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Irene, a bright and colorful restaurant at the Hotel Savoy, is great for lunch on the sunny bistro terrace outside or for a nightcap sipped on a velvet banquette at the bar inside. The kitchen turns out traditional Tuscan cuisine with surprising modern touches: The classic tomato-and-bread pappa al pomodoro comes stuffed inside ravioli, and the vitello tonnato (veal with tuna-caper sauce) is topped with ribbons of shaved fennel and served with the sauce on the side. On Sundays, the popular “Lunch at Nonna’s” menu is a loving nod to the restaurant’s namesake. Pre- or post-dinner, grab a seat on the terrace, overlooking Piazza della Repubblica, to enjoy wines served in retro-style carafes and bubbly poured into 1950s coupe glasses.

You’ll recognize this setting as one that appears in some of the most iconic Amalfi Coast photos. The villa’s riotous beds of pansies and garden walls covered with vibrant bougainvillea are as jaw-dropping in real life. One section of the gardens dates back to the 13th century, but only traces of the medieval part remains. Most of the space is dedicated to a Romantic era–style garden that was designed by Francis Nevile Reid, a wealthy Scottish expat who owned and restored the villa in the late-19th century. In addition to touring the gardens, a small museum on the grounds with a cloister and tower is worth visiting. From June through September every year, the Ravello Festival is held here.

The internationally inspired fare (Asian and Italian, mostly) at Oasis Ocean Club is good, but most guests patronize this spot for its enviable views and its lively atmosphere. Sitting right on the waterfront, the two-level restaurant looks out onto the bay and truly is one step from the beach. Live music and an exceptionally friendly staff draw repeat visitors.

A 1,200-acre green space filled with museums, theaters, and gardens, Balboa Park is the center of art and culture in San Diego. It’s also one of the city’s most historic sites, built for the Panama–California exhibition in 1915. While the museums are definitely worth seeing, there are also a number of free attractions, including the photogenic Botanical Building, which houses more than 2,100 plants (including Venus flytraps); the Desert Garden, filled with succulents from around the world; and a sculpture court with works by Miró and Rodin. For one of the area’s best views, purchase a timed ticket to climb the California Tower in the Museum of Man. The ornate structure reopened to the public in 2015 after being closed for nearly 80 years and features a spiral staircase to the eighth floor, where you can catch a glimpse of the Cuyamaca Mountains, the Cabrillo Bridge, and even Mexico’s Coronado Islands.

This iconic landmark in London is popular for a reason...it’s breathtaking! Did you know that Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower, not the clock? While you are there, check out the Houses of Parliament (if they are in session). Afterwards, stroll across the lovely bridge and rise the London Eye!

Conveniently located a few miles from Florence, this estate has been producing wine and olive oil for over 1200 years, making it one of the oldest in Tuscany—though the current owning family has been involved for “only” about a century. Today, in addition to producing beautiful wines using sustainable and certified biodynamic farming methods, the estate includes a few accommodation options (including a restored farmhouse), a noted cooking school, a restaurant and wine bar, and acres of organic vineyards and olive groves. Book a guided tour to visit the historic cellars, the crushing area, and the wine bar, where you’ll get to taste some of the delicious homegrown products, including wines, olive oil, and Vin Santo. Wine-paired lunches in the bar or main villa can also be arranged, and if you’re there in the summer, take a glass onto the terrace, which boasts views out to Florence’s Duomo.

The area of gently rolling hills just to the northeast of Lucca is famous not only for its impressive villas, but also for olive oil and wine. A perfect gastronomic stop-off between visits to the magnificent Villa Mansi and Villa Torrigiani, the 30-hectare farm estate Colle di Bordocheo produces both, and offers tastings and tours for visitors. Estate wines such as the complex, spicy Picchio Rosso (a blend of sangiovese, merlot, and cabernet grapes) and the white Bianco dell’Oca (chardonnay, vermentino, sauvignon) marry well with the house extra virgin and platters of local cheeses and foccaccie. Book ahead and you can add lasagne and cold cuts to the basic €15 per head package, making a fine, rustic lunch. There are also apartments for rent on the estate, which lies in a strategic position for visits to the coast, the lush, mountainous Garfagnana region, Florence, and, of course, Lucca.

While many Italian hotels rest on the country’s historic laurels by harking back to bygone eras, from the opulence of the Renaissance to the sleek design heaven of the 1960s, the Meliá Génova—itself an art deco icon—is confident enough to stride straight into contemporary decor. Originally a steel manufacturer’s headquarters, long known as the luxe Bentley Hotel, its geometric lines and burnished metals evoke midcentury styles. But the hotel is undeniably modern and understated, with its bright and airy rooms, designer furnishings, abstract artwork, and luxurious touches like hot tubs on balconies. The serene, Zen-inspired subterranean pool and spa area demonstrates the Meliá’s fearlessness in breaking from Italian Riviera traditions, a fact only reinforced by the sultry restaurant and bar, which serves Spanish, French, and Greek cuisine—near heresy in a country that prides itself on its excellent food. But the bets have paid off: not only does the Meliá attract glamorous out-of-towners, but even the locals know it’s one of the hottest spots in town, as evidenced by the lively scene found in the bar each night.

