How a Forgotten French Village Helped Decode Civilization

And while we decipher our travel itinerary…

Latest Luxury Travel News

🏨 Waldorf Astoria New York returns, and it brought its crown

After an eight-year, billion-dollar renovation, the Waldorf Astoria New York has officially reopened. The Park Avenue icon now blends restored Art Deco heritage with 375 updated guestrooms, 375 residences, and a refreshed Peacock Alley and Guerlain Spa. LTA

Some legends don’t just come back, they make an entrance.

🧊 Greenland’s new Arctic cruise serves seal, seaweed, and sovereignty

HX Expeditions is partnering with Inunnguaq Hegelund, Greenland’s most prominent chef, to bring hyper-local cuisine onboard select sailings. Think fermented fish, seaweed salt, and musk ox tartare, all sourced from Inuit communities. The initiative supports food sovereignty and spotlights Arctic culture with every bite. T+L

Sometimes the real voyage begins at dinner.

🏡 NUMU brings quiet elegance to San Miguel de Allende

Tucked into a cobblestone corner of San Miguel, NUMU Boutique Hotel joins Hyatt’s Unbound Collection with 44 rooms, a rooftop pool, and a modern-Mexican design sensibility. It's sophisticated without showing off, and just steps from the city’s baroque heart. T+L

In San Miguel, less noise often means more luxury.

And while we still wonder how the Rosetta Stone was discovered……

The Savvy Traveler | Orgelet, France

The Town That Whispered to a Stone

Before Egypt.

Before Napoleon’s expedition.

Before the Rosetta Stone became a legend... there was a boy named Pierre.

Pierre-François Bouchard was born in 1772 in a tiny town you’ve probably never heard of: Orgelet, tucked in France’s Jura region. Surrounded by forests, lakes, and crumbling ruins, he grew up beneath the shadow of Mount Orgier. He walked quiet trails, passed centuries-old chapels, and likely stood many times before the Église de Sézéria, long abandoned but still breathing history through its stones.

Maybe that’s where it began, his ability to notice, to observe, to sense that some things speak through silence.

Years later, as a captain in Napoleon’s army in Egypt, Bouchard would come across a black slab of rock in the port town of Rashid.

It had three scripts carved into it: Hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Greek.

He didn’t know then what it would become. But he knew enough to recognize that it mattered.

And so the Rosetta Stone was brought into the modern world, not by a pharaoh or a king, but by a quiet man from a quiet place.

Let’s take a look at that place.

A Half-Day in Orgelet

Start at the Église Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, with its gothic arches and stoic beauty, then wander the old streets of Orgelet where stone façades and wooden shutters haven’t rushed into the 21st century.

From there, visit the ruins of Église de Sézéria, just outside the town, overgrown, poetic, and whispering stories to those who slow down enough to hear them.

Grab lunch by Lac de Vouglans, or pack a picnic and head to the Belvédère sur la Fratte, a scenic lookout over the Jura landscape where, on clear days, it feels like the world stretches forever.

Want to walk it off? There are well-marked hiking and cycling trails throughout the Upper Jura Regional Nature Park, featuring waterfalls, limestone cliffs, and ample space for quiet contemplation.

💡 Savvy Tip

Don’t go looking for a monument to Bouchard, there isn’t much.

But that’s the lesson: not every place has to shout. Some just need you to listen.
Just like the Rosetta Stone, Orgelet reveals its meaning slowly… and only to those who ask.

🎭 What’s On | July 15 – August 31, 2025

🏆 Sports

⚽ UEFA Women’s EURO enters its final stretch
Until July 27 | Switzerland
The tournament heads into knockout rounds as Europe’s top teams fight for the crown.

🎯 F1 returns to Spa for a high-speed classic
July 25–27 | Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
The Belgian Grand Prix brings back iconic corners and unpredictable summer skies.

🎾 NYC gets ready for tennis under the lights
Aug 24–Sep 7 | US Open, New York
The final Grand Slam of the year brings stars, sweat, and serious champagne.

🎶 Festivals & Concerts

🎤 Sziget Festival lights up the Danube
Aug 6–11 | Budapest, Hungary
Post Malone, Nelly Furtado, Fred again.. and 1,000+ acts. One island, endless energy.

🎸 Latitude brings music and poetry to the woods
July 24–27 | Suffolk, UK
Sting, Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol — plus theatre, comedy, and sunrise yoga.

🗺 Culture

🎭 Edinburgh Fringe takes over an entire city
Aug 1–25 | Edinburgh, Scotland
The world’s largest arts festival is back with thousands of shows in pubs, parks, and closets.

🎐 Japan lights the lanterns for Obon
Aug 13–15 | Nationwide, Japan
A hauntingly beautiful celebration of ancestors through dance, fire, and food.

“Imagination Rules The World”

— Napoleon Bonaparte