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As the only hotel inside the city’s famed 19^th-century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (the oldest shopping mall in the world), the place is in a league of its own, from the building’s hand-painted vaulted ceilings and original frescoes to touches like grand pianos in the rooms and the racing-green Bentley Continental Flying Spur that whisks guests around the city in style.

There are 24 rooms in total, though the tall ceilings and mezzanine levels make them feel much more like private apartments than rooms. Designer furnishings and high-tech amenities complement the building’s original features and antiques, and guests get their own professional butler-concierge (all languages catered for), a choice of bed linen and pillow type, and as much vintage wine and champagne as they can handle. Personal laptops and shopping trolleys from the best luxury brands are also available on request.

Before cotton reigned supreme in the South, tobacco was the money-maker. Planters channeled their profits into increasingly ornate homes, and one of the best examples of this post-Revolutionary architecture can be found in the Harrisburg district of Augusta, Georgia. Between downtown and the Augusta National Golf course (where The Masters takes place every April) is the Ezekiel Harris House, dating from the 1790’s. In later years, the area around the Harris House would become known as Harrisburg, before becoming incorporated into Georgia’s second-oldest city. The South’s first industry grew up nearby after the Augusta Canal was dug in the 1840’s. While the neighborhood is awaiting renewal today, the house remains as a relic to the society and tastes of a fledgling United States. The house is open for tours every Saturday and by appointment during the week. The Smithsonian has called it ‘the finest 18th-century house surviving in Georgia.’

After hiking, skiing, or Grand Canyon gawking, what better way to spend an evening than in Flagstaff’s oldest microbrewery? Wood-burning stoves in the entryway will keep you warm if the wait is long in this family-friendly brewpub. In addition to the handcrafted beers, you will find wood-fired pizzas, fondues, and apple cake made with oatmeal stout. I opted for the “Brewer’s Platter": bratwursts and spicy southwest sausage braised in their Railhead Red Ale, with caramelized onions, red cabbage, cinnamon apples, and skin-on mashed potatoes. So glad I listened to the guys in the mountain-gear-store up the street who recommended the place. For two decades, Beaver Street Brewery has been a Flagstaff institution, its sign a beacon on foggy winter nights... (Just remember, at 7,000 ft. above sea level, the brews go to your head much faster...so eat up!)

Bar Basso is one of the oldest cocktail bars in Milan. It’s appeared in many films and is a piece of history in the city. It’s always been a privileged meeting place for designers, journalists, artists, and writers. Here you can taste the best international drinks dipped in a real atmosphere of an Italian bar. Between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., the Milanese file into their neighborhood bars and fashionable watering holes. They elbow their way to the bar and partake in one of the city’s long-held social traditions: the aperitivo. Strictly speaking, an aperitivo is a pre-meal drink served to whet your appetite or, as the Italians say, to “open your stomach,” commonly with drinks such as Campari and orange juice or Cinzano on ice.

I’ll be the first to admit, a museum of printing didn’t sound terribly exciting to me, at first. Antwerp Belgium’s Plantin-Moretus Museum certainly changed my mind. This is the only museum on the UNESCO World Heritage list and the recognition is well deserved. The museum is housed in the 16th century home of Antwerp’s first printing company. The house itself is stunning, and the ancient printing presses (some are the oldest still in working order) are fascinating. The star of the museum’s collection, however, is the family’s personal collection of books and archives. The library includes an early Gutenberg Bible, the first Dutch dictionary, one of the world’s first atlases, and many other treasures. If you are a book lover, interested in social history, art, design or architecture, don’t pass up the Plantin-Moretus museum. More Info: http://cheeseweb.eu/2011/05/plantinmoretus-printing-museum-antwerp/

In recent years, Johannesburg has become a haven for contemporary artists working in South Africa. Rosebank, the neighborhood next to the affluent suburb of Sandton, even features a Miami-esque Design District with galleries, restaurants, and high-end shops. It’s here that you’ll find Circa Gallery, an architectural masterpiece designed by Pierre Swanepol of studioMAS. Elliptical in shape, the building features an indoor ramp that leads visitors around the perimeter of the gallery—much like at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Outside, 400 vertical aluminum bars cover the exterior of the building, allowing daylight to stream into the gallery. After taking in the contemporary art and photography on display at Circa, use the walkway to enter the attached Everard Read Gallery, located across Keyes Avenue. The sister to Circa, it’s the oldest commercial art gallery in South Africa.

Historic Shanghai’s tours and events are the closest you’ll can come to traveling back in time to Shanghai’s golden age. The group was founded by longtime Shanghai residents Tess Johnston, Tina Kanagaratnam, and Patrick Cranley. They host myriad cultural events—author talks, lectures, screenings—as well as tours of Shanghai’s historic sites and neighborhoods. All three owners are architecture buffs, and together they have an encyclopedic knowledge of Shanghai’s Western architecture, past and present. Tours and walks run a couple of times per month, covering topics like Americans in Old Shanghai, Old Shanghai’s nightclubs, and the regeneration of Yangpu District.

