Jaialdi/ San Inazio, the Basque Festivals in Idaho

Jaialdi is a major Basque Festival held in Boise, Idaho, every five years. Thousands of Basques migrated to the Western states of the U.S. in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, to work as shepherds or farm labourers in the cattle ranches. In 1987, the first Jaialdi festival began to celebrate Basque heritage in Boise and now it is the largest and most popular festival in the Basque diaspora. San Inazio is a smaller festivity that takes place every year, both events are organised by the Basque Center in Boise.

Jaialdi 2025 runs from July 29th to August 3rd. B1 students can read the article "Drinks and dancing though the decades: Boise's Basque Festival Jaialdi returns this week" written by Jaime Gear on Boise State Public Radio, and they will find interesting expressions like: to chop, an attendee, a [basque] staple, the Gold Rush, a tight-knit [community], a garb, buoyant, to toss, a hay bale. For B2 students, George Prentice's story "Dancing, wagon lifting, chorizo and kalimotxo. Hey Boise, here's your Jaialdi 2025 preview" is more suitable, as the text summarizes a more complex (13':06") radio interview to Lael Uberuaga in "Morning Edition" (C1 level). Some of the expressions in the article are: an overstatement, to skip, to date back [to 1987], a footprint, to stretch, naively, to reconvene, to gather, a vendor, to get underway, an attendee, to ramp up, to dub, herri kirolak, a hay bale, to hoist, an anvil, to be hard-pressed.

If you want further information about Basque culture in Idaho, you can check The Basque Museum and Cultural Center (BMCC) in Boise, which includes Esther Ciganda's The Immigrant All Around podcasts -where Pedro Ciganda's bilingual account of how he picked up English and how he adjusted to the American way of life, is highly recommendable, and the BMCC Oral Histories, a library of interviews to numerous Basque migrants like José Ramón Larrea, or their desendants like Juan Pablo Aramburu who talk about their experiences in the U.S.A. You can also watch a Visit Idaho video about the Basque Block in Boise or another short video from Idaho News 6 about San Inazio 2024, the smaller festival which is held annually.

Finally, C1 students can watch the KTVB report with subtitles below about Jaialdi, where they will find expressions like: a gamut, a thunderstorm, to honour [the culture], to head [to], a closure, to check out, to shape, seating.

Azizam and the Best 2025 Summer Songs in USA

 

Which is your summer song this year? No ideas? Well, here you have a couple of lists to help you decide. First, you can check the American Top 40 chart July 12- 19 and look around if any tune sounds fun. A alternative/ indie/ electronic list was drawn up by Hazel Cills, Sheldon Pearce and Robin Hilton for NPR on July 1st, 2025's best songs (so far).

I have compiled a short-list of YouTube links to the songs that, one way or another, have struck a chord with me: Relationships by Haim, It's a mirror by Perfume Genius, Room of fools by FKA twigs, Gold rush by Lucius. Sabrina Carpenter has three hits on the charts, Taste, Bed Chem and Manchild- and, furthermore, the latter has been positively reviewed by Hazel Cills in Sabrina Carpenter can crack a joke, while Billie Eilish has two songs, Birds of a feather and Wildflower. Other international hits are Messy by Lola Young, Die with a smile by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Nice to meet you by Myles Smith, APT by Rosé & Bruno Mars, Too sweet by Hozier, and, last but not least, All the Way, by BigXthPlug, feat. Bailey Zimmerman, an original blend of rap and country music.

Azizam by Ed Sheeran is a catchy summer song that mixes British pop with Persian influences and has been a number one hit in many countries around the world, as you can read in the Wikipedia entry for Azizam. Here you can find a listening task for B1 and B2 students with the key for self-study, and a few interesting words that come up in the song: azizam, floor, wrapped, careless, [do it our] way.

Relationships, by Haim talks about the complexity of inner feelings, when reading the lyrics, B1 students can pick up expressions like: to be through, to be cought up in [something], to end up, to blame, guilty, averse to [conflict], to bring [you] down.

