Travel Editor Lucy White Picks her Top 5 Locations.
“I felt so privileged working on it because it’s such a long-running magazine. The amount of places I’ve been to that I would never have been to otherwise. It was an absolute dream job. And, yes, every now and then, I get this wave of emotion, thinking of what I lost. But I was very aware at the time this could be the best job I’ll ever have. And, wow, what a job. So, I have to be grateful for that”.
Editor and writer Lucy White is the guest on the Travel Tales with Fergal Podcast and she spoke about her time as the final editor of Cara magazine before it was closed last year due to the pandemic. The Aer Lingus travel magazine is an institution in Irish publishing. People say their holiday really started when they were sitting on the plane and reading Cara magazine. “There’s so much goodwill around the magazine because it tapped into that feeling of excitement. It was really lovely to be involved in that”.
“I took the reins over from Fran Power, who was brilliant. It was a very well-oiled machine by the time I started as deputy there. And then I took the reins. And yeah, it was an amazing time. I felt like a custodian. I’ve met and worked with world class photographers and writers. But I was very aware at the time that nothing lasts forever”.
As a renowned travel editor Lucy gives a fascinating insight in the business and talks how different it is for women when travelling compared to men and the responsibilities of the travel editor towards her female staff. “It does frustrate me a bit. And I have this conversation with a lot of female travel writers that we do move through the world differently to men. If I go on my own on a trip somewhere, I’m generally not experiencing the night life really. I’m happy to sit at a bar on my own and stuff like that but not till very late. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable.
“You have to choose very carefully where you want to stay if you’re a woman traveling on your own. When I was commissioning features for Cara, I’d be a lot more mindful if I commissioned a female writer than a male one. If I’m sending somebody to LA, I don’t want to put her in a guest house in a slightly gritty neighbourhood. Whereas it wouldn’t occur to me so much if it was one of the guys.
“But I would just be careful more careful in terms of trying to sort out accommodation for women. I’d even go onto the street view maps to see if they were near a metro, subway or the bus stop or any of those things. That it’s brightly lit. I would just do a bit more and be more mindful.
“I feel like we missed out on things. You would think going to western countries even, that you would just be able to go where you want. But you do have to keep your wits about you a bit more.
Lucy is originally from the UK and she has worked in Bangkok, Dubai and Ireland so she jokes on the podcast that she struggled to pick just 5 places that left an indelible mark. In the end she chose Vienna, Petra, Paris, the USA and Madrid.
Her first choice was Vienna which she says was love at first fight. She loves the architecture, the people and eating strudel in hushed old coffee houses. She loves the history attached to the city and went to a gala Viennese Ball in the Spanish Riding Club, which was attended by royalty.
When Lucy lived in Dubai she went on a trip of a lifetime to Petra in Jordan. Petra exceeded all her expectations. Lucy and her friend hit it off with two young Bedouins, who led them around the Ancient City on donkeys. After Petra had closed to tourists, they took them to meet their families and they had a fireside BBQ in the desert in the middle of nowhere. She has never seen so many stars in the sky as that night. When they returned to the hotel the police were waiting and worried about them. It was a day she will never forget.
Lucy describes her relationship with Paris as a love/hate affair. When she went to Paris when young, she saw the seedy side of the city on NYE with rowdy gangs. But when she returned, she saw the beauty of the city. She describes a great night at the world renowned Diner en Blanc. Which is an invite only flash mob outdoor street party in the centre of Paris attended by thousands of locals who are all dressed in white. The attendees bring everything themselves tables, chairs, food and drink. They have the party and then do not leave any trace afterwards. The atmosphere is electric and very safe too.
Lucy picked all of the USA as she couldn’t pick just one place but loves the country.
Lucy is a big fan of the style and music of the 1920’s and one of the highlights was going a Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor’s Island in New York a few summers ago. Everyone dresses in the 20’s fashion and is one of the highlights of all her travels.
Lucy picked Madrid as her final location as she is a huge fan of the Spanish poet/playwright Federico Garcia Lorca. Lucy got to interviewed Lorca’s niece in Madrid at the Lorca Foundation, which she runs. She showed Lucy her uncle’s original manuscripts from the vault. It was a very emotional meeting as they discussed Lorca’s death during the Spanish Civil War and Lucy was given a book of Lorca’s poetry which she cherishes.
Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is a weekly interview series listened to in over 75 countries and is available on all podcast platforms. The website is www.traveltaleswithfergal.ie
