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Le Viaduc des Arts, an abandoned railway line, was converted into an elevated park, and the arches below it were turned into ateliers for artisans. Parasolerie Heurtault is one of the workshops worth a detour. Master artisan Michel Heurtault created corsetry in haute couture houses before pursuing his childhood passion of making and restoring bespoke umbrellas. In the showroom, ready-made umbrellas and precious handles fill shallow drawers. Rolls of silk and natural fiber fabrics are gathered into colorful bouquets in the workshop beyond. In addition to providing shelter from the rain, Monsieur Heurtault will repair family heirlooms and makes spectacular pieces for period films.

Within the Aysén Region, the Chonos Archipelago, named for an extinct people, is laced with innumerable islands around which blue whales thrive. Both the Darwin and Moraleda channels traverse the archipelago, which extends down to the 17,420-square-kilometer (6,726-square-mile) Laguna San Rafael National Park in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. The San Rafael Glacier and a 16-kilometer-long (10-mile-long) fjord are found within the park that is part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC)—new home for both the National Library and National Opera, designed by Renzo Piano and financed to the tune of €630 million—is a wonder to look at, walk through, and relax in. The library and opera are state of the art; the 42-acre grounds include a salt-water canal where you can learn to sail or kayak, fantastic playgrounds and fountains to keep kids entertained, and the Great Lawn where free concerts, open-air screenings and festivals are staged year-round. Take advantage of the center’s location and drink in the 360-degree views of the city and sea from the Lighthouse, a glass-walled lookout and terrace shaded by a vast solar panel that powers most of the sustainably minded complex. This neighborhood is, after all, called Kallithea, which means “wonderful view.”

Sir Bani Yas is a desert island five miles off the city’s Arabian Gulf coast with some curious residents, namely cheetahs, ostriches, and giraffes, among others. Three distinct properties allow visitors to make the most of the rustic wildlife refuge with game drives and one-of-a-kind animal encounters: the Desert Islands Resort & Spa, with its plethora of amenities and dining options; the safari-style Al Sahel Villa Resort, at the island’s rugged center; or the luxe shorefront Al Yamm Villa Resort, where barasti-style villas have turquoise infinity pools and a lagoon teeming with migratory birds. Though each property stands on its own, guests can take advantage of all the amenities with free transfers between them. Don’t miss the innovative Dining by Design experience, which lets you dine at different venues around the island, from a romantic dinner on the beach to a family picnic on safari plains.

The serenity of the Meiji Jingu Shrine is a notable contrast to the crowds of Harajuku hipsters just beyond the giant torii gates. The Shinto shrine complex, which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken in 1920, is inside a forest that shuts out the noise and energy of the city. This temple is a popular site for celebratory events such as weddings and children’s festivals, so chances are good that visitors will happen upon families dressed up in traditional kimonos.

If your main goal is picking up some lovely Peruvian-made handicrafts, fashion and other local delights, Centro Comercial Larcomar is one of Peru’s loveliest shopping malls, sitting on prime cliff-top real estate, just above the sea. You can find outlets of several of the city’s best handicraft shops, high-end clothing boutiques and a wide array of great restaurants, all located just beyond the lovely Parque Salazar, a cherished coast-hugging green space in Miraflores. Visiting both makes for an easy afternoon.

“Puff the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee” our guide kept on singing this verse as he was pointing out the smokey dragon in front of us, as we visited this wonderful place (viewed from the Hanalei Pier). But in reality, there is no direct link to the song, but somehow people have believed that it did :-) Hanalei is a beautiful little town by the coastline and it’s accessible via several one-way bridges from Princeville. It’s a cozy little town to visit when you’re in the island of Kauai. And to add some movie trivia to it, Hanalei Bay is also a popular movie location for South Pacific, Lilo and Stitch and the Descendants. A good spot to stop is Hanalei Pier and Hanalei Beach and it would be lovely place to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, the day we visited, it was raining :-(

Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just for a spontaneous night of indulgence: Medellin is blessed with romantic dining spots. El Cielo, just opposite Parque Lleras, is as well-known throughout Latin America as its creator Juan Manuel Barrientos—a young chef synonymous with creating unforgettable experimental cuisine. Dishes are separated into ‘moments’ and are all created by his team of chefs and designers in his food lab. Diners can choose from either 10 or 15 ‘moments.’ Each dish has a lifespan of three months, after which it is replaced by a new, vastly different dish. Meanwhile Carmen, located a few blocks away, offers not only high-end, diverse cuisine but also a seductive interior and some extraordinary cocktails.

