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The parish church of Fatima is in a little hamlet called Aljustrel. It is just down the road from the Cova da Iria, Fatima. The three shepherd children were baptized there and there attended Mass with their relatives and neighbors.The baptismal font in which the three shepherds were baptized is just inside the door on the left side. There are pictures and some history in the alcove. The interior has a good deal of marble and is surprisingly large. The parish cemetery is just across the street from the church and the Marto children were first buried there. In 1951 and 1952, Jacinta then Francisco were interred at the Cova da Iria in the new Basilica as it was being built. Lucia, the eldest seer, was buried there in 2005. She died at 98 years of age at a convent in Coimbra, Portugal. Family members are buried in the parish cemetery. One of the children’s brothers, Joao who died in 2000 at the age of 94, is interred there. When I walked inside the walls of the cemetery, I could feel a stillness and calm quiet. This is a stop that adds another layer of history to the story of the miracle of Fatima. One of the best restaurants in the Fatima area, Tia Alice, is just across the street on Rua do Adro. I enjoyed local dishes and local wines at Tia Alice...... Delicious.

This semi-outdoor market on Juta Street in Joburg’s Braamfontein neighbourhood is fun fun fun. Eat oysters from Namibia, drink craft beer from South Africa, and devour paella, gelato, cheeses, chocolate...a food lover’s paradise! Open on Saturdays.

The Hyatt brand is world renowned for its service and experience. Their Maui property checks all the boxes for creating the perfect island vacation. From the beautifully executed integration into the ocean environment, to the services and activities at your flip flopped feet, life’s stresses give way to island time the moment you arrive. Close enough to Lahaina town to skip a car rental, yet buffered from the distractions of the world, it’s a great balance in one location. The onsite restaurants are top notch, easily keeping your calorie intake therapeutic. The bars offer a wonderful mix of island cocktails to melt away any residual tension from your stand up paddle board lesson. The little bay on the south end of the resort is home to a healthy group of huge sea turtles, easy to paddle up to in a kayak or board. Walking everywhere is easy and entertaining. Whaler’s Village is just a mile up the beach on a paved path the takes you through some of the other resorts in the neighborhood. Rooms are crisp, spacious and have some ocean views. The resort is medium-sized so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the physical plant. Speaking of plants, there are hundreds of native flora dotting the grounds. Also wondering about are flocks of flamingos and penguins. The Hyatt is a first-class operation leaving you free to relax to your heart’s content.

Historic books and articles about Stuart, Florida relate that the town has had a bandstand since 1915 with the creation of the Stuart Band. It was the one of the focal points of the newly formed city. The spot provided entertainment and was a venue for civic speakers. Holidays were celebrated there with speakers, music, and band concerts. When in 1939, the bandstand was in disrepair and the city of Stuart decided that the new bandstand would be a concrete and cement construction. It was a bandshell large enough to accommodate the newly formed 78-piece high school band.The community would use the new structure for civic programs. The formal dedication was in April, 1940. The celebration lasted for several hours into the evening with a large picnic for about 1,000 people, speeches, the Boy Scouts, concerts, and several bands. Today, Stuart’s Bandshell is used for concerts, high school graduations, speakers, and many of the city’s important parades end there with celebrations. The Stuart Bandshell is a wonderful community gathering spot. When you check it out, notice the beautiful hand-painted mural inside the shell that was painted by Brenda Leigh. I have been to a concert or two there and several Veteran’s Day Parade celebrations. The patriotism and enthusiasm were truly contagious.The Bandshell is still a very important part of the city of Stuart.

A great dining experience can be found at the foot of the iconic Orlando Towers in Soweto in the form of Chaf-Pozi. Chaf-Pozi, is a traditional Shisa nyama. Shisa nyama is a Zulu phrase literally meaning “hot meat”. It is a term used to describe an informal barbecue or braai near a butchery to grill meat in an open fire. The site is usually provided by the butcher owner and only people who buy meat from the butcher are allowed to use the facility. In the photo, a group of friends who were out for a good time are enjoying their freshly picked and prepared meal together, The dining spot is perfectly situated being close to both the FNB and Orlando Stadiums, offering pre and post show meals and entertainment. The services of local taxis are also on offer. This allows guests to be transferred from other major centres to Chaf-Pozi to enjoy a stunning meal, followed by a sporting event or music concert. The extensive menu covers local cuisine including mutton, beef, chicken, wors, samp, pap, chakalaka as well as a variety of tasty side dishes. These meals are chosen fresh from the butchery and then prepared for guests’ enjoyment! Since it’s opening in 2010 the venue has hosted many dignataries and celebrities, and also works well as a spot for company year-end functions and birthday parties.

If these walls could talk they’d recite plans for military campaigns and tales of love, lust and betrayal that make this former residence and imperial seat of the Ottoman Empire so intriguing. Walk the dazzling tile-and-mosaic-lined corridors, see the jewels the sultans wore, the baths where they washed, the rooms where they entertained, the quarters that housed their concubines, and the kitchens that created feasts for 5,000 residents.

