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For an exceptional look at one of Brussels’ finest Art Nouveau buildings, head to the Maison St. Cyr. This ornate, narrow house was designed by Belgian architect, Gustave Strauven, who worked for the father of Art Nouveau, Victor Horta, from the age of 18. The house was built between 1901-03 as the residence of Georges de Saint-Cyr. The building has been recently restored, however, as it is up for sale, it is not possible to visit inside. While in the neighbourhood, wander through the lovely Square Ambiorix, where you will find many other beautiful houses circling a vibrant city park.

You’ll constantly find this small Marietta restaurant packed with customers for their biscuits and burgers. Local Food Network star Alton Brown named Red Eyed Mule’s burgers on the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” It’s also a favorite of the members of the nearby Air Force base. This hometown favorite opened in 2010 and was instantly beloved. If you’re there for breakfast, grab a biscuit before heading to work. It may be hard to find a seat for lunch, but order at the counter before sitting down. Their burgers are handmade fresh ground beef between pieces of Texas toast with your choice of toppings.

Patti and Giuseppe greet guests at the door with their dogs, welcoming them into the old farmhouse’s stone corridor. The limestone is pale but the walls and corners contain clever splashes of colorful art and furniture. The sunlight filters through the open-air corridor, leading to public spaces and guest rooms filled with surprising luxury and style. Donkey quarters or places to tie animals and store feed have been tranformed by the couple’s creative vision and hard work into a gorgeously designed living room and office. Every corridor is lined by plants and sculptures, every room incandescent with art; the hotel iss vibrant, colorful, worldly.

Welcome to my new favorite, neighborhood cafe near the intersection of University and San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley. The space is inviting (both inside and out), the communal tables and cozy chairs plentiful and the Four Barrel coffee delicious with all that organic breakfast fare. The hours are 7 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 7 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The owners value the works of rotating artists and the result is always such a treat. When you’re in Berkeley, make a trip to Local 123 for friendly service, delicious coffee, some sun on the back patio and a few delicious nibbles.

Just a few minutes walk from Antwerp, Belgium’s Berchem train station, is one of the city’s most beautiful neighbourhoods, the Zurenbourg. A handful of streets form the ‘Golden Triangle’ an area famous for its Art Nouveau and rival architecture. It’s a hodge-podge of styles: Gothic Revival, Neo-Renaissance, Greek Revival, Neoclassical, and British Tudorbethan; striking in their differences. A walk through the area is a lovely way to pass a few hours. The main streets of interest are: Cogels Osylei, Waterloostraat and Transvaalstraat. Be sure to look up so you don’t miss the stunning mosaic work that decorates many of the houses.

Tapas in Madrid are usually eaten before lunch, at “vermut” or “aperitivo” time. This can be done before lunch or after work. Apart from eating the Madrid tapas and drinking sangria or beer, these bars are a good place to watch football games and people get together for the occasion; specially when there is a FC Madrid vs Real Madrid game. It is also quite popular to have tapas in Madrid for dinner. Groups of friends like getting together and sharing some tapas at a good price. It’s a budget dinner and it is fun to choose which tapas to eat and taste different Madrid tapas.

Probably the most visited attraction in the city, the V&A combines many elements of the greatest commercial waterfront projects around the world. There are plenty of draws for tourists (the Cape Wheel, helicopter rides, boat trips to Robben Island) and locals (450 retail outlets, from H&M to a major supermarket), but it remains a working harbor, with small seagoing vessels sailing between the main harbor and the dry dock that lies adjacent to the excellent Two Oceans Aquarium and Watershed craft and design hall. There’s even a fast-growing residential section, connected by canals that stretch toward the city. The latest addition, however, is the Silo District, which became one of Cape Town’s must-visit attractions soon after opening in late 2017. Here, a number of restaurants and boutiques, anchored by the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, are located amid old grain silos.

The Art is a worthy base for those looking to explore the galleries of the Denver Art Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum, and the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts, which are all within a few minutes’ walking distance. In fact, the glass-walled property feels a bit like an exhibition space in its own right: Upon arrival, guests are greeted by Leo Villareal’s dazzling 22,000 LED–bulb installation above the entrance, while hundreds of other works by the likes of Frank Gehry appear throughout the public spaces—see them on a guided tour of the hotel’s art collection, offered on Saturdays. Minimal guest rooms have light wood furnishings, luxury linens, and neutral walls—the better to serve as a blank canvas for more original artwork—as well as windows overlooking the mountains or city lights. If you’ve worked up an appetite with all that cultural appreciation, order the signature burger with spicy mayo at FIRE restaurant, or sip a Matisse martini with Colorado-made vodka on the fire pit–warmed terrace.