Listen, dance and enjoy your summer!

The Listening Planet by Martyn Stewart

Martyn Stewart is a world leading audio naturalist, who has spent more than 55 years capturing the sounds of over 3,500 species of birds, amphibians and mamals as well as other natural phenomena in 60 countries. He has created the project The Listening Planet, a unique library of natural noises which is available to researchers, artists and the general public free of charge. Martyn Stewart has also collaborated with singers, poets or music producers like Robert Shields, also known as ONR, to create the music album Imperfect Cadence with sounds captured in Scotland, which can be heard on Spotify at The Listening Planet on Spotify.

Rob Schmitz did a story for NPR in 2024, "Wildlife expert, who records sounds of a changing planet, adds music to the mix", about Martyn Stewart's album "Imperfect Cadence". The radio report has a transcript and is recommended for C1 students and above, who may pick up expressions like: the wilds, the [Scottish] highlands, a skylark, a curlew, a moor, a low, a haunting [place], humbleness, to engulf, a cliff [top], pristine, to mess, [all] over the top [of it], a canvas, to pave the road, a loch, a lapwing, bleak, desolate, to eke [into the audio], [the wind] to howl, elated, a hedgerow, a disruptive [family], [there wasn't food]on the table, bluebell [woods], to jam, a blackbird, a thrush, a wren, a chiffchaff, rusty, a hinge, to be blown away, stunning, to blow it out, the cherry on top of the cake.

Martyn Stewart's bio can be watched in the atmospheric video without subtitles "A Portrait of Martyn by Mike Figgis" (07':54"), which can be recommended for C2 students, who will find interesting expressions like: a struggle, a heartache, a dysfunctional [family], hooked, talented, a [naturalist] at heart, to crawl, a shit [singer], to nick [his microphone], pleasing, bluebell [woods], a thursh, a skylark, a blackbird, a wren, a nuthtach, a songster, the [dawn] chorus, the Geordie, the "Liverpoolie", a tuner, to layer, self-effacing, extinct, an archive, [to put your life] on the line, leukemia, to go through, urgency, visceral, hands-on, to give [the animals] a voice, precious, to give up on [something].

Below you can watch a 2021 video interview to Martyn Stewart by Mark Savage on BBC Radio 4 "Martyn Stewart and the Listening Planet" (04':52"), which has subtitles and can be accessed by C1 students. Some intereting words are: a howler [monkey], a wren, an archive, extinct, mesmerized, a council estate, a [Eurasian] blackbird, a hard drive, remarkable, a legacy, to crush, fortunate, a performer, to capture.

Finally, you can watch a longer video tutorial (18':34") "Recording nature sounds" with a gorgeous "dawn chorus" of birds and a further workshop about Martyn's recording tools and techniques: 

Backstage with Shakira

Shakira is in the middle of a tour in North and South America, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women No Longer Cry)" and Mark Savage has interviewed the Colombian artist in the backstage of the Miami show for BBC News in the article "My kids are the reason I'm alive: Backstage with Shakira". The report peeps into all the seamstress and laundry work behind an international musical show with an interview to head of wardrobe, Hannah Kinkade, and it also revisits the recent personal upheavals of Shakira and how she has managed to get over every setback and relaunch her career. 