Walk, cycle or people-watch along the shores of Elliott Bay, a downtown stretch known for its circusy flair and spectacular vistas. You can ride the Great Wheel or visit the beloved Seattle Aquarium, home to wolf eels, sea otters, and the world’s largest octopuses. Refuel with chowder from local favorite Ivar’s Acres of Clams, then hit the market’s 200 owner-operated shops, ranging from a radical book collection to the Northwest’s oldest magic store. Just don’t turn your back on the famous salmon-slinging fishmongers: They’ve been known to wallop selfie-photographers with a plastic decoy for yucks!

College-town hiking aficionados usually know where to eat, so when the guys up the street at Babbitts Backcountry Outfitters told me this was one of the best places in town for weekend brunch, I went. A lunch-and-dinner place during the week, Criollo Latin Kitchen opens up on weekend mornings with offerings from blue corn pancakes to pork belly tacos, with poblano cheddar grits, sweet ancho chili sausage gravy, and Haitian ‘ti-malice'-inspired relish to go with eggs over easy. And along with the artists’ paintings that change monthly, the food is “local” as well—the menu and the chalkboard on the wall will let you know the ranches and farms in Arizona and Colorado that are the sources for Criollo’s organic ingredients. On this particular morning, I had the “huevos motuleños,” the Yucatán’s version of “huevos rancheros.” And get some bacon—it’s hearty, comes from Black Mesa Ranch in the White Mountains, and will make you want to bring the word “toothsome” back into popular usage. Even if you’re just passing through Flagstaff on your way to the Grand Canyon, or driving from Albuquerque to Los Angeles, Criollo is worth a stop. It’s just a block north of historic old Route 66 downtown. (Criollo is owned by the same folks who opened the nationally-renown “Brix” just up the street—Flagstaff is becoming a restaurant mecca—and its newest sister restaurant is “Proper,” way down the road in Tucson. “Taco Tuesday” evenings with inexpensive margaritas can be crowded.)

West Randolph Street in Chicago’s West Loop has become a new home to the city’s culinary talents. Stephanie Izard first drew crowds cooking dishes like roasted pig face at Girl & the Goat (the restaurant pictured above). She then opened Little Goat, a retro diner, across the street. Graham Elliot Bowles keeps it simple at his casual g.e.b, where each dish has no more than three ingredients. On a more elegant note, the prix-fixe menu at Grace, from chef Curtis Duffy, features dishes such as kampachi with coconut, lime, basil, golden trout roe, and pomelo presented in a cylinder of frozen ginger water.

Mama Shelter’s owners, who launched the Flèche d’Or indie rock club across the street, turned an outlying location in the 20^th arrondissement into an advantage. They enlisted Philippe Starck to design the restaurant, bar, pizzeria, and summer rooftop terrace—which now attract poets, artists, and counterculture types from across the city. The hotel’s street cred is still intact years after the 2008 opening, and the decor—black ceilings turned into graffiti chalkboards bearing literary quotations; Mexican wrestling and Halloween masks turned into lamp shades; tree trunks used as stools—remains relentlessly hipster without being overwhelming; guests could be young parents with sleeve tattoos toting baby carriers in the elevators.

A five-level emporium specializing in French luxury brands (Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel), Le Bon Marché traces its origins to a stall run by a hatmaker’s son and his wife in 1852. The beauty department is under an Art Deco glass ceiling; the third floor features an extensive children’s department with toys, books and clothing. La Grande Épicerie de Paris, Le Bon Marché’s expansive and extraordinary food hall, is across the street.

Pier 1’s greatest appeal is its setting: The open-air restaurant and nightclub occupies a pier that extends out into the Caribbean in Montego Bay. By day and into the early evening, the restaurant draws visitors and locals interested in a good meal with a stellar water view. At night, regular parties start late and run into the wee hours of the morning. Skip the noisy chain restaurant-bars down the street and try something more Jamaican, instead.

Tucked away in the Kalorama neighborhood is an urban oasis of steps and terraces connecting S Street and Decatur Place NW. Designed in the early 20th century during D.C.'s “City Beautiful” movement, the Spanish Steps vaguely resemble the original version in Rome, but the smaller scale and residential surroundings create an intimate, sheltered feeling. Like Rome, D.C.'s Spanish Steps are a neighborhood landmark and a natural gathering place with a romantic touch.

From mid-May through early October, an Asian-inspired street market springs up in the Lower Mainland on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights—and holiday Mondays, too. Just steps from the Canada Line’s Bridgeport station, the market also offers more than 1,000 free parking spots. Adventurous eaters can graze from 100-plus food stalls, serving everything from poutine and spiral-cut “potato tornado” on a stick to creamy octopus takoyaki (a circular-shaped Japanese snack). Finish with Mango Yummy’s shaved ice desserts or a box of Dragon Beard candy—similar to floss halva and spun sugar—to take home. Then, shop over 200 retail stalls or hit the carnival rides and live entertainment.

Just a few blocks from the bustle of Old Town and Duval Street, this Caribbean-style resort is a serene retreat with a swath of white-sand beach, a pool concierge, and a private pier for fishing or gazing out over clear turquoise waters. All of the contemporary rooms and suites are generously sized and have private balconies with views of the pool, courtyard, or ocean, but the real draw remains right outside your door. Guests can snorkel off the shore, face off on the giant chess board, or simply sway between two palms in one of the beachside hammocks. They also have privileges at sister resort Casa Marina, just up the beach, including at the oceanfront Spa al Mare. Have kids in tow? The hotel offers a full roster of activities, plus babysitting services for parents who want to hit the town.