The centerpiece of the city’s emerging Vulkan neighborhood, Oslo’s very first food hall is a culinary utopia. Let your nose guide you to one (or five!) of 27 eateries peddling everything from cupcakes to tapas to bento boxes. Can’t decide? Stop at the Torget stall and order the Taste of Mathallen menu to sample mind-altering dishes from the hall’s best restaurants. The communal wooden benches in the center of the hall encourage sharing, so you and your friends can divide and conquer. Finish your visit with a craft beer in the basement pub Smelteverket, which features Norway’s longest bar.

Mendoza has suffered devastating earthquakes that have reduced the city to rubble. The earthquake of 1861 destroyed most of the city. Instead of repairing all the damage, the city decided to build a new city center southwest of the original location. They created a large principal plaza—Plaza Independencia—surrounded by four smaller plazas: Plaza San Martin; Plaza Chile; Plaza Italia; and the most picturesque, Plaza Espana. These open spaces created a safe retreat for residents to gather in the event of another destructive earthquake. On weekends the plazas come alive with artisan markets, food vendors, lip-locked lovers and families. Enjoy the people watching and be aware of your belongings.

This is the closest you’ll get to France without actually going. The shop of famed pâtissier Christian Faure recently opened in the heart of Old Montreal, on the site of the first public market, and it’s already become a must-do. A look at the picture above might explain the instant popularity. The title of this highlight is a quote from Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry—and a longtime motto of the talented pâtissier. It represents his brand quite perfectly. Biting into one of his creations is indeed nothing short of a dreamy experience. The shop also offers pastry courses so you can learn to replicate the dream creations yourself.

Bombed to smithereens during World War II, the Neues Museum—inaugurated in 1855—reopened in 2009 following a slow and sensitive reconstruction by the office of British architect David Chipperfield; both the building and its inspiring contents are well worth the visit. The current structure, featuring delicately restored frescoes, beautifully renovated columns and doors, and deliberately preserved war damage, won the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award in 2011. The museum’s collections comprise thousands of ancient artifacts from the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, the Museum of Prehistory and Early History, and the Collection of Classical Antiquities. Highlights include a 3,300-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti, the famous Neanderthal skull from Le Moustier in France, and Heinrich Schliemann’s collection of antiquities from Troy.

Ever heard of a bonut? Neither had we until we visited Biscuit Love, a cult-favorite breakfast spot in Nashville‘s happening Gulch neighborhood, where morning queues often exceed an hour on weekends. And bonuts—deep-fried biscuit dough slathered in lemon mascarpone and balanced on a sticky heap of blueberry compote—are just one of the many hits on the menu. The restaurant had its origins in 2012 as a food truck, where husband-and-wife team Karl and Sarah Worley’s made-from-scratch biscuits made them an overnight success. In January 2015, they opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant, where Karl mans the stoves and Sarah runs the front of the house, making sure patrons get their Southern classics while they’re hot. Be sure to order a bonut, along with the sweet-and-spicy Chronic Bacon, shrimp and grits, and the off-menu Nasty Princess, a biscuit topped with Nashville-style hot chicken, gravy, pickles, mustard, and honey.

In the shadow of Buckingham Palace lies Fortnum & Mason, the department store with a royal warrant famed for its loose-leaf tea, luxury picnic hampers and sweet treats, including an excellent selection of macarons. You can buy all of these inside the store, as well as browse the gentlemen’s department, and cast your eyes up to the spectacular atrium, but the real highlight of a trip here is the afternoon tea, served in a gilded Diamond Jubileee Tea Salon, opened in 2012 for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. An accompanying piano player sets the tone: at high tea, you can expect a charming display of finger sandwiches, individual pastries and cakes from the cake carriage, and scones served with Somerset clotted cream and Fortnum’s lemon curd. The extensive champagne list is also not to be ignored.

At Greenfield Village, part of The Henry Ford, the goal is to recreate what life was like in the early days of the United States of America. That goal is more than accomplished through the historic structures, activities, and even the work of the actors and employees who populate the 240 acres that make up the Village, which was founded on October 21, 1929. It’s not just American history that’s highlighted, as some structures, like the Cotswold Cottage and the Swiss Cottage, represent the cultures of other countries. Every year the Village also hosts the World Series of Historic Baseball. There are working farms, and craftsmen still create with traditional methods, such as glass blowing and metalworking. Inventors and important historical figures are also highlighted, such as the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford himself, Thomas Edison, and Abraham Lincoln.