CNN
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Well. It was good while it lasted, eh?
This week, we all got a little more familiar with the Greek alphabet as the Omicron variant wreaked havoc with travel plans everywhere.
Here are the latest developments you need to know about from the past seven days:
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the air, the coronavirus variant also known as B.1.1.529 showed up and travel suddenly became very complicated again. We’ve been keeping track of the restrictions country by country.
For details on Germany’s national lockdown, check this out. And here’s what you need to know about the new US travel rules.
We also have things you should consider if you’re trying to plan international travel right now. And then there’s the question of whether travel bans even work. The World Health Organization doesn’t think so.
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Fiji: Following a successful nationwide vaccine rollout, Fiji reopened on December 1.
AURA Skypool Lounge
Dubai: Set at a height of 200 meters, the new Aura Skypool is the world's first and highest 360-degree infinity pool.
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Egypt: On November 25, Egypt celebrated the reopening of the 3,400-year-old Avenue of the Sphinxes in a lavish ceremony.
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Austria: The Alpine nation went back into national lockdown on November 22. Innsbruck is pictured.
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The United States: On November 8, the United States opened its borders to vaccinated international travelers. New York City, seen here, is a top destination for incoming visitors.
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Uruguay: Uruguay has been closed to everyone but citizens and residents since the start of the pandemic, but reopened to vaccinated travelers on November 1. The peninsula of Punta Ballena, in the southeast, is pictured.
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Melbourne, Australia: Thanks to a high vaccination total, the state of Victoria reopened its borders on November 1.
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Patong Beach, Thailand: The popular southeast Asian country is now allowing quarantine-free travel for vaccinated travelers from more than 40 countries.
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Cambodia: Cambodia has announced plans to reopen Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat temple complex to foreign visitors in January 2022.
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Valparaiso: This artistic city full of colorful murals opened along with the rest of Chile on October 1.
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Oman: The sultanate reopened its borders on September 1, meaning travelers can now visit the forts, castles and mosques on offer.
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New York City: Amid a thrashing from Hurricane Ida, New York City's Broadway theaters reopened on September 2. Here, the cast of Tony-winning musical "Hadestown" take a curtain call.
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Canada: Canada -- including Niagara Falls -- reopened its border to the US in August for people who are fully vaccinated.
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San Francisco, California: San Francisco's famous cable cars returned to service in August. The city has a vaccination requirement for indoor public spaces.
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Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia -- home to the Kaaba in the Muslim holy city of Mecca -- opened to international tourists on August 1.
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Italy: A woman stands in a lavender field in June 2021 in Sale San Giovanni, northwest Italy. Find out about current travel restrictions and the Covid situation in our
Italy guide.
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Washington DC: The Washington Monument, a memorial to George Washington, first President of the United States, reopened to the public in July.
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Courtesy Sri Lanka Tourism
Sri Lanka: If you think your current workmates are catty, check out this guy. Sri Lanka has a new remote working visa aimed at digital nomads.
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Celebrity Edge: On June 26, the Celebrity Edge cruise ship took off from Fort Lauderdale in the first revenue-earning US cruise since the pandemic began.
Courtesy Wildflower
Indoor dining: Eating indoors is permitted in the UK, including at Wildflower, a new fine dining restaurant in a shipping container in Camden, London. It first opened in March 2020, weeks before lockdown.
It wasn’t all closures this week, though. On Wednesday the Pacific island of Fiji reopened its borders to international travelers for the first time in nearly two years. Tourism accounts for 40% of the island’s economy, and now that 90% of the population is vaccinated, it’s getting back to business.
Elsewhere, the land border between Singapore and Malaysia reopened for vaccinated people on November 29.
More than 60 people were trapped by snow at England’s Tan Hill Inn, the UK’s highest pub, after Storm Arwen hit the country. They were caught there for three nights, but kept in good spirits with plenty of food, drink and even entertainment, in the form of an Oasis cover band.
If you’re worried about getting caught out in harsh weather yourself – let’s face it, endless rounds of “Wonderwall” aren’t for everyone – CNN has put together some wilderness survival tips as part of our Life, But Better series. If you ever need to fashion head protection out of underwear and fishing gear, we’ve got you covered. Or you can have a look at our blizzard-specific tips.
