Travel Gear – European Traveler

Clixo Fidgety Fun Inspires Creativity During Travel and Beyond

By Alison Ramsey

A unique toy for kids and adults alike, the easy-to-pack Clixo magnetic play system encourages freeform building and exploration—no rules or instructions required! Tuck a set of these flat, flexible building pieces into your day bag and pull them out to see your fussy or feisty traveling companions turn into creative geniuses.

Photos courtesy of Clixo.

Visored motorcycle helmet, floppy beagle ears, a colorful handbag—within five minutes of opening a package of Clixo lightweight and flexible magnetic shapes, my kids’ creativity using these colorful pieces resulted in a plethora of fun creations. This award-winning building toy from Toyish Labs is packed with endless possibilities for playtime on the go or at home. The durable and compact flexible pieces can be stored flat and easily cleaned and sanitized. Secure magnets are safely fastened to key edges, allowing toy enthusiasts of all ages to snap together pieces and discover limitless creative possibilities. Creations can be stuck to the fridge, worn as accessories or, as with the Grip and Stick Pack, secured via suction cups to a window or flat surface—great for road trips and sticking to the interior of car windows! Some packages include special units that allow attached pieces to spin or roll on wheels, encouraging construction of propellers, vehicles, and other movement-inspired shapes.

Clixo needs no instructions or preamble. My kids were initially confused about what they were opening, but within several moments were excitedly clicking and snapping together pieces with no assistance or explanation needed. Open-ended, screen-free, hands-on play is Clixo’s strength, offering opportunities to create fun 3D structures from 2D pieces. These unique building sets were a finalist for the 2021 Toy of the Year Award, won the Top Toy of the Year Award from the 2022 Creative Child Awards, and have won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Best Toy Award and the Tillywig Toy Awards Best Creative Fun Award.

This summer, Clixo partnered with the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) in Chicago, Austin, and New York City to launch an interactive experience that allows guests to build colorful 3D creations on magnetic building walls. A special MOIC Clixo pack is sold on-location at these three venues, and features strawberry- and cherry-colored shapes. If your travels bring you to these cities, stop into the MOIC and add some creative constructions to the wall.

Photos courtesy of Clixo.

Assaf Eshet, CEO and Founder of Toyish Labs and creator of Clixo said, “We’re very excited to be working with Museum of Ice Cream on this collaboration and sharing Clixo with MOIC visitors. Museum of Ice Cream provides a fun and engaging experience for all kids and their parents. At Clixo, we share the same values of bringing play and creativity to kids and kids at heart.”

Photo courtesy of Clixo.

For more information or to purchase Clixo building sets, please visit www.clixo.com. The Black Friday Super Sale is currently offering up to 40% off sitewide, so take advantage of the sale prices for these colorful stocking stuffers or Christmas gifts while you can! May your holidays and holiday travel be peaceful, joy-filled, and inspiring.

Gardens of the World: A Celebration of the World’s Most Amazing Gardens

From Monet’s idyllic water garden in Giverny, France, to the terraced gardens within Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore, this book introduces and explores places that uniquely celebrate the beauty of nature. Inspirational, iconic, and innovative gardens from all over the world have been selected for inclusion in this volume and are organized by theme: Carefully Curated, Mindful Spaces, Wild and Wonderful, Urban Oases, and Innovators and Influencers.

Pages from the Wild and Wonderful segment of the book include photos of the tumbling wisteria, rambling roses, wildflower-filled meadows, and sparkling crystal river that compose Giardini di Ninfa in Italy. Known as one of Italy’s most romantic gardens, lush foliage drapes over the crumbling ruins of medieval town Ninfa across a span of 20 acres. Pillaged by mercenaries and ransacked into ruin in 1381, the formerly vibrant town that Pope Boniface had bestowed upon the Caetani family became an “overgrown ghost town” until the overgrowth was cleared and some unstable structures restored in the early 20^th century. This transformation, initiated by Prince Gelasio Caetani and his mother, included creating canals and a stream from once-stagnant, swampy waters. Other family members stepped in to design and maintain the gardens, add favorite plants and perennials, and set into motion the growth of a dreamy naturalistic garden gracing history-filled, ancient ruins.