The first half of the article contains very precise fashion & music show vocabulary, colloquial expressions and interesting collocations but the sentences are quite short, so, it can accessible for B2 students and above, who can pick up words like: backstage, bowels, to be taped, on fire, a scrawl, to put on [a stadium tour], sold out, to polish, frayed nerves, a screaming [match], vibe, to stretch, seamstress, to sew, a catsuit, a [guitar] check, tuning, to hang around, a tumble dryer, to plumb in, a venue, wardrobe, a costume, to care for, to stitch, to scrub, an outfit, to scuff [their shoes], to stash [reserves of Gatorade], iced coffee, sticky [Miami heat], a trade-off, the underworld, a set, to stash away, to stud, a [sound] check, [non-]deceitful, to be flanked, a [police] escort, flared, a vest [top], flawless, the crew, to deliver, a quip, a wink, to be [full] out, to figure something out, one way or another, a pan pipe, a riff, a wristband, a workout, [the obsession] to pay off, a parade, a [tribal-knife] routine, to thrash, to howl, to bray, heartbreak, [personal] upheaval, to fall apart, [tax] fraud, to settle [a case], out of court, to prompt, an outburst, a barb, a string [of hits], to rack up [13 billion], streams, furry, a she-wolf, commitment, [to come] off [stage], to put together [a show], to make something happen, to carry you through, to break into [the Western pop market], precarious, humane, to catch up with [the BBC], to christen, a [powerful] statement, to underpin, to span [generations], to bounce around, a tender [ballad], to duet, mixed emotions, stressed out, [to stay] tuned, to tease. 

If you want to watch the Mexico show of Shakira's "Women No Longer Cry" tour, you can click on the YouTube link below:

Steve Bannon Predicts a Constitutional Crisis in the U.S. by Summer

 

Steve Bannon is one of President Trump's top allies and his former advisor. He is a political campaigner, a media executive and a leader of the CPAC, a conservative movement that tries to spread Trumpism around the world. Recently, Mr Bannon gave Steve Inskeep, the host of NPR's Morning Edition, an interview, "Steve Bannon praises Trump's strategy, wants DOGE's receipts", where he discusses President Trump's 100 days in office and anticipates "a constitutional crisis" in a "summer like no other". 

This 11-minute-long interview with a script, is rather complex, as it deals with American politics and students won't be very familiar with many references, so it is recommended for C2 students, Experts and teachers, who will find interesting expressions such as: to hurdle, livestream, a [wide] swath [of Trump supporters], a mantel, a drive [to deport people], first off, to rattle, an audit, a high-paying [job], to impose [tariffs] on [China], to back off, to stack up, Bessent, to go in [full] force, to speak out against [elites], to target [top private and public universities], to bleed [the money] back in, a [Chinese] national, tuition, to run up against [judicial resistance], due process, to check [something against the law], to defy [the Supreme Court chief justice], [on his] say so, fentanyl, bookkeeping, to grant [everything you say], to pass a bill, to roll over [to the globalists], to step up [and say], to turf out, to tap along [the president], [disapproval] ratings, [to go] way [down], [I don`t] buy [it], [media] psyop.

If you want to watch the full interview (27':51"), it is on YouTube, or you can just click below. This full video interview is recommended for experts and teachers, as ordinary C2 students will problably get lost at different moments for lack of background knowledge about American politics, history, trade relations and constitutional law:

Bike Buses to School in Cardiff, Valencia and Barcelona

 

Cardiff has started a new scheme to help children bike to school safely, Hywel Griffith and Antonia Matthews report for BBC News in "Bike bus in Cardiff creates safety in numbers on school run". The idea is to plan bike routes where groups of children, with the supervision of some adults, can start the day with energy and oxygen in their brains, an initiative that was promoted by Bike Bus World, an American non-profit group, and Sustrans in the U.K., and has caught on in Spain -Violeta Peraita reports for Levante newspaper- in CEIP Cervantes de Alboraia, Valencia and in other schoolos like Xirinacs school, Barcelona. The BBC article is short and simple, so it can be recommended for B1 students who can pick up expressions like: a [bike] ride, to set [pupils] up for [a successful school day], non-profit, a charity, a marshal, to pick up [children], to foster [a sense of community], a convoy, loads [of fun], [to have a] chat. 

