Virtuoso Archives - White Lotus Travel Design

Sailing the Rhone: What to Expect on a Luxury River Cruise Through Provence

France, River Cruise, River Cruise, Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

Key Takeaways (Quick Answer) A Rhône river cruise through Provence is one of the easiest ways to experience Southern France in a relaxed, high-comfort format: multiple towns, guided excursions, excellent food and wine, and you only unpack once. This trip combined 3 nights in Paris with 7 nights on AmaWaterways’ AmaKristina, sailing from Lyon to […]

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In the Kitchen with Chef Silvia Baracchi

Italy, Tuscany, Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

One of the biggest highlights of my recent trip to Cortona was enjoying all that incredible Tuscan cuisine. Few chefs bring authentic Tuscan flavors to life the way Chef Silvia Baracchi does, and being a guest at her table is as good as it gets. Prior to staying in the heart of Tuscany at Il

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The outdoor pool at Il Falconiere in Cortona, Italy

A Luxury Guide to Cortona, Tuscany in 2026: The Italy You’ve Been Missing

Italy, Tuscany, Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

Key Takeaways (Quick Answer) After spending a few days in Rome, I headed to Tiburtina Station and boarded a northbound Trenitalia. In a little over two hours (and with no transfers), I found myself about halfway between Rome and Florence, at the Camucia–Cortona train station. After a few minutes, I was in a car on

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Vacation in The Med – Part III: The Balearic Islands

Cruising, Spain, Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

After spending two busy days on The French Riviera, we were very grateful to have our first sea day on this cruise. I learned last year that a sea day is when I will actually (wait for it…) relax, something I’m not spotted doing often. We treated ourselves to a Rockstar Suite which gave us

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Discover Europe’s Gems on a Luxury River Cruise

Cruising, Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

Back in 2019, I was at Barnes & Noble tutoring an Italian student who I used to meet with weekly (fun fact: I speak and briefly taught Italian both privately and at a language school here in New York). My client was a busy and successful businessman, and one of our favorite topics of conversation

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From Cruising Virgin to Cruising Virgin (Virgin Voyages, That is)

Cruising, Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

Okay, truth time. When I opened White Lotus Travel Design, I had never been on a cruise. Not only had I never been on a cruise, I also had little to no interest in going on a cruise. Growing up as a kid in the 80s, my only points of reference for cruising came from

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A WEEK IN ITALY – Part II: Rome

Italy, Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

After breakfast, I made my way to Napoli Centrale to board my train to Rome. I hadn’t been to Rome in almost nine years, and I knew that I couldn’t be a one-hour train ride away from The Eternal City and not have a carbonara in the motherland. Since this was a business trip, I

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Celebrating a Big Leap on Leap Day

Virtuoso / Josh Scheer

A lot of things have changed in my life and career over the years, so I thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself to you. It was exactly one year ago when starting my own travel business stopped being a pipe dream and officially became White Lotus Travel Design. I started my career

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