Learn about unique landscape elements, native plant species, horticulture design inspiration, and history, and discover features and flora of 67 intriguing gardens that are yours to explore.

For more DK Eyewitness titles, and further information about “Gardens of the World,” please visit https://www.dk.com/us/.

Two New Books Encourage Adventurous Hiking and Biking

HIKE: Adventures on Foot
One hundred and twenty-five opportunities to move your body across the world in an exhilarating, sustainable way! This published compilation of walking trails is the work of outdoor enthusiasts who have selected each featured route for its spectacular scenery, interesting history, or unique challenges. Each trail suggestion includes practical information to help you plan your trip, including the distance, total ascent, elevation, duration, as well as sightseeing tips. Hiking newbies and veterans alike can benefit from the book’s preparation tips, trail etiquette guidelines, and essential gear checklist.

One scenic hiking trail suggestion, Dove Lake-Cradle Mountain (Ronny Creek, Tasmania, Australia), is a one-day circuit traversing boardwalks over moorland, passing through lush rainforest, and ascending large boulders on Cradle Mountain. Readers are advised to look for ambling wombats and gray-furred Bennett’s wallabies near Ronny Creek and to pause for photo opportunities of dramatic vistas from the summit of Cradle Mountain. The return trip passes numerous sparkling lakes and offers a chance to see quill-covered echidnas in their home near Dove Lake.

A fascinating book for active hikers and armchair travelers alike, “HIKE” binds maps, history, geography, and interesting photography together into an inspiring and informational volume.

RIDE: Cycle the World
Explore the world by bike, cruising along the 100 cycleways presented in this compilation of trails recommended by avid cyclists. Along with colorful photos and area maps, this DK Eyewitness gem contains detailed route information, including road surface, elevation, total ascent, scenic outlooks, distance, and pit stops. Get inspired to go “bikepacking” in North America, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia—wherever your travels take you.

Beginners, or those looking to upgrade their ride, are provided helpful guidance on which type of bike to choose for their adventures; road, mountain, gravel and touring, recumbent, and electric are the options explained and diagrammed in the opening pages of the book. Select a vehicle suitable for your experience level, desired terrain, comfort goals, and mobility needs, and prepare for your trip by reading up on bicycle maintenance, essential gear, and safety precautions.

Included in the book is a trail along the Helgeland Coast in Norway, which features a grouping of more than 6,500 islands rising from the sea. Best as a summertime route, with beautiful light but always a chance of showers, this Helgeland cycling opportunity traverses 126 miles in a “reasonably relaxed” ride on paved and gravel roads. “Syklist Velkommen” signs abound along the route, welcoming cyclists to stop for food, safe bike parking, and laundry facilities. Riders can expect photo-worthy vistas of mountain peaks, sandy beaches, and quaint and colorful wooden cabins, fishing huts, and houses. Along this route, stop at an old wharf along the trail to tour and sample sweets at Heidi’s Chocolate Factory in Dønna, eat a tasty meal cooked by famous chef Jon Aga at the Vega Havhotell, and visit the Vega World Heritage Centre to learn about eider ducks and how they helped earn the island UNESCO status.

Stock up on supplies and water, and prepare to feel the wind against your face as you explore spectacular sights via bicycle.

For more DK Eyewitness titles, and further information about “HIKE” and “RIDE,” please visit https://www.dk.com/us/.

Ku’Panda Proves the Power of Plants

By Alison Ramsey

Air travel and outdoor adventure can dehydrate skin, but Ku’Panda has herbal solutions to bring your inner glow back to the skin’s surface!

Ku’Panda Skincare offers plant-based and herbal tea-infused skintreats for your skincare toolkit. Ku’Panda means “to plant” in Swahili, and the company’s well-researched “Plants First” philosophy is to combine plant-based botanicals with active ingredients that are scientifically proven through clinical studies to treat common skin issues. Based in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona, the company sources plants and raw herbs from all over the world for the herbal teas that provide the necessary rejuvenation, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties of their products. Rich with antioxidants, polyphenols, and natural acids, these dried herbs steamed in distilled water are Ku’Panda’s secret to moisturizing and rejuvenating inflamed and dehydrated skin.

