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De Belhamel restaurant is located near the Central train station in a very quiet residential neighborhood. It would be hard to find a prettier location for a leisurely lunch or romantic dinner - the restaurant sits at the junction of the Brouwersgracht canal and the Herengracht canal and provides a magnificent view. The interior is decorated in an Art Noveau style. The award-winning menu focuses on seasonal Dutch dishes with Mediterranean influences. The view and the food are equally impressive - highly recommended if you are looking for a beautiful, quiet spot for dinner away from the crowds. 60 Brouwersgracht, Amsterdam

coffee in Santiago is even worse than in Paris (if that can even be possible?) but lucky for picky people like me, Wonderful cafe makes a very respectable + smooth cappuccino. It comes with latte art as well. Light lunches and other foods (i.e. bagels) are also available. Located in the up-and-comng Lastarria neighbourhood. You are welcome!

I’m not one for posting food photos, but I had to make an exception for this one. I was seated at a table at the Le Puy bed and breakfast in Newberg, OR. As this wonderful dish was placed in front of me, the innkeeper informed me that the eggs used to prepare this meal were taken from the farm right out the window. Now, I’ve heard the phrase “farm to table,” but I’ve never eaten a meal where I could actually SEE the farm FROM my table. Breakfast was great, and I applaud the innkeeper and the chickens.

In the past few years, Las Terrenas has become a popular bohemian style destination alternative for those you are not into all inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The European expat community has infused an international flavor into the local hotel, b&b, and dining scene. Las Terrenas is a bit over 2 hours by car from the capital Santo Domingo on the new highway. Caribe Tours bus terminal in Santo Domingo has frequent buses to town of Sanchez, and from there one takes a local mini bus to Las Terrenas. This way it can take up to 4 hours. Pueblo de los Pescadores (Fishermen’s Village) is a small area of charming restaurants and bars close to the beach. Years ago, this cluster of new establishments used to be a fishing village. There are still many fishermen who use the area as a base for daily fishing. At night the area is a great spot to try some of the local Dominican cuisine, and fusion restaurants. For a nice breakfast, stop by French-owned bakery El Pan de Antes (Plaza Kanesh on Calle Carmen ) in the center of town for delicious croissants, quiche, bread, and strong tasty Dominican coffee. A small, cozy, romantic bungalow style hotel to stay at is Casa Robinson, located at Calle E Prud’Homme 2, a few steps away from the ocean. The atmosphere of the hotel is wonderful along with great staff and service. At the end of the day, walk along the beach around sunset time and watch gorgeous colors come alive.

Nineteenth-century Cuban independence leader José Martí lived a short but full life, creating a considerable body of writing and traveling extensively. He spent long enough periods of time abroad that he could have been considered an expat; he lived in Mexico in 1875 and again in 1894. During his latter stint in Mexico, he lived on Calle San Ildefonso 40 in the Centro Histórico. A plaque on the building’s wall commemorates the historic inhabitant. Martí appears in other scenes you might see around Mexico City, especially in the murals of Diego Rivera. In “Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central,” Martí stands next to Frida Kahlo, tipping his black hat at two ladies. Alameda Central, the park located next to Palacio Bellas Artes, was a favorite spot of Martí’s when he lived in the capital. The mural’s subject is significant moments in Mexican history and in addition to Martí, it depicts a number of important Mexican politicians and thinkers.” Today, the mural is part of the permanent collection of the Museo Mural Diego Rivera in Mexico City.

Drive down a country road in County Donegal toward the sea, and you’re likely to find miles of unspoiled golden beach – and if there are waves, the water might be filled with surfers. Pounded by the big swells of the Atlantic Ocean, the northwest of Ireland is one of the best surfing spots in Europe and surfers take to the waves year round, with the biggest swells during winter. The unofficial surf capital is Bundoran in south Donegal. Tullan Strand is a popular beginner spot – you can rent boards or take lessons from one of the town’s four surf schools – while the reef break at The Peak is for more advanced waveriders. The 3km beach at Rossnowlagh, 20km up the coast, is reliable for regular waves and home to one of the country’s first surf clubs. Further north in the county, there are more challenging surf spots at Dungloe, Dunfanaghy, Inishowen and Fanad Head. The Bridge Bar in Bundoran town is the ideal post-surfing recovery spot for bowls of creamy seafood chowder, pints of Guinness and a surf cam so you don’t miss any of the action on The Peak, or walk up the cliff road from Rossnowlagh beach to the Smuggler’s Inn for reviving post-surf refreshments.

In 1911, American star jockey Tod Sloan took a bar in Manhattan, dismantled it, and shipped it to Paris. At the time, American tourists and members of the artistic and literary communities were beginning to visit the City of Light in ever-increasing numbers, and Sloan wanted to capitalize on his fame and make the place a spot where expats would feel at home. Over the years, Harry’s New York Bar has been frequented by a number of famous Americans and international celebrities, including Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Jack Dempsey, Rita Hayworth, Humphrey Bogart and the Duke of Windsor. Whether or not you have star status, you can still settle in on a stool with a drink and soak in the history.

