5 WAYS TO WANDER: Tech City, Packing Tip & Long Walks
4 April, 2025 | Welcome to 5 Ways to Wander! 🌍✨
Confession: I’ve lately been spending way too much time scrolling through photos of this week’s Destination. And it’s easy to see why! ⤵️
Here are today’s 5 wander-ful ideas…
#1 This Week’s Travel Hack:
🧳 Always Pack a Scarf. Packing tip alert! A large scarf can double up as a blanket, beach towel, sunshade, a head cover/sarong to visit a place of worship that expects you to cover up, or even a pillow on long flights. It’s versatile, light, and doesn’t take up much space.
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#2 Destination of the Week:
🇪🇪 Tallinn, Estonia. You (probably) didn’t know that Estonia is the birthplace of Skype. This tiny Baltic country has always been ahead of the tech curve.
Tallinn, its capital, is where medieval charm meets cutting-edge tech. Walk through the UNESCO-listed Old Town, and you’ll see pastel-colored buildings, towering spires, and cafes tucked into 13th-century courtyards.
But step outside the historic center, and you’ll find a digital-first society where internet access is a constitutionally guaranteed human right, WiFi is everywhere, start-ups thrive, and you can become an e-resident of the country without ever setting foot there.
Fun Fact: Tallinn is wonderfully small for a capital city. You can WALK from the center to the airport in 20 minutes! 🤯
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#3 Cultural Insight:
🇮🇹 The Italian Passegiatta. While doctors today recommend a daily walk for mental health, Italians have known this secret for centuries.
The passeggiata (pronounced pah-seh-JAH-tah) is a beloved Italian tradition where daily evening strolls are an inextricable part of the routine. 🤌
Think of it as an invitation to step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, slow down, and reconnect with both nature and the people around you.
Historically, it was a way to come together pre-dinner, exchange news (or gossip), and strengthen the bonds of community. Often, young men and women would exchange glances under the watchful eyes of chaperones, allowing courtships to bloom.
In modern life, the traditional walk has somewhat merged with the aperitivo culture in Italy, especially in big cities. In small towns and villages, though, the passeggiata is still almost sacred.
Fun Fact: Back in the Renaissance period, passeggiata was a way for aristocrats to show off their wealth, elegance and social status. 🫠
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#4 Travel Quote to Ponder:
🌎“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you.”
― Anthony Bourdain
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#5 Question for You:
📖 Has a book ever inspired you to visit a particular place?
(Here’s mine: “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne. It sparked my curiosity for Iceland, and when I visited, it was everything I imagined and more – fire, ice, and staggering, stupefying natural beauty.)
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