.
Other masterpieces have had a longer journey for the exhibition that has been some eight years in the making.
“Officer and Laughing Girl,” “Mistress and Maid” and “Girl Interrupted at her Music” flew from the U.S. East Coast, leaving the Frick Collection while the New York museum undergoes restoration. That paved the way for more museums to loan paintings to the exhibition. More works come from The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Leiden Collection in New York. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, which, together with the Mauritshuis, staged the last major Vermeer retrospective in 1995-96, also sent paintings.

In total, the 28 paintings come from 14 museums and private collections in seven countries.

With such a comprehensive retrospective, the paintings that aren’t in Amsterdam almost become almost as noteworthy as those that are. A few of the 17th-century works are so frail that they simply can’t travel. One painting — “The Concert” — didn’t make it to Amsterdam because it is among 13 artworks still missing after being stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990 in one of the world’s most notorious art heists.

The show in Amsterdam opens Friday and runs to June 4. It has already become the Rijksmuseum’s most in-demand exhibition — Dibbits said the museum has so far sold nearly 200,000 tickets and has extended opening hours to accommodate more people.

For art lovers who can’t get to Amsterdam or snag a ticket, there is already a digital show available narrated by Stephen Fry.

Online viewers can zoom in on minute details of ultra-high resolution photographs of some Vermeer paintings to see what makes his work stand out.

“I think for Vermeer, light is color, and color is light ...,” Roelofs said. “And I think one of the things we will see is how how he really knows how to focus — and that makes him really exceptional.”

All-New Four Seasons Resort And Residences At The Pearl-Qatar Now Accepting Reservations

A unique lifestyle experience awaits as the all-new Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl-Qatar begins accepting reservations in anticipation of its opening this spring.

"As our portfolio of Four Seasons hotels, resorts and residences in the Middle East continues to grow, our second location in Doha is purposely designed for those who live, do business and travel in the Gulf region today," says Simon Casson, President, Hotel Operations - Europe, Middle East and Africa. "Four Seasons combines the best of luxury living in a beachfront community with the flexibility to accommodate a range of needs and interests, whether as a base for doing business in Doha, or for vacationers seeking a resort experience with easy access to all that the destination offers."

With luxurious residential-style accommodations, a host of world-class amenities and personalized Four Seasons services, those combining business and pleasure in their travels will also find everything they need, and more.

"We invite our guests to settle in and spread out at Four Seasons at The Pearl-Qatar," says General Manager Mehdi Zaanoun who leads of team of 500 professionals ready to welcome guests with genuine care and customized experiences. "Along with our Private Residence owners, Four Seasons guests will become part of an international community within the Resort, mingling at our restaurants and bars, relaxing in the spa or on the beach, meeting new friends in our kids club, and exploring the many attractions just steps away in this new and vibrant waterfront destination."

Accommodations include 161 luxury, seaside one, two or three bedroom apartments ranging from 105 to 280 square metres (1,130 to more than 3,000 square feet). Each offers expansive living areas complete with fully equipped kitchens featuring Miele appliances and ensuite laundry, along with outdoor furnished terraces, all beautifully finished by Wimberly Interiors with bespoke details throughout.

Whether in the city for a few days, a few months or longer, Four Seasons guests can create their own experience, with a dedicated team of Four Seasons people ready to customize each stay even further.

Despite its urban location within walking distance of numerous restaurants, bars, shopping, cinemas and more in the immediate area, guests can look forward to a signature Four Seasons resort experience. Bathed in year-round sunshine, guests will enjoy a private beach and two outdoor pools surrounded by loungers where they can enjoy drinks and snacks, plus luxury cabanas amid lushly landscaped grounds. Loulou Spa includes luxurious spa treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art gym, a 25-metre (82 foot) indoor lap pool overlooking the sea, as well as salons for men and women to keep looking their sharpest or to prepare for a night on the town.

"For those bringing the kids along, our supervised indoor/outdoor Kids For All Seasons facility is a mini-resort unto itself, and we can even arrange a movie night or private screening of a sports event on our grounds, including homemade popcorn," promises Zaanoun.

Leading an on-site collection of seven outstanding restaurants and bars will be La Méditerranée by globally renowned Chef Joël Robuchon, who holds nearly 30 Michelin stars for his restaurants worldwide. Whereas La Méditerranée will offer Mediterranean fare with a strong French influence beginning in mid 2023, the Resort's Spuntino will focus on the beloved cuisine of southern Italy. Steak lovers will appreciate the vintage vibe of a Chicago-style steakhouse, while the afternoon tea service at Duchess is not to be missed. Add in a speakeasy-style bar and cigar lounge, Loulou Plage beach restaurant and a casual deli and bakery by Joël Robuchon, and guests will find a wide variety of dining experiences all in one location.

"We also encourage our guests to explore, because Doha continues to grow as a culinary destination, starting with our sister property Four Seasons Hotel Doha, home to the world's largest Nobu by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and the just-opened Curiosa by renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten," notes Zaanoun. "Coveted reservations are just a click or chat way on the Four Seasons App or at our concierge desk."

Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl-Qatar is located on a private beach at the end of Porto Arabia Drive, just steps from the community's Mediterranean-style town square and numerous restaurants, shops, art galleries and family entertainment. The Resort is a mere 10 minutes to exceptional shopping at Place Vendome and 21 High Street, the luxury fashion centre that's home to the iconic French department store Galeries Lafayette; a 20-minute drive to the West Bay business area; and under a half hour from Hamad International Airport (HIA). Four Seasons can arrange transportation throughout the city, including rental cars, as well as marine excursions.

Be among the first to experience luxury living at Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl-Qatar: In celebration of it opening this spring, Four Seasons at The Pearl-Qatar invites guests to take advantage of the Grand Opening Offer, featuring 15 percent savings on the room rate with a minimum two nights stay. Reservations for arrivals beginning June 1, 2023 are now being confirmed. Call +1 800 819 5053, or book online.

Those interested in Four Seasons Private Residences ownership opportunities can email info@jre.com.qa or call +9744491333.