One of the most famous landmarks, the pyramids that grace the Giza Plateau certainly don’t disappoint. Nearly 4,000 years old, these mystical tombs have captivated the attention of people around the world since they were first built.


Tourism is down in Egypt, making this a great time to visit and have these monuments almost to yourself. With your admission ticket you can wander around the massive structures and even descend into the incredible Pyramid of Khafre.

Touring the pyramids with a trained Egyptologist, like those found with Insight Vacations tours, makes the experience even more enriching. It’s hard not to feel like an archaeologist of old as you “discover” the inner chambers for yourself.

The right bank of the Limmat is home to the busy, cobblestoned Niederdorfstrasse, lined with bustling cafés, bars and restaurants, none more bustling than the sprawling over-a-century-old Johanniter, a can’t-miss-it spot with its giant Swiss and Zurich flags marking its entrance. Inside, patrons dine on huge portions of traditional specialties like raclette (melted cheese served with potatoes and pickled cucumbers and onions) under tall, vaulted ceilings.

A short trip from Barcelona via bus or car, explore Besalú’s medieval old town. Cross its restored 11th century bridge into a picturesque village with cobblestone streets. Shop for handmade trinkets or stop off for a meal or a drink in bars and restaurants offering traditional Catalan fare. While you’re there, be sure to stop off and see Besalú’s historic synagogue and Jewish ritual baths.

The California Academy of Sciences is an unfortunately stuffy name for an institution that is anything but staid. The country’s largest natural-history museum includes an aquarium, a planetarium, an enormous rain-forest exhibit under a 27-meter-tall (90-foot-tall) dome, and a living roof that looks like a science-fiction fantasy. A visit here can feel like a trip to an amusement park, with a series of attractions to check out, but all of them are educational. The building itself is part of the appeal of the Academy. (Like the nearby de Young, the old home of the California Academy of Sciences was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and starchitect Renzo Piano designed its very environmentally friendly replacement.) It would be easy to spend an entire day or more seeing all of the Academy’s exhibits, so be prepared to pick and choose among them.

As you look at the chair, the vintage country-style fabrics will initially catch your eye, but it’s the suitcase frame that will make you do a double take. To Katie Thompson, the fit between old and new only seems natural. A graduate of the Design Time School of Interior Design in Cape Town, she’s been hoarding old housewares like suitcases, telephones, and typewriters and recycling them into functional pieces of furniture for years. Now that the Recreate showroom has moved into Katie’s original workspace on Stow Street in Salt River, travelers have a unique opportunity to see some of her pieces in development while shopping. You can also grab a cup of coffee and sit for a moment on the front patio before heading onwards to explore the rest of the Woodstock and Salt River neighborhood.

One of the delights of Valparaíso is exploring the colorful hillsides that ramble down towards the sea. Take the century-old funicular elevators Ascensor Concepción (Turri) or El Peral near the main plaza, constructed between 1883 and 1911. Once high into the hills of Cerro Concepción & Alegre, explore the meandering alleyways and cobblestone streets on foot. There are boutiques, cafés, mom-and-pop shops, old school bakeries, bars, restaurants, art galleries, and church bells tolling. It often feels more like a small village than a city. Climb up and down the many staircases often lined with bright graffiti. In the distance, the bay gleams in sunlight and the busy port never tires. At dusk, the lights twinkle like fairylight. Grab a table at a spot like Café Turri for a view of the sunset and a cocktail.

The Marais has no shortage of charming stores, designer boutiques and international labels but one of my favorite additions to the neighborhood is Delphine Pariente’s namesake shop. The designer trained with Christian Lacroix, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Sonia Rykiel before launching her own business on rue de Turenne. With mid-century modern furnishings and vintage accessories, the shop looks like a true home. While those pieces are for sale, the focus of her shop is her romantic, somewhat curious jewelry which she produces from old objects. Charms, medallions engraved with messages and quotes, gorgeous earrings and bracelets share the space with old school typewriters, alarm clocks and other knick-knacks. This spot is popular among young Parisians so be sure to stop in and pick up something beautiful before skipping town.

Located just a few minutes’ stroll from the Rialto Bridge, Al Volto is Venice’s oldest wine bar and home to an impressive 1,000-bottle collection. The list includes Italian and international wines, but not all are offered at the same time—the wine list rotates daily. If you aren’t sure what to order, the staff is very knowledgable. Beyond the attraction of the wine, the atmosphere is jovial and the vibe is cozy with wood-paneled walls and every bit of the ceiling plastered with wine labels. If you’re hungry, the adjoining restaurant cooks up delicious traditional Venetian lagoon fare. The homemade pastas are excellent—keep it simple and try the spaghetti with clams and olive oil.