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Glasgow is a city that lives and breathes football. The two biggest clubs -- Celtic and Rangers -- are by far and away Scotland’s most supported footballing institutions and have dominated the country’s domestic league for decades. Financial tribulations have seen Rangers fall from grace in recent years, but the club looks to be headed back to the top tier to resume its rivalry with Celtic. For a more sedate experience, catch a game involving Partick Thistle -- Glasgow’s third biggest club -- who also play in Scotland’s top league.

This surfer town draws tourists keen to catch a wave, so it’s little wonder that it’s chockablock with folks who want to sell their wares to the visitors. From New Agey shops to a farmers market, there are lots of opportunities to shop and support the local economy. Be sure to bring cash, as many vendors don’t accept plastic.

The city’s iconic wood-paneled Tram 28 rambles along a 4.3-mile route from Campo de Ourique to Praça Martim Moniz, navigating tight turns and steep inclines as it passes some of Lisbon’s most endearing attractions. Originally commissioned in the 1930s, these classic Remodelado trams were in fact enlisted for their ability to handle Lisbon’s hilly terrain. They can get painfully crowded—wait times can be outrageous in the high season—so catch an early ride (5:40 a.m. most weekdays, or 6:45 a.m. on Sundays) for unobstructed views of hilltop neighborhoods like Graça and the Alfama.

Owned by the world-renowned art collector Dakis Joannou and smartly decorated by quirky Brazilian designers the Campana brothers, the New Hotel is the city’s coolest upscale design-centric property, with 79 rooms (including seven suites) and an intimate restaurant. Although centrally located, just a five-minute walk to Syntagma Square, it’s tucked back in a modernist building on a side street so it feels hidden and discreet. The interiors are both playful and smart; the Campanas created much of it with items recycled from the previous hotel. Imagine puzzlelike walls and chairs constructed of layered, repurposed wood intermingled with sculptural chairs of their own design. In the rooms, they had fun riffing on Greek cultural objects, like the Karagiozis, a shadow puppet, and multiple versions of the glass “evil eyes” used to protect against ill omen. Bottom line: stylish contemporary design, excellent location, and friendly service.

Many who have not visited Arizona think that its saguaros grow in a Sahara-like setting...but the mountainous desert around Tucson hides many lush spots, like this riparian canyon on the NE edge of the city. Late fall paints the cottonwoods along the creek below cactus-studded slopes in Sabino Canyon. Hikers hike, runners run, and deer roam...

Washington Square Park is only a fraction of the size of Central Park, but it is as almost as much of an icon of New York as its much larger counterpart uptown. It’s likely because it sits in the heart of Greenwich Village, and has thus served as a backdrop for many events in the city’s history. In the late 19th century, it was one of New York’s most fashionable addresses (that period was captured by Henry James in his 1880 novella Washington Square, later the basis for The Heiress, a play that was also adapted into a movie). The arch along its northern side dates to 1892 and was designed by Stanford White to replace an earlier one, in wood and plaster, erected in 1889 to mark the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration. When Greenwich Village became the haunt of artists and writers, the park was a green space for the city’s counterculture; folk singers and street performers are still a common sight, and the park is also frequently used for political protests and rallies. On sunny days, especially during the academic year, the park is filled with NYU students, neighborhood residents, and tourists taking in the scene.

If visiting the site of the Terracotta Warriors wasn’t enough to fulfill your Xi’an excursion, carry on the adventures at Park Qin. The popular Shuyuan International Party Hostel, near South Gate, is home to this Terracotta warriors-themed bar. Here, you’ll find the city’s hipsters catching up over drinks and live music, nestled among replicas of Xi’an biggest attraction. If you get hungry, the restaurant at the hostel will take care of your midnight cravings.

A former 18th-century bishop’s palace in Korčula Old Town, this Relais & Châteaux property has been meticulously restored into an all-suite luxury hotel. Each of the five rooms is decorated along a different theme inspired by the Silk Road and the explorer Marco Polo, who is rumored to have been born on Korčula. The two-bedroom China Suite features low-slung furniture, red pillows, and a scene-stealer of a terrace with views across the town and coastline, while the one-bedroom Arabia Suite includes an all-white color scheme and intricately carved wood screens.

The hotel’s LD Spa specializes in Thai and Ayurvedic treatments, and the restaurant serves fresh, local seafood on a long terrace above the Old Town wall. The restaurant also produces three different olive oils from the groves around Korčula, and works with local partners to serve wines made from indigenous grapes like grk and pošip.

This stunning white-sand stretch, just a five-minute drive east of Port Antonio, is the only beach in Jamaica with waves high enough to surf. Boston Bay is also one of the few remaining public strands on the island. It continues to attract more locals than tourists and as such is nearly vendor-free. You can watch kids splashing about on their boards, or you can rent your own for a Surfing 101 lesson. Be forewarned: As at many beaches, sometimes the waves are flat, but you can console yourself with a short stroll down the beach to the famous Boston Bay jerk chicken stands.

One of my favorite places in Brussels, mainly becuase I love soccer, is the King Baudouin Stadium. Although I have taken in several Belgian national team soccer games here (not to mention a Mexico vs. Italy game), the stadium is also used for rugby and also athletics. The stadium was formerly named the Heysel but was renamed back in 1985 after it was refurbished mainly due to a tragic incident where several Italian soccer fans died. The stadium lies int he shadow of the Atomium in the northern part of the city.

Go for the scene, not the food, and enjoy the Art Deco décor and great people-watching at this buzzy Left Bank landmark. Despite a limited menu and steep prices, the place is packed day and night. Order a chocolat chaud and sit on the terrace, watching the world go by.

Casablanca is known for its seafood, and La Sqala is one of the loveliest places to get a taste of the ocean. Diners sit in a leafy gazebo garden near the 18th-century Portuguese sea walls, and order the catch of the day for lunch. It’s also possible to while away an hour over coffee and fresh juices.

Bypass the roadside watering holes and take a boat ride to Floyd’s Pelican Bar, instead. This thatched hut stands on stilts out in the water, making it a dreamy spot for an afternoon of swimming and shooting the breeze, solo or with friends. It’s 30 minutes from Treasure Beach (arrange a boat ride through your guesthouse or resort), and you can arrive for lunch and stay until after sundown for the just-caught fish, rum, and chilled Red Stripe on the menu. Inside the tiny shack, the flags of various countries hang and previous customers have left messages scrawled on planks and benches. Sit outside and watch the pelicans flying in formation across the horizon.

The cathedral, usually called the Duomo, is Florence’s most recognizable building. You are able to catch glimpses of its magnificent red-tiled cupola from just about anywhere in the city center. Construction on the church complex began in 1296 and the work—Brunelleschi’s dome and his Baptistery, and Giotto’s bell tower—was completed in 1426. The interior of this architectural is reserved in contrast with the exterior’s marble Gothic facade and its green, pink, and white stripes. Climb the 463 steps up into the dome for a close-up look at Giorgio Vasari’s fresco, The Last Judgment, and a bird’s-eye view of the city.

Explore Ireland’s rich archaeological legacy, starting with the Megalithic period and moving through the Viking and Medieval eras, with eye-catching artifacts like the Tara Brooch, Cross of Cong, Ardagh Chalice and a glistening collection of prehistoric gold. The museum has two other locations in the city: one dedicated to decorative arts and history at Collins Barracks on the banks of the River Liffey and the wonderfully Victorian Natural History Museum on Upper Merrion Street.