Below you can watch a video where folk singer and nationalist politician Dafydd Iwan sings along with many school children Yma o Hyd, the song that is mentioned in the BBC News article. This song is usually chanted when Wales plays international rugby or football matches to intimidate their rivals. You can watch Yma o Hyd in Welsh with Welsh subtitles right underneath these lines, to have a first exposure to Welsh language:

Justice, Politics and Money in Wisconsin

Wisconsin, a key swing state in the Midwest, will vote today to choose a state Supreme Court judge, who can tilt the balance of power towards the right or towards the left, and billionaires like Elon Musk and George Soros are pouring millions of dollars to influence voters and get either conservative Brad Schimel or liberal Susan Crawford elected.

Here you can listen to the NPR's Morning Edition story by Anya van Wagtendonk "Out-of-state billionaires donate big money in Wisconsin Supreme Court race" (03':52"), which comes with a script, but, due to the density of the information and the references to American law and political campaigns, this story is recommended for C2 students and Experts, who will find interesting expressions like: to rake in, to be fueled, the tally, to funnel, to back, a non-partisan [Wisconsin Supreme Court], an issue, at stake, a cap, a rally, to spell out, a stake, [President Trump`s] agenda, to take over [Schimel's campaign], a megadonor, to fire back, a boogeyman, an endorsement, an heir, distressed, the fundraising, to hit, a recusal, to chill, to be beholden. 

If you want to do class practice, here you can find a C2 listening, vocabulary and speaking task with the key, based on the Anya van Wagtendonk's radio report above. 

For further background information about the pecularities of this election, you can read the article "The Wisconsin Supreme Court vote is getting national attention and millions from Musk", which can be suitable for C1 students and above, where you will find words like: a rally, a contested [issue], partisan [politics], to play out, voting rights, a court ruling, to redraw [congressional districts], to end up, to pour, to hand out, a [legal] back-and-forth, to bribe, a [democracy] advocacy [group], a swing state, to face off, a seat opening, non-partisan, a justice, the ballot, liberal-leaning [judges], the attorney general, to endorse, a [legal] counsel, a bid, to barrage, an issue, to tee up [issues], on the books, to overturn [the right to abortion], collective bargaining, the ballot, to end up, to deploy, the GOP, transgender [rights], to feature, to side with [radicals], fearmongering, [to run] misleading [adds], a buzzword, a sweepstake, to redraw [the districts], to enforce [the law], the legislature, a matter, to sue, a [car] dealer, a backer.

****

Today, Anya van Wagtendok reports for Wisconsin Public Radio that Susan Crawford has won her judiciary election race and liberals have kept the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the article "Trump and Musk's backing wasn't enough to flip Wisconsin Supreme Court". This story can be read by C1 students and above, who can pick up words like: to back, to flip, endorsement, advocacy, to top, to fuel, a bruising [election cycle], the [national] stakes, a swing state, to cheer, to concede [the race], to take on, to vow, to yell, to cheat, turnout, to supersede [state law], collective bargaining, to end up [redrawing], to sue, a dealership, a private attorney, attorney general, a general counsel, a circuit court [judge], the will [of the people], a megadonor, to endorse, to recuse, to portray, beholden, latitude, to serve [a term of ten years]. 

If you want to take a look at the full election results in Wisconsin, you can check out Wisconsin Public Radio's Election Results 2025 on this link.

Caged Bird

 

"Caged Bird" is one of the most famous poems by Maya Angelou. It talks about freedom through the allegory of two birds, a free bird and a caged bird that have utterly different experiences of life, but, paradoxically, the one who sings of freedom is the caged bird that longs for it from behind the bars. Here is a lesson plan for B2 students and above with listening and speaking tasks and the key, and just below you can find a link to a video from Poems by the Pound where Caged Bird is recited. Some interesting words are: to leap, to dip, to stalk, to be clipped, a trill, a worm, the lawn, a grave. For further information about the poem, you can check the Caged Bird Video Summary by GradeSaver,  and an analysis of the poem: Review of Maya Angelou's Caged Bird by the young poet and Medical Laboratory Science student Chidiebere Sullivan Nwuguru.