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Basel Christmas Market, Switzerland: This classic market is split into two different sections at Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz and consists of nearly 200 decorated stalls selling Christmas spices, decorations and candles.
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Strasbourg Christmas Market, France: Dating back to 1570, Strasbourg Christmas Market lights up the city annually, with thousands of twinkling Christmas lights and festive ornaments.
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Strasbourg Christmas Market, France: Extending over more than 10 locations, it features around 300 wooden chalet stalls selling everything from decorations to mulled wine.
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Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Austria: There may be around 20 Christmas markets in the Austrian capital to choose from in a regular year, but the Viennese Dream Christmas Market is one of the city's oldest and most traditional events.
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Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Austria: The magical spectacle includes a ferris wheel, illuminations and over 150 stalls offering up tasty treats and Christmas decorations and gifts.
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Brussels Winter Wonders, Belgium: A light and sound show, ice skating, and fairground rides are just some of the activities to choose from at this annual extravaganza.
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Brussels Winter Wonders, Belgium: Visitors can also browse through the many chalets that serve up glühwein, Belgian beers and all types of snacks.
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Wenceslas Square Christmas market, Prague: Visitors can pick up handmade gifts and locals treats like klobása (Czech sausage) at Prague's Wenceslas Square Christmas market.
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Old Town Square Christmas market, Prague: The festive market at the city's Old Town Square offers up non-stop entertainment, such as live shows, dance performances and creative workshops.
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Piazza Santa Croce, Florence: The best thing about this fabulous market transported from Germany to Italy is undoubtedly the beautiful backdrop supplied by Santa Croce's Franciscan Basilica.
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Piazza Santa Croce, Florence: The traditional fair is transported from Heidelberg, Germany to Florence every year.
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Advent in Zagreb, Croatia: The Croatian capital was voted the "best Christmas market destination" in travel portal European Best Destinations' online poll a few years in a row largely thanks to this festive event.
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Christmas in Tivoli, Denmark: This Danish amusement park and pleasure garden is a special place to visit year-round, but it's even more alluring at Christmas.
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Christmas in Tivoli, Denmark: The beautiful grounds are filled with fairground rides, thousands of lights and a Santa's grotto.
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Tallinn Christmas Market, Estonia: Based in Tallinn's Town Hall Square, carousels and a winter grotto are among the many attractions at the Estonian capital's annual winter event.
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Tallinn Christmas Market, Estonia: Traditional Estonian cuisine, artisan bread and handicrafts is sold at its many festive stalls.
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Skansen's Christmas Market, Stockholm: Located on the island of Djurgarden in the world's oldest open-air museum, Skansen is arguably the most traditional winter fair in Sweden.
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Tuomaan Markkinat, Helsinki: Held in Helsinki's Senate Square, Tuomaan Markkinat is a wonderfully Scandinavian Christmas market, with a classic carousel as its center piece, along with dozens of stalls selling traditional Christmas delicacies and Finnish handicrafts.
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Gendarmenmarkt, Germany: Based between the Franzosischer Dom and Deutscher Dom, Gendarmenmarkt is a maze of wooden huts with Bratwurst, mulled wine and ginger bread for sale, along with unique Christmas gifts.
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Fira de Santa Llucia: Dating back to 1786, this market has grown from a one-day event to commemorate the feast day of Santa Llucia, which falls on December 13, to a three-week fair.
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Fira de Santa Llucia: The bustling market, held outside Barcelona Cathedral, is separated into four sections, nativity and figurines, greenery and plants, crafts and simbombes.
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Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg, Germany: This festive market has been around since the 16th century, drawing in around two million people every year.
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Vorosmarty Square Christmas market: The highlights from this annual event in Vorosmarty Square usually include a giant advent calendar, with a new window display each day. However, the event may be different this year, as it's no longer being organized by the city.
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The Distillery Winter Village, Toronto: Formerly known as the Toronto Christmas Market, this annual event features outdoor shopping cabins and food vendors, a gingerbread hunt and a 50-foot Christmas tree.
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Winter Village at Bryant Park, New York: With custom-designed kiosks and a 17,000-square-foot outdoor rink, this renowned open-air market is a fabulous sight to behold.
