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Very few of the newer bars in San Sebastián hit the mark on ambience, food, drinks and service. Sirimiri, in the heart of the old part, does it all. The wooden beams make the narrow bar feel cozy, and the attentive young waitstaff draws a crowd, creating one of the Old Town’s buzziest atmospheres. The big draw is the cocktail list, which is ever-evolving and features about 50% vermouth-based cocktails. Not feeling a cocktail? Try a sweet, red vermouth on the rocks...it will take you an entire vacation to work your way through the list. The bar food is pintxo fusion at its best, from squid croquetas to pork buns.

Because of its unique climate and volcanic soil, markets in the Azores feature exotic produce not found anywhere else in Portugal. Annonas (similar to pawpaw or custard apples), araçal (somewhat like guava), yam, peppers and the ever-present sweet pineapple can all be found at this market. More local bounty can be found at Rei dos Queijos, a fromagerie that sells cheeses from the nine islands.

The building that houses Moonlight Rollerway dates back to the ‘40s, when it produced airplane parts for World War II. In 1956, it was repurposed as Harry’s Roller Rink, and the current iteration maintains the original’s 2¼-inch-thick maple flooring—laid out without nails, secured by tongue and groove joints. The 1950s vibes are still alive and well, and the space has been a setting for many TV shows, movies, and music videos—you might recognize it from appearances in episodes of Glee and Modern Family. The owner, Dominic Cangelosi, started working at the roller rink in the late ‘60s before buying the place in 1985, and he still plays the organ for spinning patrons every Tuesday night.

Few experiences provide cultural intoxication like exploring a city’s past. And, good news, Quito’s oozes fascination. The best place to travel through the pre-Columbian era, Spanish conquest and eventual independence is a visit to the marvellous Museo de la Ciudad. Lurking a few blocks from Plaza San Francisco, this over 400-year-old hospital, the city’s oldest building, was converted into a museum in the 1970s and today enthrals visitors with reconstructed indigenous houses, graphic art work, clear and concise videos and English-speaking guides. For just $3, visitors stroll around the typical Spanish colonial building which has a permanent exhibit on the first floor and temporary one on the ground. Note that like many museums in Quito, it closes on Mondays.

The carefully curated inventory of this shop across from the Hotel le Sirenuse is pretty much perfect, starting with a line of signature scents, L’Eau d’Italia, which evokes the magic of Mediterranean summers. Among your sublime choices are drinking glasses with swirls of color, made by the famous Venetian glassblower, Carlo Moretti; plates handmade in Milan by the owner’s sister, Costanza Paravicini; sophisticated beach cover-ups, the chicest bikinis, and bespoke swim trunks. In short, beautiful things sold in a beautiful space in one of the most beautiful destinations in Italy: Be prepared to want every single item.

Pok-Ta–Pok is an ancient Mayan ball game, that was played thousands of years ago as part of a sacred, sacrificial ceremony, pitting good against evil. The general belief is that the ball, five pounds of solid rubber, could only be hit with forearms and thighs. The goal of the game was to maneuver the ball through a stone hoop extending from a wall. The winner (yes, winner!) of the game was sacrificed, which was then the highest honor bestowed on a Mayan player. Pok-Ta-Pok ball courts, which must have been inspiration for Harry Potter’s Quidditch, can still be found at Mayan archeological sites, such as Chichen Itza, and Uxmal. Friday nights the ancient sport is reenacted in front of Merida Cathedral–luckily though, sans sacrifice. It’s fun to watch and it gets pretty crazy towards the end, when the ball is literally ON FIRE, prompting faster passes, for sure. Get there a little early to grab close-up seats, or a position close to the rails. It is good to be near the action. >>>A heartfelt thank you to Yucatan Tourism for an unforgettable 4 days in the Yucatan, my new favorite place in Mexico! @YucatanTourism #TravelYucatan

Wouldn’t pulling a brightly painted ceramic bowl or tile out of your bag at home summon a vivid memory of this sunny corner of Spain? Santa Ana has been selling the hand-painted work of local ceramic workshops since 1870 and offers a wide variety of items from small eggcups to large tile murals.

Noventa Grados has been a stalwart in San Sebastián‘s haute couture scene for longer than any of the other ‘modern’ fashion boutiques. In the heart of the old town, it prides itself on an ever-changing, boundary-pushing shop display that proudly announces the new arrivals from the likes of Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, and Stella McCartney. When you enter the boutique, however, you pass first through a hair salon (one of the best in the city). Then you’ll glide through a section of makeup, perfumes, and sometimes even art before you get to the stairs that take you down to the designers. Keep your eyes and ears open in Noventa Grados as there’s always something to discover, both material and ephemeral: they often host hip cultural events within the store.