Maya Angelou's metaphor of the caged bird has inspired other modern artists. A very good example is American rapper J. Cole in his song "Caged Bird", that talks about the frustration of a young black person who has been jailed and reflects about freedom, about his fellow black inmates, about an unfair society, and about his own mistakes. The rhythm, the rhymes and the alliterations in the lyrics, together with the pathos of the words, contribute to the poignancy of the song -perhaps you can compare this song to Maya Angelou's poem. Here you have a link to the lyrics of Cage Bird (feat. Omen) with the Spanish translation and below you have the official video of the song, which is recommended for C1 students.

SNL: US Political & Cultural Satire

Saturday Night Live is an NBC sketch comedy and variety show that has been on air for almost 50 years, it is the longest-running network TV programme in the United States, and a most popular export of American culture around the world. The show has received 84 Grammy Awards among other major recognitions. Each episode opens with "a monologue by a celebrity guest [...], who also performs in sketcthes with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that is usually based on current events, and the sketch ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming 'Live from New York, it is Saturday night', properly beginning the show" (Wikipedia: Saturday Night Live). 

Here you can read a article from TV Insider by Dan Clarendon, titled "SNL Highlights: Mike Myers Returns to Play a Glitchy Elon Musk & More (Video)", where C1 students can find interesting words like: glitchy, deluge, a cameo, cast, to take on [a role], a contentious [meeting], to crash [a party], to kid, a riff, crass [personality], a sequel, an installment, an anchor, meth,a ring, mayhem, damn, [to keep a] straight face, opinionated, an usher.

Below you can watch the cold open sketch of last Saturday's show about Ukranian President Zelensky's visit to the White House (07':45"), and here you can find a Lesson Plan with reading, listening and speaking tasks & their Key for C2 students and Experts because the sketch contains many references to American politics and culture and because humour and irony are always more difficult than serious language. This is a list of the most interesting expressions in the sketch: to host, [to feel] at ease, CEO, an [incredible] trap, claw, casual, to boss around, with all due respect, to jump in, to yell [at somebody], to sweep [away], [to look] hot, [to be] all over you, to dissociate, a hedge, to freefall, to skip, to reverse, Charmeleon, Anora, The Brutalist, to dare, an outburst, disrespectful, Willy Wonka, an outfit, a chainsaw, to kid, awesome, Doge, a glitch, to fire, in your lap, to report [for duty], Real Housewives of Potomac, to cap off.

Diamonds and Rust: Joan Baez and her Relationship with Bob Dylan

Love is the driving force that gives us the extra energy to help and sacrifice for our beloved ones. It is the only feeling that makes sense of the craziest decisions, of selflessness and generosity beyond any rational restraints; love is the the fuel for unstinted creativity.  Yet, love can be bitter and sweet. When you feel your lover takes your sacrifice for granted and no longer makes the effort, when passion is followed by indifference, and bliss by disdain, when you have an on-and-off relationship that seems to be stuck in a dead end street, then "diamonds" become "rust", the metaphor that Joan Baez found to describe her relationship with Bob Dylan after a sudden phone call ten years after their break-up.

"Diamonds and Rust" is a haunting song, one of the best songs ever written, it is a moving song, full of winter sun and chilly shade, but the melody and the words unveil the serenity, the maturity and the power that Joan Baez felt when she revisited her youthful relationship with Bob Dylan. Here you can watch a video without subtitles of "Diamonds and Rust", next you can find a lesson-plan for B2 students with listening and speaking tasks and the answer key (and the same document in PDF). Some interesting words to be found in the song are: damned, a ghost, robin egg blue, lousy, a booth, the midwest, a cufflink, rust, to burst, to stray, the Madonna, on the half-shell, unharmed, a crummy [hotel], to mingle.

