A variety of bottles of sekt, sparkling wine made in Germany. Sekt has made remarkable strides in recent years. (Tony Cenicola/The New York Times) By ERIC ASIMOV Sekt, the term for sparkling wine made in Germany, has a very long history, and for much of the post-World War II era, not an especially happy one. Through the end of the 20th century, most sekt was cheap, slightly sweet and industrially produced. But the last decade has seen a sekt rejuvenation. The wines have impro

Travelers are shown vintage boarding passes during a celebration hosted by Southwest Airlines to commemorate the end of its longstanding open-seating policy, at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, last Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. The airline said its new policy, rolled out on Tuesday, responded to passengers’ preferences, but some customers said the scramble was part of the charm. (Jacob Langston/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG With a water-cannon salute, balloons an

An Uber driver picks up passengers at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, Calif., July 15, 2024. Uber and other ride-hailing apps have introduced safety features that allow passengers to call for help discreetly as well as share their location with friends and family members. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) By CLAIRE FAHY Despite Uber’s claims that it was one of the safest available travel options, the ride-hailing company received a report of sexual miscond

Travelers are shown vintage boarding passes during a celebration hosted by Southwest Airlines to commemorate the end of its longstanding open-seating policy, at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. The airline said its new policy, rolled out on Tuesday, responded to passengers’ preferences, but some customers said the scramble was part of the charm. (Jacob Langston/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG With a water-cannon salute, balloons and

Housing in Nuuk, Greenland, May 21, 2025. Tourism in Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, has been rising steadily for years — now some in the tourism industry are worried that recent geopolitical attention will have a negative impact. (Sigga Ella/The New York Times) By LISA ABEND When President Donald Trump revived his desire to acquire Greenland for the United States early in his second term, it initially came as a boon to Casper Frank Moller and

In a photo provided by Joyce Poole shows, Binti, a 4.5-year-old, female Border Collie, that knows the names of over 160 dog toys. Eavesdropping on their owners seems to help some toy-crazy and talented pups learn more words. (Joyce Poole via The New York Times) By EMILY ANTHES Basket the border collie seems to have a way with words. The 7-year-old dog, who resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, knows the names of at least 150 toys — “froggy,” “crayon box” and “Pop-Tart,

Essayist and novelist Pico Iyer, in Nara, Japan, Dec. 10, 2024. When offered the role in “Marty Supreme,” Iyer wrote, “it sounded like an invitation to a very foreign country, a film set.” (Kentaro Takahashi/The New York Times) By PICO IYER “I’m guessing you don’t get angry very often,” film director Josh Safdie was saying to me on Zoom about 18 months ago. We’d never met or spoken, but he’d seen me on screen. “That’s probably true,” I replied. I was sitting in a tiny hotel r

Pita pockets made using Nefise Kansu’s recipe for sheet-pan döner kebabs, which have amassed popularity on TikTok. The Cypriot mother’s method doesn’t require the traditional kebob shop spit holding a round of the marinated lamb or beef to slice from as it cooks. Food styled by Spencer Richards. (Rachel Vanni/The New York Times) By KORSHA WILSON It’s an old tale: A boyfriend visits his girlfriend’s parents’ house for the first time and nerves ensue. But in Michael Wilkes’ cas

Patrons dine outside at Jeanie’s in Cozumel, Mexico, in November 2025. The west coast has the calm sea, sunsets and, along San Miguel’s waterfront, restaurants and bars with stunning views. (Tony Cenicola/The New York Times) By PATRICK SCOTT It may be surprising that Cozumel, the 30-mile-long island just off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula that is one of the world’s busiest cruise ship destinations, can still feel comfortably uncrowded, peaceful and even wild. Go beyond the someti

Experts advise starting conversations with children about safety about a week before a journey, taking a family photo at the start of each day, and labeling bags and clothes. (Weston Wei/The New York Times) By DANIELLE GELFAND A few months ago, my family was in the crowded Brussels Airport. Though I’d put an AirTag in my then 7-year-old daughter’s knapsack, made a bracelet with our contact information and even taught her my phone number to the tune of “Happy Birthday to You,”