Yoga with Alpacas is a Thing

First there was cat yoga, then there was kitten yoga, followed by dog yoga, and of course goat yoga (Northern California). However, we never expected that there would be Alpaca Yoga, which is now a thing in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Interested? The Alpaca Owners Association is offering an hour-long yoga class with a group of friendly and beautiful alpacas at the Natural Fiber Extravaganza in July.

Sponsored by Long Hollow Suri Alpacas/ New Era Fiber. The classes will take place in the back yard area of the Wilson County Exposition Center on Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14 at 8 a.m.

Yoga instructor Sheri Link leads the class. “This will be a fun event,” said Sheri. “Bring a mat, water, hand towel and your sweet spirit!”

A Yogi for 8 years, Sheri leads a monthly class at Feathers and Friends Alpaca Farm in Franklin, KY. She teaches hatha yoga at Byrum Porter in Orlinda, TN and at her studio, Mind, Booty and Soul Fitness in Franklin, KY. Additionally, Sheri leads yoga classes at various events through Free Spirit Gypsy Heart Yoga, the wandering Yogis.

Yoga with alpacas can be more than a fun, new activity to talk about later with friends. Sheri recalls one participant at a recent Yoga with Alpacas event she led.

“She wrote me a letter thanking me for the class. She explained that her nephew had been stabbed by a drunk neighbor while trying to defend his wife and daughter just months earlier,” said Sheri. “Because of this incident, he suffers from PTSD and panic disorder. These issues can manifest in physical pain. Night terrors and insomnia also plagued this young man. Following the event, he told his aunt that he hadn’t felt so relaxed in months and slept so well that night. You never know what people are going through and to have a hand in easing their pain gives me insurmountable joy.”

Admission to the Natural Fiber Extravaganza Sponsored by Long Hollow Suri Alpacas/ New Era Fiber is free. Workshops and seminars are available to paid registrants or can be purchased a’ la carte. Details are available at www.FiberExtravaganza.com.

Sweden Ranked #1 as the World’s Most Reputable Country

Sweden is the world’s most reputable country in 2018. According to the Reputation Institute’s annual Country RepTrak® study results, Sweden is the most open and progressive country among the 55 countries covered by the survey. A big part of Sweden’s excellent reputation is down to their friendly and welcoming citizens. The beauty of the country, with its captivating landscapes and accessible nature, also receives great scores and attracts tourists from all around the world.

Sweden has regained its top spot in the ranking, an accomplishment previously achieved in 2016. The survey measures how countries are perceived and respected worldwide. This adds to the country’s attraction among tourists, who want to visit destinations with a good reputation, as well as foreign business and investments. In this year’s ranking, Sweden is followed by Finland, Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand.

Sweden received the highest marks for being the most ethical country, as well as having the most progressive social and economic policies. The reasons can be explained by the view of Sweden as one of the world’s most gender-equal countries, as well as being at the forefront of technological innovation.

“I am convinced that this result stems from the fact that our social model creates not only growth but also freedom, equality and security. More and more people understand that inequality is a major obstacle for economic development in the world,” says Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

With its variety of landscapes, dominated by lush forests, more than 100,000 lakes, and with 97 percent of the land uninhabited, Sweden obtained the highest marks for its beauty. In combination with vibrant cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg, this makes Sweden the perfect destination for people looking for a beautiful and enjoyable destination to visit.

“It is gratifying to see that Sweden ranks number one as the most reputable country. Especially with characteristics such as being a welcoming and progressive country. For being such a small country, a lot of creativity, design and technology comes from Sweden – just look at IKEA, Spotify and H&M. It really shows that our ways of living make a mark globally and gives reasons for tourists to come visit our country,” says Ewa Lagerqvist, CEO at Visit Sweden.

An appealing environment, a country “feel good” factor and a perceived pursuit of happiness are key to a country’s success, according to the survey. This is something that Swedes know well, as the country achieves excellent scores in being an enjoyable country with an appealing lifestyle.

Top five attribute scores for Sweden:

  1. Sweden is a beautiful country 85.3
  2. Sweden offers an appealing lifestyle 81.7
  3. Sweden is a safe pace 81.0
  4. Sweden is an enjoyable country 80.5
  5. The people of Sweden are friendly and welcoming 79.6

About the survey

Each year, The Reputation Institute surveys thousands of people to find out which nations are perceived as most reputable. The Country Rep Trak ranking measures the 55 largest countries by GDP and the outcome is based on individual ratings from over 58 000 individuals.