The Ponte dei Sospiri was given its English name by part-time Venice resident Lord Byron, who wrote in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage: “I stood in Venice on a Bridge of Sighs, a palace and a prison on each hand.” Byron’s travelogue nails it: When you stand on the famous crossing, the Doge’s Palace and a public prison are on either side. A local myth (that turned into the plot line for the film A Little Romance) says that lovers who kiss on a gondola at sunset beneath the Bridge of Sighs will be granted eternal love. Access to the bridge itself is through the Secret Itinerary tour of the Doge’s Palace.

The Moka brothers in question are restaurateurs Daniel Urdaneta and Alex Molina, pals, partners, and owners of Beijing restaurants Mosto and Modo. The pair decided the capital needed a healthy-eats joint and, judging by the packed house, they were right. Moka Bros. has several branches in Beijing, including one in Sanlitun. Lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains make up most of the dishes here. The menu sections let you know exactly what you’re in for—“Power Bowls” includes salmon sashimi bibimbap, with melt-in-your-mouth slices of salmon served on black rice, avocado, roasted pumpkin, carrots, and seaweed and topped with a poached egg. To drink are various trendy juices and smoothies, among them the fatigue-fighting C-Shot—mango, mixed berries, beetroot, lemon, and ginger.

This all-but-plain-Jane spot—in Clavería, a neighborhood “no one” knows—is in fact among the most delightful lunches in the city, the project of architect turned chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo, who decided to take the neighborhood restaurant his parents had run for decades to the next culinary level, yet without ever losing touch with his roots. The queen-bee hostess and waitstaff make sure every diner feels special, with plenty of talk about what’s fresh this season—and what’s so good it’s about to run out. Items on offer cover everything from refined versions of street classics to exquisite, almost exotic, wild-game preparations whose recipes come from some of Mexico’s remotest corners. Live music and an excellent mezcal cart sweeten the already delicious deal.

Founded by the Sbigoli family, this Florentine workshop has been glazing and painting terra-cotta pottery since 1857. Now run by the artistic Chini family, the sense of history remains. Every piece in the showroom is handmade and unique. The simple patterns are based on medieval and Renaissance colors and designs, ranging from muted green-and-ivory geometrics to bright yellow flowers. There are full dinner settings, lamps, serving platters, coffee sets, and tiny bowls perfect for holding your rings beside the kitchen sink.

One of the most popular day trips from Reykjavík, this dramatic and scenic rift valley is both the historical site of Iceland’s Viking parliament and a geological wonder in its own right. Among the highlights are the Almannagjá cliffs, where the island’s chieftains and most of the Icelandic population traditionally congregated for an annual Alþing (general assembly), the last of which was held as recently as 1798. Wooden walkways around the park lead to other sites of interest like the black-roofed Þingvellir Church and Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. There are also waterfalls, flower-filled valleys, and abundant wildlife. It is possible to organize a diving trip to explore the tectonic rift that divides the Eurasian and North American plates, and there’s a visitor center with great views and decent coffee as well as exhibitions and a gift shop.

This “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was once the heart of Korea. It was the power center of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and was originally built in 1395—some new digs for a new dynasty. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, the palace is a complex of buildings—a throne hall, the king’s living quarters and more—a sort of city inside a city, accented by gardens and pavilions. The Japanese flattened the place in the 1590s, and the site remained a ruin until a complete reconstruction in 1867 brought back more than 500 buildings. At the Gwanghwamun Gate, soldiers, beautifully costumed in red robes, still perform the changing of the guard. Seoul has other palaces, but this is the one to see if your time in town is limited.

The system of canals and chinampas (cultivated artificial islands fashioned from the area’s swampy soils) that has survived in the far-south neighborhood known as Xochilmilco once stretched all the way to the Centro. To this day, the community is known for its plant nurseries and vegetable gardens. These ancient landscapes now contribute to what has become one of the most singular pleasure gardens in the world, where visitors hire “gondoliers” to propel boats known as trajineras as they sail these channels in the company of floating mariachis and food vendors, partying teens, and extended families out for a picnic lunch. Since a tour is usually a four-hour-plus investment (it flies by), ask your oarsman to take you to Xochimilco’s more-rural precincts, where you’ll enjoy marvelous quiet, far from the madding crowd, in the company of cranes, curs, and picturesque cornfields.