Founder and CEO, Janae Peats, said, “I wanted to include botanicals and natural ingredients, but also ingredients that are proven to deliver the real results we look for. I was intentional about the ingredients and used powerful herbal teas like butterfly pea flower, hibiscus, white willow bark, and chaga mushroom, which target hydration and rejuvenation. Active ingredients like niacinamide, lactic acid, and hyaluronic acid are combined with these botanicals to deliver the results we seek.”

Travelers with long, dehydrating airplane flights but a desire to look and feel fresh upon landing could include several key Ku’Panda products in their carry-ons. Best-selling Butterfly Creme contains butterfly pea flower and has a fragrance-free whipped consistency that absorbs easily into thirsty skin. Rose Toner 2.0 is a small cooling spritz that revives dull skin with fresh hibiscus flower, licorice root, and rose water – ingredients that refresh, brighten, and revitalize your glow. Reveal Serum is a gentle, hibiscus tea exfoliant solution administered weekly to the skin via eye dropper, to combat hyperpigmentation and skin congestion using lactic acid and hyaluronic acid in combination with skin-soothing, fruit-based Vitamin C.

Packaged in gender-neutral glass containers, and essentially unscented, the Ku’Panda skincare line can benefit people of all skin type and shade. No one is excluded from the healing benefits of nature’s best. At Kupandaskin.com, full size products as well as sample sizes can be ordered, with all shipping included in the cost.

Economic and Earth-friendly, herbal teas in Ku’Panda skin products are a way to use nature to replenish the skin’s lost hydration with a sustainable solution. The “to plant” definition of the company name also reflects Ku’Panda’s positive and noteworthy viewpoint on intentional manifestation: “We can all have the life we desire, planted one seed at a time.”

Victorinox Values Safety Stylishly

By Alison Ramsey

Airport check-in is hectic and rushed. We juggle handbags, wallets, snacks, laptops, babies, cellphones, boarding passes, IDs, passports—and all while trying to pour out the rest of our water bottles before security demands it. I did A LOT of research before purchasing the attractive accessory that majorly simplified my check-in process—the Victorinox Travel Organizer with RFID Protection. The $55 price tag might seem like a lot, but Victorinox is a brand I stand by because they focus on quality, sturdy construction, and smart technology. A brand leader in Switzerland and the rest of the world, Victorinox puts its energy into several categories of products, although it all began with the legendary and esteemed Swiss Army knife. Besides cutlery, this Swiss company produces watches, fragrances, and travel gear.

In terms of travel gear, the Victorinox Travel Organizer specifically meets my needs due to its large capacity to hold multiple passports and boarding passes (so I can keep track of my kids’ passports and papers as well as my own). Although it comes in either black or red, I chose the eye-catching bright red color so it would show up in my dark-lined bag and would be easy to spot if I misplaced it. The zipper is sturdy and secure, zipping around 3 sides of the wallet to completely contain the contents.

The interior offers 12 credit card slots, with one covered in a see-through mesh to keep an ID or business card visible. Its long, zippered pocket is perfect for cash or documents that need safe keeping. The interior “spine” of the organizer reveals a canvas tube for storing a pen. The right side of the wallet consists of 4 tall pockets and dividers that help you separate your boarding passes and passports, and can even hold reading glasses, earbuds, and your cell phone. The zippered mesh pocket on this side is perfect to hold coins, jewelry, more open-faced IDs, or small items that need containment. The outer, backside of the organizer even has a wide, extra pocket for storing customs papers and tickets that you want to keep easily accessible without unzipping the whole wallet. A strong canvas loop at the top corner allows you to keep a firm grip on your valuables by sliding a finger through for extra security.

Speaking of security, this wallet safeguards your private data by blocking radio-frequency identification (RFID), preventing others from scanning your credit cards and ID cards and wirelessly obtaining your personal information. I felt very confident storing my travel documents and accessories in this handsome wallet as I traveled internationally through multiple airports and customs desks.

10.2”H x 1.2”L x 5.1”W; Weight 0.4 lbs
$55, www.victorinox.com