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A journey into Morocco’s Berber territory, where tradition and modern life meet.

Lake Maggiore, the second largest Italian lake after Lake Garda, holds the three jewel-like Borromean Islands, Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and the quaint and picturesque, Isola dei Pescatori.

With amazingly clear emerald waters, the calm sea off of Santa Margherita and Portofino is perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving (May-September is the best season, although it has been known to stretch!). Il Grande Blu provides all you need to enjoy the waters - instructors, equipment, even towels! And if you prefer to stay on top of the water, they have kayaks for rent, as well as a beautiful full-service beach. (If you are up for even more of an adventure - head even further around the bay to San Fruttuoso to scuba dive - there is a sunken Christ figure just a few meters out into the bay that is really gorgeous to view up close!)

There’s no need to fly all the way to Italy to try the pie that earned first place at the 2007 World Pizza Cup. Just head to North Beach and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, where chef-owner Tony Gemignani was the first American to win the title. Gemignani serves only 73 of the prize-winning Margherita pizzas a day, but the seven ovens in the kitchen make a broad selection of styles, including Sicilian, Roman, New York, St. Louis, and even a Detroit-style pie—a square pizza made with Wisconsin brick mozzarella cheese. To find Tony’s, either follow the scent of baking crust or look for the line of eager customers awaiting entry to the no-reservations corner eatery.

Switzerland draws influence from neighboring countries France, Germany, and Italy to produce some of the most refined dining in Europe. From traditional mountainside restaurants serving up fondue, raclette, and rösti to exquisite inner-city dining in Zurich and Geneva, the Swiss simply excel at gastronomy. Explore Switzerland’s best alpine restaurants, seafood eateries, and melt-in-the-mouth Swiss cheese hotspots—including a few Michelin-starred treats along the way.

Pizzeria Antico’s Italian decor couldn’t be more bella, from the distressed chairs to the white marble bar to the vintage road bicycle perched above the open cucina. Flatbread aficionados will find familiar fare such as the Margherita, funghi, and quattro formaggi along with house-made pastas like gnocchi di Antico. The gnocchi, made with Pemberton potatoes grown nearby and dressed simply in a garlicky tomato sauce, are absolutely sublime.

Boston deserves far more attention for its food scene than the city usually gets. From reinvented lobster rolls and other fresh seafood to small plates put out by James Beard-award winning chefs, there’s a near-dizzying selection of good eats to choose from. You’ll want to add extra days to your trip as you start to wend your way through menu options featuring coastal Italian food, clam chowder and raw bars, dry-aged steaks, wood-grilled pizzas, upscale tinned fish (yes, really), and so much more.

The Harris Farms retail center that began openings in 2013 has a few additions for 2014, the first being the highly-anticipated Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta owned by Iceberg’s Maurice Terzini. Terzini hired a pizza chef from Naples, who cooks fluffy, stretchy, and perfectly charred pies in a wood-fired, brick oven. You can’t go wrong with the margherita-like Reginella, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, try the Prosciutto, the Diavoletta (topped with hot salami), or the vegetarian Caponatina (with zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper). Since porchetta is also in the restaurant’s name, you have to order some pig; your options are a pork platter served with lemon wedges or the Focaccia Con Porchetta sandwich. Desserts are Italian classics plus a cleansing dish of watermelon. Judging by the noise and the crowds, the pizza here will be tough to beat.

If you have a gorgeously sunny afternoon, walk the Corso Italia to the small fishing village of Boccadasse, still considered to be part of Genoa. About an hour’s walk from central town, this seaside stroll will take you past black stone beaches, children’s parks, and countless bars and restaurants enjoying the beautiful sea views. When you arrive, make sure to roll up your pants and step in the water, as the sea spray alone is said to have healing properties.

Go Bar occupies an old colonial house on a leafy Mendoza street (formerly Winery & Company). Its old, worn wooden floors speckled with sunlight have just the right vintage feel for wine browsing. It’s several rooms are stacked with wrought iron shelves featuring the region’s numerous wine labels. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and will give you the perfect packaging to carry wines in your suitcase back home. Chile 898 (corner of Montevideo)

Getting to Portofino from Genoa is quite easy. Take the train from Genoa’s Brignole Station to Santa Margherita Ligure, and then catch the 82 bus to Portofino (a 12-minute trip around the bay). While I’m not a huge bus person, this is one of the most gorgeous bus rides I’ve ever experienced. A tiny fishing village with a very posh clientele, Portofino is a wonderful day trip—perfect for walking around, shopping at high-end boutiques, and enjoying an apertivo dockside before heading back to town. Yet Portofino is also covered with trekking trails, so another option is to wear walking gear and come for the breathtaking hikes!

The Museo del Novecento (Museum of the 20th century) is a visual lesson in one century of Italian art history. Housed is the 1930s Palazzo dell’Arengario by Rationalist architects Piero Portaluppi and Giovanni Muzio. The Novecento also houses an amazing collection, Who’s Who of the 1900s, including Italians Balla, Modigliani, Boccioni, Martini, Morandi, and De Chirico and international artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Klee. In fact, the museum is considered one of the world’s most important collections of Italian and international 20th-century art in Italy—Futurism, Spatialism, and Arte Povera. Keep your eye out for Piero Manzoni’s clever Arte Povera pieces, Arturo Marini’s large stone figures, and Pellizza Da Volpedo’s monumental painting Il Quarto Stato (The Fourth Estate). Martini also did the palazzo’s exterior bas relief. Bonus: The upper level bar/restaurant overlooks Piazza del Duomo.

Behold Gandria! When my Airbnb host first suggested I visit Gandria I was a little unsure, mostly because of it’s name. But boy was she right, this little village navigable exclusively by foot was so picturesque and quiet. Situated on a hill just off of the Lugano Lake this place is perfect day-trip distance from almost anywhere in Switzerland. Lugano and Gandria are only several thousand feet from the Swiss-Italian border making these towns seem like extensions of Italy. They speak Italian, serve great pizza, and even better coffee.

James Beard Award–winning chef Gavin Kayson returned to his Midwest roots in 2014 to open Spoon and Stable. Here, he uses techniques learned from around the globe to transform the Heartland food that he grew up eating into an upscale experience, all inside an actual old stable.

From the morning’s first jolt of espresso through the evening’s final sip of Tuscan wine, your tastebuds will be happy and engaged the whole time you’re in Florence. You’ve come to a city where cooking pasta is a fine art and where lunch at a tripe stand can be followed by the creamiest gelato you’ve ever tasted. Let others stand in line to see Michelangelo’s David—you’ve got another meal to eat.