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Home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, this curved glass building is also a premiere venue for the Toronto International Film Festival. During the year, this iconic building in Toronto serves as concert showcase and special event venue. National Geographic’s Live Series, for example, is great for travel buffs. Tours are available by appointment.

Glockenbachviertel, one of Munich‘s prettiest neighborhoods, is located south of the city center and next to the Isar River. Formerly home to the city’s Jewish community and millworkers, Glockenbachviertel was the center of Munich’s gay and lesbian community in the 1980s. In recent years, rapid gentrification has morphed this area into Munich’s most luxurious neighborhood. Quiet streets are lined with beautiful residential buildings and there are plenty of beautiful bars, restaurants, and shops. Take a stroll in the evening or do some shopping before dinner. Don’t miss Hans-Sachs-Straße and its fun boutiques, cafes, and bistros with outdoor seating. One of my favorite meals during my trip was at Das Kranz, a stylish restaurant that focuses on organic produce. The menu changes weekly to take advantage of seasonal, local ingredients. The flavors are fresh and the presentation is beautiful. The fun, relaxed atmosphere (with outdoor seating in summer) further adds to an enjoyable meal.

Miami is all about presentation. The heels are higher, the skirts are shorter, the portions are larger, and the drinks are works of art. Meat Market, in Miami Beach, is a steak house that could fool you into thinking it’s more of a nightclub than a restaurant. At the bar, an esteemed team of mixologists create handcrafted cocktails, including the Some Like It Hot: reposado tequila, raspberry, fresh lime juice, and jalapeño-infused agave nectar, served mild, medium, or hot. The menu features a variety of prime cut meats, fresh seafood, and innovative side dishes, and highlights include the super-size wedge salad, the roasted truffle oysters Rockefeller, the creamy lobster mashed potatoes, and the decadant Gouda Tater Tots. To share, try the Waygu beef tomahawk rib eye that weights a good 30 ounces. Bigger is better. That’s just how it goes in Miami.

The house in which U.S. statesman Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 and lived until he was eight years old (when he moved with his family to St. Croix) is now a museum dedicated to tracing his life and achievements. The stone house itself, while handsome, is mostly a restoration, but inside you’ll find fascinating texts describing Hamilton’s childhood, upbringing, and subsequent contribution to politics.

The small museum also features a range of interesting artifacts that chart the history of Nevis, starting with the indigenous Amerindian peoples through the arrival of the Europeans and continuing right up to the present day. After touring the displays, visit the modest gift shop, where you can pick up souvenirs like local stamps and prints.

Gaze down at Shanghai denizens’ feet, and you’ll see many pairs of canvas sneakers emblazoned with the word Feiyue. You can pick up your own pair at Culture Matters, a pint-size second-floor shop offering Feiyues in dozens of styles and colors. The homegrown brand dates back to the 1920s, when canvas shoes with a supple rubber bottom were first produced in Shanghai. It wasn’t until two decades later that the shoes, popular in martial arts because of their flexible sole, got the name Feiyue, meaning “to fly across.” The street-style staples retail in Europe for as much as $71—but at Culture Matters, the original black and white models cost a fraction of that, and you can even have them custom painted!

L’AND Vineyards is a “Wine Resort” that offers a unique rural experience in an exclusive and contemporary ambiance. It is located in the heart of the Alentejo and extends around a central valley of vineyards, olive groves and a lake communicating with the accommodation units that born from the landscape, sorted in small clusters, recovering the typology of the traditional properties (“montes”) of Alentejo. By electing the wine as anchor of its inspiration, L’AND Vineyards Resort is a 5 star holiday village. L’And restaurant seeks to affirm the new Portuguese gastronomic culture, reflecting the history and culture of Portugal and integrating the experiences and ingredients that came from the discoveries in the East. The cuisine of Chef Michael Laffan, awarded a Michelin star in 2013, creates the restaurant menu inspired by the natural environment that surrounds the hotel, presenting dishes with influences from Alentejo in a contemporary interpretation, taking visitors on a gastronomic journey.

Quinta do Portal is a Portuguese and independent family company that has embraced with passion the concept of Boutique Winery, and is dedicated to the production of DOC Douro wines, premium quality Port wines and Muscat. The family MansilhaBranco, owner of Quinta do Portal, is a producer of wines in the Douro Region since immemorial times (the first reference we have dates back to 1477) and has always been linked to its key moments, such as the establishment of the General Company for the Agriculture of the Alto Douro Vineyards on the 10th September 1756, which originated the first demarcated region in the world, led by Frei (Brother) João de Mansilha. At present, the agricultural heritage consists of five Farms (Quinta do Portal, Quinta dos Muros, Quinta do Confradeiro, Quinta da Abelheira e Quinta das Manuelas), located in The Pinhão River Valley, adding up more than one hundred hectares of vineyards (247 ac.).

Hernán Cortés built a summer home here on top of the ruins of a pyramid. Over the next few centuries, Mexico City‘s political and economic elite and movie stars--and even the Shah of Iran--took up residence in this town. Cuernavaca--with its stately mansions and haciendas and blooming gardens--became known as Mexico City’s more glamorous and beautiful sister. Nowadays, an ever-increasing population means Cuernavaca has lost some of the mystique from its heyday, but its lovely gardens and Spring-like climate (and the fact that it is only an hour south of Mexico City) still make it a perfect getaway from that bustling megalopolis. Be sure to check out the Palacio de Cortés and Jardin Borda while you’re there. The former is Cortés’ old digs, and it now houses the Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, which, over two floors covers Mexican history from pre-Columbian times to present. The latter is a grand Versailles-inspired mansion and garden which will give you a wonderful view into how Mexico’s aristocracy lived in the 18th century.

