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There is no better place for visitors interested in one-stop souvenir shopping than the Pennsylvania General Store, located inside the Reading Terminal Market. You’ll find everything from Amish quilts to just-made fudge, as well as food items unique to the region, including locally treasured Asher’s chocolate-covered pretzels. Also recommended are decadent, fresh-baked Hope’s Cookies, and tins of Rosie’s butterkins (butter cookies). If you’re not hungry, maybe you need a soft pretzel T-shirt, City of Brotherly Love shot glasses, or a bawdy coffee mug touting the town of Intercourse, Pennsylvania? Former Philadelphians who miss their regional treats can order care packages online from the General Store’s website.

For the arrival of Peninsula Hotels in Europe in 2014, many millions of euros were lavished on an Avenue Kléber landmark a cobblestone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe. Born in the Belle Epoque as the Hotel Majestic, the historic property where George Gershwin wrote “An American in Paris” was transformed by the country’s finest artisans—including the company of tassel-makers who decorated the Paris Opéra.

When you’re ready for a proper pisco, Miraflores’s PiscoBar is a capital choice, both for traditional cocktails as well as heady new creations. As is to be expected, owner Ricardo Carpio is a celebrated pisco expert, which makes this the ideal laboratory for personal tastings of some of the country’s premier brands. Happily, it’s also a fabulous place to eat, whether you’re craving tapas or a full-on meal. Dishes like the seafood risotto and the beef with tacu tacu (Peruvian refried beans and rice) make you wish you had a Peruvian grandmother; the welcoming staff provide a warm facsimile.

The city’s most historic food hall is housed in a grand old building with a distinctive arched roof of copper and glass that lets light flood into the bustling interior. Come here to browse the 40 or so stalls and buy cakes, cheese, fish, meat, and vegetables to take away, or better yet, perch at a counter and eat right there amid all the hubbub of the market. The building was completed in 1889 and was landmarked as one of the country’s important buildings in 1985.

The country’s third-largest city, and the largest in central Vietnam, Da Nang has become one of the country’s key ports thanks to its location on both the coast and the Han River estuary. The city itself is a typical bustling Vietnamese metropolis with relentless scooter traffic, but a number of attractions make visiting worthwhile. The town’s Dragon Bridge opened in 2013, but what makes it special is that every weekend evening the steel-arch dragon that forms a part of the structure spits out real fire from its head (the bridge is closed to traffic at the time, allowing crowds to see the spectacle up close). The Marble Mountains—five hills that seem to have just sprouted up in the south of the city—are an arresting sight. The Son Tra peninsula, with a marquee attraction known as Monkey Mountain, offers some good hiking and excellent sea and city views; you’ll also find the 220-feet-tall, gleaming-white Goddess of Mercy statue here. The sandy stretch east of the city center (given the nickname China Beach by American soldiers during the war) is crowded with restaurants, bars, and some seaside hotels.

Slip a generous serving of salade niçoise (tuna, olives, chopped onion, and hard-boiled egg) into a country roll with a drizzle of peppery olive oil, et voilà, you have a pan bagnat, the ubiquitous sandwich native to the region. Pan bagnat translates to “wet bread,” a less-than-appetizing name for a creation that people will wait in long lines to devour. One of the best versions is sold at a simple kiosk on the famous sandy Plage de Salis in Antibes. The sandwiches are so good here, they would tempt a swimsuit model on a strict diet to leave the Hôtel du Cap Eden Rock for a bite.

Chez Josy is open every day from 8:30 – 8:30pm between April and October. It’s closed during the winter.

Top chefs clamor for the hams cured at Bentons, an unassuming smokehouse in Madisonville. Online orders can take more than a month; instead, drop in for a tour and take home some bacon. This appeared in the May 2014 issue.

People love the inclusive, hill country (i.e., Austin-like) vibe of Cedar Creek. It has a solid food menu, wide selection of beers, and refreshing frozen cocktails. The Frozen Mimosas are a brunch must, or if you’re there later in the day, go for a Country Ass Tea. Photo via Cedar Creek Facebook page

As a child, William Butler Yeats spent his summer holidays in County Sligo, and the lakes and hills inspired many of his most famous poems, such as The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Take a leisurely day and follow the Yeats Trail around the locations in the area that he loved, taking in Glencar Lough, the Isle of Innisfree, Rosses Point, Benbulben, Lissadell House, and finally the churchyard at Drumcliffe Parish Church, where Yeats is buried.