Part of the University of British Columbia, this museum houses one of the finest collections of Northwest Coast Aboriginal art, including bentwood boxes, feast dishes, totem poles, and canoes from the Haida and Coast Salish people. Some of these artifacts are displayed in a soaring grand hall with views of the Point Grey cliffs. Visitors can also look forward to a respectable European ceramics collection, with earthenware and stoneware from the 16th to 19th centuries, and a rotunda with works from Haida artist Bill Reid, including the massive Raven and the First Men, made out of laminated yellow cedar.

After laying abandoned for more than 20 years, a historic Art Deco swimming pool and health club in the 16th Arrondissement has been reborn as one of the most unique hotels in Paris—one that even locals check in to when they want a quick getaway. Now part of the MGallery by Sofitel collection, the property feels much like an urban resort thanks to its location—while the city center and typical tourist sites are a metro ride away, the block-long hotel sits right in the middle of attractions like the Jean Boulin stadium, Parc de Prince, the Roland Garros tennis center (home of the French Open), the Auteuil racetrack, and Bois de Boulogne Park. Design-hounds also love the place for its eye-catching, very Insta-worthy spaces, including the vibrant reception area (with its graffitied Rolls Royce installation) and the lobby-level brasserie and bar (done up in restored Art Deco elements, a mix of contemporary and flea-market furnishings, street-art-inspired murals, and colorful modern artwork).

In 2019, Tenaya Lodge became a particularly attractive option for families when it unveiled the Explorer Cabins, 50 two-bedroom cabins for groups of up to six people traveling together. The cabins include a living room with sleeper sofa and fireplace, a partial kitchen (with a fridge, microwave, and sink), and a private deck. Some have bunk beds, and some are pet-friendly as well. The Explorer Clubhouse is a common space for these cabins with grab-and-go breakfast and evening wine and charcuterie.


The cabins are about a half-mile from the main Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, a 353-room property near Yosemite’s South Gate. Families can also stay in the property’s collection of cottages, with the cottage suites featuring a bedroom with a queen-size bed and a separate living room with a sleeper sofa. Or they can opt for a room or suite in the main Tenaya Lodge.



Wherever they’re resting their heads, they will have access to the main lodge and its restaurant, and outdoor and indoor pools, the latter being key for colder weather. There’s also a family game room with air hockey, foosball, and Skee-Ball, plus a pool table, Pac-Man arcade game, and ball pit. On-site family-friendly activities include guided nature walks, ice skating (an outdoor ice rink opens on the property in late November for the winter season), and seasonal offerings like an Elf on the Shelf scavenger hunt, gingerbread-making workshop, and breakfast with Santa for the holidays. Tired parents can book a treatment at the on-site Ascent Spa for a bit of calm and stress relief.

Weekends in the center of Leuven, Belgium are packed full of fun. There are street artists showing their skills, occasional bands are playing in the square, weddings take place at the beautiful Town Hall. There are restaurants everywhere serving delicious food and drinks, fruit and veggie markets selling what is in season. Right now the tables are full of cherries and strawberries that smell from miles away. The architecture is simply breathtaking, it’s a delight to look at the Town Hall, at the complexity of the sculptures adorning it. St. Peter’s Church, built in the 15th century, is also in the main square. Go inside and see the large and elaborate oak pulpit, which was transferred from the abbey church of Ninove. It is carved with a life-size representation of Norbert of Xanten falling from a horse. Very impressive work.

It might be a part of the Colorado River—a man-made reservoir carved out of the river in 1960—but everyone calls the body of water bisecting Austin Lady Bird Lake. On hot summer days, scores of walkers and joggers move along the lakeside paths through nearby Zilker Park, but you can also take to the water by canoe, kayak, water bike, or stand-up paddleboard. You can’t swim here, but the left fork (heading west) in the river will take you to Barton Springs Pool, a popular Austin hangout, where you can splash in the water to your heart’s—and body temperature’s—delight.

Fashionistas will be quick to snap up this new home-grown line that works to support creative and social development for the women of highland Chiapas. Each garment—often a combination of chiffon and linen—is hand-sewn; styles range from crisp and professional to blissfully free, empowering all women whatever their day-to-day activities. Locations throughout Mexico, but there’s something exciting about buying next to the beach from their sliver of a boutique in the Hotel María del Mar.

The work exhibited in this progressive and edgy nonprofit space is a far cry from the art in the galleries along Canyon Road. SITE Santa Fe, which opened in 1995, hosts provocative biennials as well as a wealth of multimedia productions and notable international and contemporary art exhibits. After the building’s striking renovation and expansion (by the New York–based design firm SHoP Architects), its dramatic new glass facade sits beneath a triangular front, welcoming visitors inside.