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Winter Village at Bryant Park, New York: There are a vast number of eateries to choose from, along with an outdoor beer garden and a cocktail bar.
There’s nothing quite like Glühwein for dispelling gloom. A number of well-known festive markets have been canceled this year, but CNN Travel has put together this round-up of those that are still going ahead.
US President Biden was there for the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on December 2, the day after the Rockefeller Tree lights were switched on in New York, but Londoners were critical of the somewhat bedraggled appearance of their city’s tree which popped up in Trafalgar Square on November 30.
However, at least the London tree won’t give anyone nightmares – unlike this swivel-eyed Canadian creation with distinct “Squid Game” vibes.
An ever-growing number of Italian towns and villages are offering up the chance to buy homes for as little as a Euro thanks to some innovative regeneration schemes.
However, it’s not all sipping Chianti in the garden – these buildings are usually dilapidated and need a significant amount of care and attention to bring them back to life.
When it comes to offering advice on this topic, no one is better placed than those who’ve actually done it themselves. CNN Travel contributor Silvia Marchetti spoke to three sets of buyers who made the leap.
Poland and Niger are now in the US ‘very high’ risk travel category
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its weekly travel advisory update.
As usual, there were a lot of high climbers this week. Joining a group of southern African countries as new additions on the Level 4 highest-risk list – you know the ones – are Niger, Poland, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago.
Five destinations dropped from Level 4 to Level 3: Those are Bermuda, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Guyana and Saint Lucia.
And now for dumplings
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Steamed starch: Bawan is a Taiwanese street food.
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Simply the best: The Amish community is known for their simple foods, including this delicious apple dumpling.
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Hear us out: Uzka, meaning "little ears," are among Poland's top dumplings.
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Hearty stuff: Italy's ravioli del plin are often stuffed with a meat mix, including rabbit.
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Hot stuff: The Sichuan spicy wonton is served drenched in chili oil laced with Sichuan pepper.
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Comfort food: Chicken and dumplings is a popular dish in the US.
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Carb overload: Bryndzové halušky are potato dumplings drenched in cheese and scattered with bacon bits.
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Finger-licking good: Brazilian coxinha take their shape from chicken thighs, resembling the meat inside.
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Crystal clear: Teochew fun for are crystal dumplings with pork, shrimp and peanuts inside.
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Lebanese delight: Shish barak are lamb dumplings served with yogurt.
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The smaller the better: Dushbara are challenging to make, thanks to their small size.
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Potato parcels: Kartoffelknoedel are potato dumplings sometimes stuffed with bread.
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Brik house: This Tunisian specialty is a gooey mix of egg, tuna and often cheese.
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Chicken or beef? You'll find empanadas in Argentina and other Latin American countries, as well as Spain.
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Big as a fist: Canederli, found in Alto Adige, can be almost threateningly big.
Julia Buckley
Veggie delight: Ashak, from Afghanistan, are filled with green vegetables.
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Siberian winter: Warming Pelmeni are Russia's answer to comfort food.
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Sweet stuff: Daifuku are mochi, but stuffed with sticky-sweet red azuki.
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Saintly sweets: Modak is a sweet dumpling offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chathurthi in Maharashtra.
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Fishy origins: Siomay are fish dumplings from Chinese Indonesian cuisine.
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Just desserts: Tangyuan is a favorite treat during China's traditional Lantern Festival.
Take a break from the worries of the world by turning your mind to dumplings, those hot ‘n’ plump little pockets of joy. We’ve rounded up no fewer than 35 of our doughy favorites from around the world.
01:11 - Source: CNN
Watch the moment Barbados made Rihanna a national hero
The Caribbean island of Barbados cut its ties to the British monarchy this week and finally became a republic. Prime Minister Mia Mottley is the country’s first female leader, while the newly appointed Sandra Mason is the country’s first president. To complete the all-woman triumvirate, one of the republic’s first acts was to designate global superstar Rihanna a national hero.
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Churchill enjoyed the brandy and cigars.
It’s 30 years since the international trailblazer Pan Am flew its last flight.
We took a look back at the jet set airline.
But this is what the future of first class travel could look like.
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And they’re pretty cute, too.