Hello Reader,

🧭 Where in the World?

What’s up? It seems the world is coming to us, between visiting family and friends, keeping an eye on the news, and, best of all, planning travel and staying in touch with international colleagues. It’s not so much where we are today, but where we’re going….

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🛫 Get Going: Travel With Us

Art & Art de Vivre, Montpellier, France. We are thrilled to be working with a new and unique company, Elective Study Abroad. “It’s never too late to study abroad,” they say, putting words to our overall sense of travel. For true lifelong learners, here’s a great way to combine academic exploration with immersive travel. Elective assembles expert faculty, field seminars, daily discussions, and self-guided time to create meaningful travel using the destination as a textbook

​Join us in Montpellier, September 28 – October 5, 2025. We’ll be based in an historic estate to contemplate the chateau interiors, the evolution of French domestic life, and the layers of classic and contemporary art found in the residence, in the nearby Musee Fabre, and throughout the vibrant university town of Montpellier. We’ll explore the French concept of art de vivre—a philosophy of daily life that prizes beauty, intentionality, and pleasure in all its forms, from design and food to conversation and ritual.

Is this up your alley? Look for more information and reserve your spot TODAY. SAVE $300 per person when you book by July 31 and use promotion code TP50!

Deep dive into Sligo, Ireland. We mentioned last week we have one solo spot available for our Ireland in Focus Tour this October 17-24. Our buddy Ciaran tells us we can accommodate a couple in that last room, so if you want to travel with that (very close) friend, here’s your chance. Highly recommended for those who want slow travel, quality time with local artists, and the beauty of the landscapes and Celtic heritage around Sligo. Use the code TP50 to get $300 off that last spot.​

Coming soon, look for news here about our upcoming tour to Cuba in 2026. Want to travel with us to places we find most fascinating? Details coming soon. If you are not already on our Travel Past 50 Tours email list, sign up here to be the first to get our Tour announcements.

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🧳 Our Latest Posts (and a deal and a contest)

Today we’re going to share two posts. The first is our popular, useful post about how to fly more comfortably.

The second is a post by our friend and colleague, Sherry Ott, who wrote about her episode with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) leading to a dangerous pulmonary embolism, after a long flight. Read the story to understand why she now, faithfully, wears compression socks when flying and also for post-activity recovery. Her true tale, coming from someone who was healthy, active, and fairly young, convinced us to wear compression socks.

Now we get to spread the word, too, with this announcement of Vim & Vigr’s new “Go Explore” compression sock designed for travel under Sherry’s guidance. The company is based in Montana, founded by a group of health professionals. Kris loves that these are made from odorless, breathable merino wool fabric, and that the sock sizes account for both shoe size and calf circumference. Groundbreaking! Buy the socks here. Use the code TRAVELPAST50 for a 15 percent discount.

Win a ‘Go Explore’ Ireland Giveaway! With Vim & Vigr and other Ottsworld partners, Sherry is celebrating by giving away a $4,000 prize, a self-guided hiking holiday for two in Ireland. The winner receives

• Hiking holiday for two in Ireland
• $1000 airline voucher
• Two pairs of VIM & VIGR compression socks
• $200 voucher for sun protection gear from Wallaroo Hats
• And TWO pairs of Hiking boots from LOWA

· Enter by July 31, 2025 here.

💸 This Week's Best Deals in Travel

• This is a bit of a monster, but this Anker Power Bank is on sale for 31 percent off at Amazon. It's heavy, but when your phone or computer dies, this is the one to have on hand. We do. And, don't forget the appropriate 100W cables. If you have slow cables, having a fast charger won't do you any good.
• ​Apple AirPods, with active noise cancellation, are on sale at more than 30 percent off, too. If you fly, you need something like these, even if you aren't listening to the movie or your music.

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• A feature story about the impact of tariffs on small businesses – or any business for that matter – describes the challenges faced by Eagle Creek, one of our favorite luggage brands.
• Here's a list from the BBC of the world's most livable cities for 2025. We've visited several of the cities on this list, and wouldn't mind making most of them a home.

📖 What We're Reading

Kris thinks she should have finished Intermezzo a week ago, but it’s been busy around our house. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney, drew her attention because it seemed every bookstore in Europe last fall had a giant window display filled with Intermezzo copies in translation. According to The Guardian, it’s been translated to over 40 languages.

Tom just finished rereading The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, which he originally read in high school. He wanted to check to see if it was ok to recommend to our 9-year-old grandson who is a voracious reader. Tom pronounces it ok for a precocious kid.

For our previous book recommendations, check out this list.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

A group of crows is called a murder. A group of people walking slowly in front of me is called a motive. – Abby Heugel

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Happy travels,

Kris and Tom

P.S. What more can we do for you? Reply to this newsletter and ask us anything.

​ Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning ​Travel Past 50​ ​ Connect with us: Facebook, Threads, Instagram, ​ Join our Facebook community.

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