Cameos aren’t exactly an art form indigenous to Central America, which makes the Stone Castle Cameo Factory’s story all the more interesting: An artisan went to Italy to learn the craft from a master; he then returned to Honduras and taught others, thereby launching a cottage industry. Created from Honduran conch shells, the cameo art here ranges in size and type from traditional brooches to lamps. Customers paying in cash will be able to bargain for discounts.

There are times when only a bowl of pasta will do, and those are the times to head straight for Pepe Nero, with its romantic orange-tree courtyard for alfresco eats and warren of more-intimate dining rooms. Note, the latter can sometimes feel a bit cut off from the main hub, so it’s arguably a better summer jaunt, but you can’t knock the food. Chef Khalid Robazza Essafa makes all his own pasta. The roast veal agnolotti (stuffed pasta squares similar to ravioli) is sensational, as is the lasagna and the eggplant Parmesan. The king prawn risotto has earned Essafa a devoted, local fan base, although out-of-towners have been known to rave about his tandem Moroccan menu, too.

Lardo, a sister restaurant to chef Elena Reygadas’s Rosetta and her bakery, is especially warm and buzzy on sunny days, when the Condesa restaurant’s full facade of French doors is thrown open and its handsome crowd spills out. The kitchen applies all the chef’s singular refinements to a winning mix of Tuscan recipes that put special focus on fine charcuterie. Menu items are (perhaps deceptively) simple: poached eggs, seasoned variously; a nice selection of pizzas; fresh, vinegary salads that don’t go overboard; grilled shellfish. The complexity arises from their delicacy on the palate, where each crisp taste is savored separately—and as a part of the whole. A nice wine list encourages sobremesa, the delightful Mexican custom of lingering over the table. Breads—either the ones that come with your meal or the ones you take home from the on-site bakery—might be the best in the city.

An address won’t help you much on Burano. If you’re looking for a specific spot on this tiny archipelago off the Venetian coast, let color be your guide. According to legend, island homes were painted in vivid hues to help fishermen find their way in the fog as far back as the 6th century. While neon shades of blue, green, orange, and lavender may seem random, they’ve been determined by a regulated system for centuries. Even today, property owners must request permission and a selection of permissible colors from the Italian government before slapping a new coat of paint on their aging buildings. Visitors who make the 45-minute vaporetto ride from Venice to Burano are rewarded with a kaleidoscope of tropical hues and a serene island ambience that seems worlds away from the madding crowds in Piazza San Marco. While edible vestiges of its roots as a small fishing village remain in waterfront restaurants serving up heaping plates of frittura mista, seafood risotto, and spaghetti vongole, Burano is better known today for its hand-hewn lace and colorful homes. In the 15th century, its artistic prominence surged when island women began making the famed lace. Demand peaked after Leonardo da Vinci visited to shop for the Burano lace that covers the main altar of the Duomo in Milan. If you’re lucky enough to visit Burano during the pre-Lent Venice Carnevale, you may find new dimensions of color on its four canal-laced islands and picturesque footbridges. A multicolored palette of some 3,000 islanders provides a rainbow of backdrops for costumed revelers. Primping and posing, the fantasy personae inspire storms of clicks from photographers eager to capture the visual feast.

One of Italy’s landmark hotels, the Grand Hotel Savoia is an icon in the heart of Genoa, a grande dame founded at the height of the Belle Epoque boom by one of the country’s original luxury hoteliers, attracting aristocrats, royals, and other elite international travelers to the renowned port city. Not only was it the first hotel in Italy to have hot and cold running water in private bathrooms (in all rooms), but it was the first in Europe to have a centralized climate-control system.

Though its groundbreaking heyday is past, the Grand Hotel Savoia is far from falling into obscurity. The opulent building has been lovingly restored in the seafaring tradition of Christopher Columbus’ hometown, with antique travel trunks, 1950s-yacht-inspired furnishings, and panels of vintage Genoese postcards adorning the rooms. Original accents like parquet floors, Murano chandeliers, and marble columns complement overstuffed leather chairs and carved wooden tables, all contributing to a pervasive sense of drama and history. That drama and history is no more obvious than on the rooftop terrace, where the most discerning locals flock for unparalleled views of the harbor and city—whether that’s over a cocktail or from the relaxing perch of the spa’s hot tubs.

Gennaro Castiello is passionate about Cetara and about the anchovies that provide income to the town. His stylish and simple restaurant is decorated with Vietri ceramics and wood, creating a chill, beachy vibe. A plate of fried anchovies accompanied by a cold flute of naturally processed prosecco makes for the perfect summer lunch. For something more substantial, order pasta dishes such as paccheri with zucchini and shavings of tuna bottarga, or a reimagined pasta alla genovese with tuna in place of beef, which transforms a hearty dish into something light and fresh. Castiello’s colatura di alici, a fermented anchovy sauce that has ancient Roman origins, just might be the very best in town. Make sure you bring home a bottle.

While walking around Florence, have you noticed something different about some of the street signs? Clet Abraham is a French artist who stealthily alters traffic signs with graphic stickers that transform a DEAD END sign into a crucifix or a ONE WAY arrow into Pinocchio’s nose. In the artist’s jumbled studio in San Niccolò, you can learn a bit about his process and purchase a sign of your own. If the original works are too pricey, there are also vinyl stickers and T-shirts bearing his whimsical designs.