If you want some background information about the song, you can check out the post "Stella: 'Diamonds and Rust' by Joan Baez" written by Elaine Irvine on the NPR affiliated radio station KRUI-FM, from Iowa University, which is suitable for C1 students. On BBC Sounds you will also find an excellent radio documentary about the song, Soul Music: Diamonds and Rust, which has no script and can be recommended for C2 students. Finally, the most ardent fans of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, can read "Diamonds & Rust, Joan & Bob, 1960's - 1980's", a thorough musical and personal biography published in the Pop History Dig, which is recommended for Experts, that is, for students beyond C2 level.

Below you can watch another video of the song with English subtitles and pictures of their relationship:

Humour: Amber Marie, Foil Arms & Hog, and Big Train

Today, you can find a selection of 3 sketches of British and American comedy that will definetly cheer you up. 

The first one is produced by a Tik Tok influencer Amber Marie, who works as a dance teacher in a school and has published this very funny video "If teachers acted as students..." on Instagram (#teachergram) and on Tik Tok. The vocabulary is not difficult, so it is recommended for B2 students and above, who can pick up words like: a presentation, the book bag, an essay, [it's not my] fault, to take [a test], you guys, just give me a minute! If you want more stories, you can also check Amber Marie You Tube Channel.

History can be a very controversial subject, as the comedians of Foil Arms & Hog will show you on How Different Countries Teach History, which is recommended for B2 students and above,where the following words can be found: savages, to get on with [something], to welcome [someone], a birthplace [of democracy], to set out [for India], Scots, [the weather was] shit, gold, natural resources.

Finally, you can watch the old BBC Comedy show Big Train and the sketch "Do you Speak English?", which is also easy and can be recommended for B2 students, who will find words like: [a car] to break down, to waste [on somebody], sorry [about that].

 

Best Places to Travel in 2025

Are you tired of winter? Have you had enough of chilly nights, foggy mornings, rain, sleet and gale-force winds? Of course we are right in the middle of winter, halfway through the winter solstice and the spring equinox, time to celebrate the Gaelic Imbolc festival or the Christian Candlemas feast or St. Brigid's Day in Ireland..., or time to start planning your next holiday!

If you want to learn which are the coolest (and the hottest) holiday destinations this year you can read the BBC report The 25 best places to travel in 2025, and you will find sustainable holidays in exotic landscapes like Haa Valley, Bhutan (above) or the Western Australia bubblegum-pink lakes (below). The article is a compilation of 25 short, but vocabulary rich, descriptions with a picture, where context can help you to guess the meaning of unknown words, so the article (or a selection of destinations) can be recommended for highly-motivated B2+ students, C1 students and above. Here you can find a lesson plan for B2/C1 students with reading, vocabulary and speaking tasks (for the Word version, please click here). Some of the expressions students can pick up are:

 