In the heart of Texas Hill Country, on a serene section of the Colorado River, the famously luxurious Lake Austin Spa Resort might be just half an hour from Austin’s city center, but it feels miles away from anywhere, an oasis surrounded by ruggedly beautiful wilderness. And that’s intentional: the destination spa caters to every need and whim, offering a daily calendar of outdoor activities and educational talks and classes and serving healthy and locally-sourced cuisine. Spa treatments are not included in the rate—which, it’s worth noting, starts at a three-night minimum stay—but use of the spa’s three pools and other pampering facilities are, and it’d be a shame not to sample at least one of its more than 100 natural treatments.


But the best part about the resort is that, once you’re there, no one cares what you do. Take advantage of the packed schedule and spa offerings, or just claim a poolside lounger, take a walk along the lake, or read a book in the fragrant organic garden. Relaxation means something different to everyone, after all.

When waterways in the Netherlands freeze into glittering paths, overjoyed residents take to the ice. Visitors can buy or rent a pair of noren (traditional long-blade skates) to glide across town or take part in one of the country’s dozens of tochten, organized tours or races held throughout the nation’s 2,200 miles of canals. Check the local newspaper or the website Schaatsen.nl for route announcements. Ice skating along the frozen lanes also provides a chance to marvel at how the canals have shaped the landscape. Because a quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level, the Dutch have relied on drainage systems to keep their heads above water. Skate the molentocht, or mill tour, in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kinderdijk (pictured) to see 19 windmills that once pumped water from the lowlands into the surrounding reservoirs. The historic village about 15 miles from Rotterdam is a peaceful setting for one of the country’s favorite winter pastimes. If you travel to Kinderdijk to skate the molentocht, reserve a room at the Pincoffs Suite Hotel in Rotterdam. Stieltjesstraat 34, 31/(0) 10-297-4500. This appeared in the November/December 2012 issue.

A stay at this resort offers the best of many worlds: easy access to San Antonio and its airport, proximity to scenic Hill Country and its wineries, and plenty of on-site amenities to encourage you to hang around. Spread over 600 acres, the property includes an 18-hole golf course, a nine-acre water park (with a winding lazy river and 650-foot rapid river ride), hiking trails, and a 30-room spa, where treatments incorporate Texas-grown ingredients like lavender and sassafras. The facilities fan out from the LEED-certified main building, which houses 1,000 warm, comfortable guestrooms, many of which look out onto the main pool. There are also enough restaurants to warrant a multi-day stay, from an organic-focused spa bistro and a sports bar with local brews, to a Texas-inspired main restaurant and a fine-dining steakhouse set among the golf greens. Each spot uses ingredients sourced within a 150-mile radius of the hotel, and aims to highlight Texas wine and beer. While the kids are off enjoying the water park or video game arcade, adults can take a tequila tasting class or settle into a rocking chair with a good book—then everyone can meet around the indoor or outdoor fireplaces to trade stories.

Ethiopian wine? An unlikely pairing of words, for sure, and an unlikely beverage that you may regret having ordered while traveling around this fascinating country. I was at Castelli’s, a famous Italian restaurant in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. The restaurant is a relic from Italy’s failed attempt to colonize the African country. The food may be forgettable at Castelli’s, but this wine is even more so. Some day, perhaps, “Ethiopia” and “wine” may have a more congruent appeal. Just not any time soon.

Grammy-nominated country crooner Dierks Bentley brought a new country vibe to his home state when he opened Whiskey Row, a 1920s-style saloon that hosts live local and national acts. There’s a menu of Southern comfort food made from local ingredients along with self-serve beer and liquor on tap.

After the Grand Ole Opry left the Ryman Auditorium, country legend Roy Acuff said the redbrick building with its Gothic arches and stained glass windows might as well be torn down. The Ryman had been home to performances and broadcasts since the 1940s, but it was in poor condition and lacked air-conditioning and proper dressing rooms. Fortunately, its legacy as “The Mother Church of Country Music” prevailed and, after years of sitting practically empty, the auditorium was renovated and began hosting shows once again. Originally built as a church, the grand hall has spectacular acoustics and a lingering magic in its pews from all those years spent witnessing country music history. A trip here is practically obligatory when visiting the Music City.