From the Editor CHRISTIAN SCHWALBACH “ We hope after reading this issue you appreciate the ways in which the world is getting both smaller and bigger „ 10 DEPARTURES WHEN IT COMES TO TRAVEL, there are two maxims that are always true: the world is expanding and the world is contracting. There is, of course, no physical truth to either one – the size of the globe, thankfully, remains constant for all practical purposes – but metaphorically the maxims are rich with meaning because of the inevitable follow-up question: for whom? There are always people for whom the globe is getting bigger, who see their horizons expand, thanks to a new influx of possibility (or at the very least, awareness of that possibility – one of the highest values of education). And there are always people for whom the globe is getting smaller, who find their holiday plans and, sometimes, their daily lives, easier as a result of advances in technology and an influx of cosmopolitan mindsets. It’s this constantly shifting, apparently paradoxical observation that is the starting point for “Maximum City”, our correspondent John Bowe’s wideranging look at Shanghai, which starts on page 68. Perhaps the city that has changed the most in the 21st century, its remarkable journey is aptly chronicled by John, who also shortlists the essential stops, from hotels to art museums. Meanwhile, our annual cruise roundup is a showcase of the globe’s increased accessibility, as new itineraries take in places that a generation ago were available only to the most resolute travellers, including the islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, the Cabo Verde islands off the coast of Senegal and a host of diminutive fishing villages that speckle the Alaskan outback. From one northern clime to another, we visit Scandinavia’s most vibrant second cities, head south to appraise Los Cabos’ new sophistication and check into a restored Georgian manorhotel in southern England – all the while presenting the usual assortment of fashion and jewellery selections, art and design trend reports. We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. And we hope after reading it that you appreciate a little bit more all the ways in which the world is getting both smaller and bigger for you and those you love. Until next time, we look forward to seeing you at departuresinternational.com and hearing from you at letters@departures-international. com and on our social-media handle @DeparturesInt.
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