St. Pete’s on the Neva

Wendy Arellanes knew she’d have a hard time deciphering Cyrillic script on a recent trip to Russia with her father, Independent columnist Barney Brantingham. So she brought along a copy of The Santa Barbara Independent to read while resting from the festivities of St. Petersburg’s famous White Nights. It was the only newspaper she saw while there, she said, which made it a great vacation — in fact, a Trumpless triumph. When she’s not traveling to visit relatives in Panama, you’re liable to find Wendy in her beloved London, haunting a small hotel, walking the town, or sipping tea in a hideaway shop.