1 . Would you take a trip if you couldn’t use your cellphone? A new tour company called Off the Grid is asking travellers to put their cellphones away and not even use them for photos. The company founder, Zach Beattie, is developing his business, using money he saved from a tech job at a mapping company. He’s hired guides for every trip but will help lead the first few himself.

The first trip is to Lisbon, Portugal, in July. It takes 7 to 10 days, with small groups of up to 16 people. Prices range from $1,500 to $1,650, including accommodations, meals and ground transportation. The plan includes at least three excursions (远足) and two social events, with an emphasis on unique experiences over bucket-list sightseeing. The tour also includes surfing lessons, yoga on the beach, a day of sailing and dinner with a local family.

“When you’re somewhere new, there’s a lot to see and a lot of cool and interesting people to meet,” Beattie said. “Your phone can distract (使分心) you.” The phone ban won’t be enforced quite as strictly as it seems at first glance. “We want it to be voluntary,” he said. “We’re not collecting phones and throwing them in a locked trunk. It’s held by you, but put in your pocket, and you state your intentions for the week, whether that’s checking your social media once or twice a day or a total blackout.”

Tour-goers also get a “dumbphone” without Internet access that’s loaded with numbers for group leaders and other participants, both for emergencies and to promote socializing. Participants may bring regular cameras, but Beattie is hiring a photographer for each tour so there will be plenty of photos to remember the trip. Once the trip is over, participants will have access to those photos for use in social media posts.

2 . Getting around Valencia can be exhausting on foot if you want to see it all, but luckily, the city is very bike-friendly.

This 3-hour Valencia bike tour takes you on a lovely journey from the historic center to the beach where you’ll enjoy a drink at the end. If you’re looking for a truly personalized experience, this is it. The guide is super knowledgeable and gives lots of inside information about the sites you pass and local culture along the way.

With the warm lights of the historic center’s cobbled streets, cycling around Valencia is so different than in the day. The tour takes you through Turia Park to the City of Arts and Sciences which is impressively lit up at night. As you cycle past different tourist attractions, the guide will let you in on the history and culture of the city.

Being one of the classical guided bike tours Valencia offers, this takes you to the main tourist attractions in the old town like the Valencia Cathedral, the Silk Exchange, and the Serranos Towers. You’ll bike in Valencia’s longest park, Turia Park, which leads to the City of Arts and Sciences and a must-visit on any trip to the city. On different stops, the guide will fill in with history and anecdotes about the places you pass.

This tour takes you through the old town of Valencia where you’ll see the top tourist spots like the Valencia Cathedral and the Silk Exchange along the way on your own. You’ll pass the City Hall and the complex on your way to Turia Park where Valencia’s bike paths are at their best. Eventually, you’ll reach the City of Arts and Sciences where you can admire the modern architecture and learn more about the impressive complex.

Hangzhou, located in the north of Zhejiang province, is one of the seven ancient     1     (capital) of China. As a core city of the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou     2     (be)one of the most prosperous cities in China for more than 1, 000 years, and is home     3     a lot of natural attractions.

The West Lake is definitely a place people can never miss when visiting Hangzhou. The lake itself cowers 6 square kilometres, and some of Hangzhou’s most famous scenic places     4     (include). You can just walk along the Nanshan and Beishan roads, take a ferry on the boat to the islands on the lake,     5     simply sit in a lakeside teahouse.

Hefang Street is where you can experience how Hangzhou     6     (look) when it was the capital of China. The emperors’ palace was once located on the street,     7     (make) it the economic and political center of the city. Most of the shops there have     8     history of more than 100 years.

The Xixi wetland is not only China’s first national wetland park, but also a natural haven from the busy city life,     9     is listed as a cultural treasure.

As UNESCO says on its     10     (office) website, “With its famous natural beauty and cultural heritage, Hangzhou has already become one of the most important tourist venues in China.”

9 . What is the 15-minute city? It’s the urban planning concept that everything city residents need should be a short walk or bike ride away—about 15 minutes from home to work, shopping, entertainment, restaurants, schools, parks and health care. Supporters argue that 15-minute cities are healthier for residents and the environment, creating united mini-communities, boosting local businesses, and encouraging people to get outside,walk, and cycle.

Many cities across Europe offer similar ideas, but Paris has become its poster child. Mayor Anne Hidalgo has sought to fight climate change by decreasing choking traffic in the streets and fuel emissions. In 2015, Paris was 17th on the list of bike-friendly cities; by 2019, it was 8th. Car ownership, meanwhile, dropped from 60 percent of house holds in 2001 to 35 percent in 2019. The 15-minute city figured largely in Hidalgo’s successful 2020 re-election campaign. The idea has also gained support in the U.S.

It clearly won’t work everywhere: Not every city is as centralized and walkable as Paris. Some car-dominated cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix would be hard-pressed to provide everything people need within walking distance. In addition, some urban planners argue that the 15-minute city could increase the separation of neighborhoods by income. Neighborhoods equipped with all the conveniences required by the 15-minute city also tend to have high housing costs and wealthier residents.

Despite some resistance, the basic principles behind the 15-minute city are influencing planning in cities around the world, including Melbourne, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Singapore, and Shanghai. Urban designer and thinker Jay Pitter says cities where basic needs are within walking distance create more individual freedom than needing to drive every where. “In a city where services are always close by,” he says, “mobility is a choice: You go where you want because you want to, not because you have to. My fight is not against the car. My fight is how we could improve the quality of life.”

10 . Traveling itself is an experience hard to be described in words.     1     Especially the solo (独自) traveling experience is so transforming that it lives with you forever. Here I am sharing some lessons.

    2     Thinking how I would manage my entire day among strangers on campus, I pretended to be sick. Then I had the same feeling when I was planning to travel alone. Exploring a city on my own was a big fear for me but I successfully managed it all and now, I seek out new opportunities and experiences. I love to push myself.    3    

Having grown up and lived all my life in a single place, I had a small set of friends since my school days which continued till my college days.    4     I met a few very interesting people with whom I could feel an instant connect and got some new friends for life.

I totally agree that traveling with family and friends is fun and enjoying. But traveling alone is satisfying too. It’s among those few things that you do for yourself and nobody else.    5     During my solo travels I have explored my inner self and have expanded my boundaries which people around me have acknowledged at times.