[pink] bubblegum-coloured, to connect, to peer, the edge, a crashing [waterfall], sawtooth [spires], wondrous, to overwhelm, to grapple with [the negative effects], overtourism, a spot, the [cultural] heritage, to compile [a list], to soar, a bucket-list [destination], to trek, glamping. Dominica: a sperm whale, a groundbreaking [commitment to marine conservation], sustainable [tourism], to ease [arrival], to launch [a direct flight], to top [a list], a [hidden] gorge, a towering [waterfall], to feast, an eatery, a burgeoning [model]. Naoshima: polka-dotted, connoisseur, copper, to smelt, stunning, dwindling [population], unveiling of [artwork],  to scatter, one-of-a-kind, an [art] installation. The Dolomites: sawtooth [cliff], to be overwhelmed, a detour, rugged, a limestone [cliff], to sprawl, [Italians] in droves, stick-to-your-ribs [dishes], to be overlooked, to be poised [to change], to be stated [to co-host the Olympics], a ski lift, to enhance [connections to public transit], a cable car, a trail. Greenland: to span [more than 2 millio sq km], an ice cap, unspoiled wilderness, a coveted [geopolitical entity], stunning, spellbinding, dog sledding, a bucket-list [destination], a pledge, a launchpad for [hiking], a waterfront, glamping, a gateway, a jaw-dropping, gorgeous, scenic [green hills], dotted [with sheep farms]. Wales: awe-inspiring, up-and-coming, to showcase, to position [yourself], at the forefront, sustainable. Western Newfoundland and Labrador: mainland, a rugged [region], windswept, a towering [iceberg], to underpin, a boardwalk, a settlement, to enhance, to upgrade. Tucson, Arizona: to mark [an anniversay], a [hiking] trail, squash, to meld, a crop, a staple, edible [cacti], a prickly pear. Western Australia: to play second fiddle, a gateway, an [aviation] hub, to be poised [to become], to span, to encompass, pristine, bubblegum-pink [lakes], towering [forests], a winery, to snap [a selfy], a foraging [tour]. Sri Lanka: misty, a roaming [elephant], rolling [surf], to tick a box, bankrupcy, resilient, to get back on your feet, an oculus, to stargaze, to launch, a coolcation, a mixologist, to put your spin on [arrack], a startup, a tuk tuk. Panama: to hand [control], namesake, a waterway, to hint at [a possibility], to reseize, timely, to weave, lush, to boost, staggering. Rif Mountains: snowcapped [mountains], sweeping, [cultural] heritage, an earthquake, a medina, an [almond] grove, cedar, craggy [peaks], unwinding, white-washed. Bradford: to be poised [to step out], a mill, a brass band, an array of  [warehouses], a moor, rugged, an accolade. Jordan: breathtaking, stunning, to weave [through], rust, to be teeming with, illusive, to dwell, a gorge, to dive. Haa Valley, Bhutan: mesmerising, erstwhile [kingdom], nestled, pristine, graze, a bid for [visitors], canopy, a [bamboo] grove, a homestay, a glimpse. Hawaii: to devastate, a downturn, to embody, stewardship. Uzbekistan: to take over, to strive [to maintain], a startup. Haida Gwaii, Canada: off the coast, groundbreaking, [envisonmental] stewardship, a murrelet, to underscore. Emerald Coast, Nicaragua: mist-shrouded [rainforests], set [to be completed], a sprawling [capital], a [surf] hub, to lure in [backpackers], ridley, a leatherback [turtle]. Isle of Man: to be ringed, a cliff-fringed [island], Manx, brew, to partake, myriad, craggy [coastlines], a trekker, a wind-whipped [summit]. Gilgi-Baltistan, Pakistan: a slew [of initiatives], a coveted [trekking visa], a glance, to be dubbed, to brim with [lush valleys], pristine, cradled, a [cherry] blossom, an [apricot] orchard, undulating, to venture. Azores: marrooned [in the ocean], a [steaming] hot-spring, sparkling, to boast, a coral reef, a boon, eager, a scenic [drive], to hop your way, bubbling, lush, a [leisurely] stroll, bonafide. Kansas City, Missouri: a glow-up [year], heretofore, barbeque, slated [to open], renovations, an upgrade. Bolivia: to stargaze, a salt flat, to sip, a booming [town], an up-close [look], a capybara, a cougar, a macaw. Botswana: to be hailed as [a leader], high-income, to usher in [a new government], a cache, to bolster [tourism], to grant [free entry], a wetland, a cheetah, savannah, a [luxury] lodge, a blend, mokoro, an armchair safari, an owl. Oslo: tongue-in-cheek, to nod, overetourism, to sully, to showcase, to lure [visitors], [organic] produce. 

A very different list of destinations is provided by Lonely Planet, you can check it out at "Best in Travel 2025". But if you want to watch wonderful videos, you can click below on Ryan Shirley's "Top 10 Places to Visit in 2025 (Year of Travel", which is recommended for C1 students. 

Happy Imbloc/ Candlemas/ St Brigid's Day!