To access the full list of the most reputable countries, please visit: https://www.reputationinstitute.com/2018_country_reptrak

To find out more about Swedenvisit: http://visitsweden.com and http://youtube.com/sweden

Chocolate Clam Tasting Menu at Grand Velas Los Cabos

 

Chocolate Clam Tasting

Guests will be able to enjoy a fresh take on Baja California’s “Candy of the Sea” courtesy of a new chocolate clam tasting menu at the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Los Cabos.

Named for the uniform brown color of its shell rather than any chocolate flavor, the meaty Mexican chocolate clam is one of the largest West Coast bivalves, reaching up to six inches across. Each of the signature five restaurants at the “Beyond All Inclusive, Beyond All Compare” resort have prepared one version of the dish paired with a wine, including a few from Mexico’s wine region in the north of the peninsula.

Menu

Highlights of the menu include a chocolate clam with white bean, lardo and piccalilli from Cocina de Autor’s two Michelin starred chef Sidney Schutte and, from its Velas 10 steak and seafood restaurant, Clam Au Gratin made with chocolate clams, creamy baby spinach, bacon and grated Grana Padano cheese. The resort’s Italian restaurant Lucca offers a Spicy Clam Crudité made with red pepper vinaigrette and a roasted lemon chutney with fresh tomato and basil crumble and garlic bread. From Piaf, Grand Velas’ fine dining French option, the chefs have created chocolate clam tartar and Kumamoto oysters with Mediterranean lemon, refreshing pea sorbet and cauliflower vichyssoise. A stuffed Chocolate Clam with grilled ham, mushrooms, corn and Oaxaca cheese will be available from the Frida Mexican restaurant. Guests can enjoy the myriad varieties of traditional chocolate clams freshly shucked poolside at Cabrilla, the resort’s poolside cevicheria, beginning soon.

For additional information, visit https://loscabos.grandvelas.com/

About Grand Velas Los Cabos:

The AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Los Cabos on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula offers the next generation of all-inclusive amenities and facilities with dramatic ocean views and unique spaces infusing every area of the resort. Located between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, the beachfront property features 304 ocean view suites, all over 1,180 sq. ft. with private terraces and some personal plunge pools.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Debuts Exclusive Partnership with The Private Suite

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills announced recently a partnership with The Private Suite, the newly-built private terminal with direct-to-aircraft boarding. Guests who book The Private Suite package will have access to all services, including a private Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Suite at LAX. Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is the only hotel in Los Angeles offering Private Suite service to its guests.

“To further our commitment to True Waldorf Service, we’re thrilled to be able to offer our guests another one-of-a-kind experience. We want their entire journey to be luxurious and memorable. That begins long before they arrive on property — and does not end until they are back home. The Private Suite at LAX affords us the opportunity to assure our guests arriving in Los Angeles on domestic or international flights a truly exceptional trip, from beginning to end,” said Peter Bowling, Managing Director at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.

Guests who book the package will enjoy a special gate into LAX, private TSA screening, private Customs and Immigration processing, the comfort of a Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Suite while waiting at the airport, and the experience of being driven in a BMW 7-Series sedan across the airfield directly to and from their aircraft. It’s a head-of-state experience, with no airport traffic congestion on arrival or departure, no standing in any lines, no long walks down crowded corridors, no waiting at the gate to board and no waiting for baggage.

“At LAX, it typically takes a passenger 2,200 footsteps from car seat to plane seat; for members of The Private Suite, it’s 70 footsteps. This is a game changer for the luxury hospitality industry, and we chose Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills as our first Los Angeles hotel partner because we’re confident that people who stay at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills are a match for our service,” said Joshua Gausman, co-Founder of The Private Suite.

For more information on the new package, visit www.waldorfastoriabeverlyhills.com.

Popup Restaurant: The Diner by David Rockwell + Surface with 2×4

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, leading American design magazine Surface collaborated with architect David Rockwell and design studio 2×4 to create The Diner, an installation revealed at Ventura Centrale during the 2018 Milan Design Week. The fully operational pop-up restaurant immersed visitors in a coast-to-coast journey through the United States

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Venture and Travel in Style with the newest Vessel Bags

Venturing out into the world or into your local metro means having what you need, where you need, and how you need it. Thus, Vessels new 2.0 line of luxury bags.

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