The original settlement of Capena was founded on the site nowadays known as La Civitucola, some three kilometres north of present-day Capena. Ancient Capena was a thriving town, situated close to the Tiber river and the sanctuary and commercial hub of Lucus Feroniae, from the time of its foundation in the Iron Age to the end of the Roman Empire. The Capenati were one of the Italic peoples that prospered in Lazio before the advent of Rome. They wer then conquered by the Etruscans and later the Romans. The modern town is a lovely medieval village with a rural feel and a beautiful historic centre perched on a tuffaceous rock. It is a calm place to stay and only short distance from Rome, the perfect place for the tourist that prefers to go `off the beaten path` and discover the local traditions.

The 34,400-square-foot Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre engages visitors on many levels. Socially, it is the first joint cultural project between two separate native nations in North America. The center is also a stunning architectural addition to the community. The design of the concrete, cedar, and fir structure melds the longhouse of the coastal Squamish people with the traditional Lil’wat pit house. Permanent displays of carvings, dugouts, and implements used by the coastal fishermen and hunters are supplemented by temporary exhibitions, including a presentation about Canada’s infamous residential schools. The SLCC also anchors one of Whistler’s most exciting new projects, the Cultural Connector—a path that links six local arts institutions—which is another indication of Whistler’s rising status as a fine arts destination.

The Silk City Diner, Lounge, & Beer Garden is a super fun nightspot in the Northern Liberties neighborhood that has a long history in Philadelphia. The diner car was built in 1952 by the Paterson Dining Company in Paterson, New Jersey. At the time, the city of Paterson was home to a thriving silk manufacturing industry and was nicknamed the “Silk City,” so the diner car came to be nicknamed a “Silk City Diner.” In 1954, the diner car was installed at its present location next to a cocktail lounge at 5th and Spring Garden streets. It has been serving up brunch, dinner, and live music ever since. The large, comfortable outdoor beer garden (courtyard) at Silk City, a more recent addition, is open from spring through fall and is regularly awarded the honor of best outdoor dining space in the city by Philadelphia Magazine. The diner menu features New American cuisine and dinner is served every night. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3:45 pm.

Going to the beach at the North Sea in fall/winter is one of my favorite things to do in Belgium. I love the miles of empty, clean beach. Yes, it’s cold and the wind is blowing like mad, but then you get to run inside a restaurant and have a nice hot meal. That is exactly what we did today. After walking around on the boardwalk, renting an electric car for the kids to drive around, we chose the brasserie Le Bord’Eau for lunch hoping it will be nice. Their fish and potatoes stew is delicious and hot. I loved the presentation too. It comes to the table in the cast iron pot they cooked it in. It is steaming hot and smelling incredible. It kinda looks like fish waterzooi, a Flanders specialty. This dish had three different kinds of fish, boiled potatoes and vegetables in a superb cream sauce. Very pleased with my choice and will have it again next time I feel like bracing the elements at the beach, in winter.

Topaz is regarded as one of Istanbul‘s most elite upmarket restaurants and it’s the place to be if you wish to celebrate a special occasion. From their terrace restaurant you can indulge in their degustation or a la carte menus whilst the lights of Istanbul twinkle over the Bosphorus and the nightly lighting show aloft the first Bosphorus Bridge dazzles its audience. “Food is our passion and our pleasure. We are continually pushing the boundaries, developing a reputation for gastronomic boldness.” says Topaz’s website, and they achieve this. Their seven course degustation menus - the ‘Ottoman’ and the ‘modern’ - are highly sought after and unlike any other restaurant in town. The degustation dishes expertly prepared and presented fuse modern international flavours with authentic Turkish fare which will leave you talking about your meal for days on end. Pair your menu with Topaz’s wine selections and you’ve reached heaven for the senses! Check their website for menus and prices - as it’s not for everyone’s budget. Reservations will secure a seat with a view. Afiyet olsun! Bon appetite!

My husband treated me to an unforgettable 40th birthday present - a trip to beautiful Iceland. The country had so many remarkable things to offer: gorgeous Icelandic ponies; dramatic, icy waterfalls; rocky black-sand beaches; brillant, dancing Northern Lights. One of my favorite features though was the gorgeous lighting that the short winter days cast. The sun rises around 10:30 a.m., stays just above the horizon all day, and then starts to set at around 4:30 p.m. The result: landscape bathed in a soft alpenglow all day, a photographer’s dream lighting. Vik, the southernmost village in Iceland, was a scenic coastal town with just around 300 residents. Vik’s black basalt beach that contrasted dramatically with the bright white snow on the mountains created a breathtaking scene, especially when coupled with the pinks and blues cast by the setting sun. My husband and I look forward to returning to Iceland in the summer to see what the landscape looks like covered in bright green rather than snow and for some amazing hiking.

This French Concession tailor shop specializes in bespoke and made-to-measure menswear. Come here to get fitted for suits, blazers, and overcoats for a fraction of what it would cost in the States. Germain’s tailors were trained in Japan and Europe, and its fabric selection, sourced from England, Italy, China, and Japan, is expansive, with a whopping 1,000 choices of natural fibers like cotton, wool, and linen. Custom suits start from approximately $530. Bespoke shirts, in which you choose the fabric weight, pattern, and cuff and collar style, start from about $75.