The great Almohad sultan, Moulay Ismail made Meknes his imperial capital and it is there that he is entombed. Although his mausoleum lies stone’s throw from Place El-Hedim and Bab al-Mansour, it’s not easy to find because it’s not marked. You will have to ask for help. When you enter in the mausoleum, you step inside a small entry room, painted buttercup yellow with a small fountain marking the center of the room. The entry room leads to the first of several interconnected open aired courtyards, each of which is also painted buttercup yellow. Surrounded in all directions by bright yellow walls, it’s hard to believe you’re actually in a mausoleum. The last courtyard fronts the tomb room and unless you’re a Muslim, you cannot enter. But not to be disappointed, the ante room will simply take your breath away. It soars up several stories high with a row of windows at the top that lets the sunlight filter in. Intricately carved plaster and delicately patterned zellij tiles adorn the walls. In the center of the floor is a small fountain collared by the eight pointed star that is classic to Moroccan design. There is perfect symmetry in all the design elements. It’s just a magnificent space!

The 20 de Noviembre market has a variety of food stalls where you can sample many Oaxacan specialties, but carnivores flock to the one corridor that’s known as “El Pasillo de las Carnes Asadas” (the grilled meats aisle). Follow your nose to find it: smoke and the smell of meat grilling are thick in the air. You can select the raw meat that looks best to you and have it grilled to your specifications as you watch on. Find a spot at one of the long tables with benches and order salsa and guacamole to accompany your feast. Buy some tortillas from one of the passing vendors, and enjoy!

Östermalms Saluhall is one of Stockholm‘s most famous markets. While the prices aren’t cheap, since 1888 the market has been where those looking for the very best fish, meat, and produce shop. For most travelers in Stockholm, it provides a good lunch option if you want a fish sandwich or snack in an atmospheric Victorian food hall. The Saluhall will be closing for renovation and moving to a temporary building across the street in January 2016, and is scheduled to return to its home in 2020 after it has been refurbished and upgraded, ready to serve discerning Stockholm residents for another 125 years.

After decades of rule by innocuous lagers, a small revolution is brewing in Beijing’s beer scene, with a handful of small-scale brew operations popping up over the past few years. Great Leap is among them and brings together foreign beer makers with local ingredients in a way that doesn’t make “East meets West” sound cliché.

Take the popular Honey Ma Gold Ale. It has peppercorns from Sichuan, in central China, and Shandong date honey from the coast. Meanwhile, Little General IPA uses Chinese hops, while Danshan Wheat Beer includes black tea from Fujian. All fun to try. Beers at Great Leap start at ¥25 for a pour of Pale Ale No. 6. Great Leap’s flagship brewery and pub, on Xinzhong Street, can handle everything from large parties to single imbibers, offers views of the brewing equipment behind a glass wall, and has a good range of bar food, including a tasty burger and fries at ¥40. Order it and you are almost sure to get one last pint.

Renowned Costa Rican architect Ronald Zürcher looked to his country’s colonial past when designing this hacienda-style property—witness its central courtyard, arched doorways, and terra-cotta roofs. Set amid a 30-acre coffee plantation just outside the capital city of San Jose, the hotel’s 308 traditional accommodations follow suit with dark wood furnishings, but a modern aesthetic pervades renovated guest rooms with streamlined furniture, intricately patterned bathroom tiles, and expansive views that extend from green lawns to forested mountains and urban skyline; some include small balconies that overlook the hotel’s two pools. On-site dining options include gourmet takes on Costa Rican fare at Hacienda Kitchen, Peruvian specialties at La Isabela, and fresh-made sushi at La Castilla, as well as a sports bar and café. The open-air great room invites reading and quiet conversations, but if you’re up for something a little more energetic, there are tennis courts, a driving range, a fitness center, and invigorating coffee scrubs at the spa.

Meaning “a place where one can enjoy the traditions of times past and rest one’s soul,” Rak Ko Jae certainly lives up to its name. Styled after a Chosun Dynasty–era house, the 130-year-old hanok (traditional Korean house) was used by a secret society during the Japanese occupation of Korea before World War II as a place to study and preserve Korean language and culture. In 2003, a master architect, designated by the Korean government as a “Human National Treasure,” renovated the hanok, and now it’s one of the most picturesque places to stay in all of Korea’s capital. Stepping through the gate into the peaceful courtyard feels like going back in time, and the lotus pond, yellow-mud sauna, and traditional Korean cuisine only add to the anachronistic feeling. Guests staying at the small and intimate Rak Ko Jae can take part in many elements of traditional Korean culture such as making kimchi, trying on a hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), or experiencing an afternoon tea ceremony.

Nestled in the maze of back alleys near Beijing’s iconic Drum and Bell towers, the Orchid Gulou is a small boutique hotel that caters to adventurous travelers looking for the coziness of a boutique hotel in the middle of the capital. The hotel is a converted siheyuan (courtyard) that, although thoroughly modernized, retains much of the lived-in character of an ancient Chinese home. One of the location’s standout features is a top-level deck that allows you to peek through the tops of old-growth trees for views of the Drum tower and the surrounding hutongs. Room amenities include heated floors, complimentary fruit baskets, and air purifiers.

Casa da Música, designed by Rem Koolhaas, is the first building built in Portugal which is dedicated entirely to music in various aspects; presentation of music (concerts), education of music and creation of music. The building was intended to be finished on 2001, to mark the year in which Porto became a Cultural Capital of Europe but eventually Casa da Música opened its doors to the public on April 15th , 2005. I first heard about Casa da Música when I read my travel guide about Lisbon and Casa da Música was a suggestion for a weekend getaway. The VIP Room grabbed my attention right away and I knew it was something I had to shoot. It is a multifuncional space, mainly used for sessions for small groups, installations or ceremonial occasions. The room pays an homage to Portuguese tiles and each of its panels is a reproduction of an original panel to be found in different museums in Portugal and the Netherlands. When you plan your visit in Casa da Música, plan it wisely time-wise. And treat yourself to a concert. It is worth it. Address: Avenida Boavista 604