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After a couple of days in Mexico City, once you’re well-rested and adjusted to the altitude, why not try a little street eating? After all, some locals do it every day, and the techniques vendors use have been in place for centuries, if not millennia. A good jumping-off point is the sometimes-grilled sandwich known as a torta. The ingredient combinations are endless, ranging from egg, shredded chicken, and pork loin to the Mexican piece of breaded beef known as a milanesa—and the list goes on. String cheese and chipotles or pickled jalapeños add a lot of flavor, but do it your way. A lot of customers at a stall is good sign both in terms of taste and cleanliness. With a torta under your belt, start thinking about tacos. Or that spot with the caldo de pollo chicken soup, perfect for all kinds of add-ins. Soon enough you’re a seasoned streeter.

Established in 1919, O’Keeffe’s favorite café and grocery store still has pride of place in the center of Abiquiu. Stock up on supplies (they have everything from top-shelf liquor to handmade local soap) or dine on New Mexican staples like a green chile cheeseburger, posole soup, or a smothered enchilada. Georgia O’Keeffe biographies are also available. —By Edmund Vallance

Crupet is a member of the organization Les Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie (The Most Beautiful Villages in Wallonia). It is a very small village with gorgeous stone houses decorated with many different types of flowers. Most of the houses date from the 17th, 18th and 19th century. The highlights of the village are the Crupet Chateau—a medieval farm-chateau situated below the village center, dating from the 13th century, and the Grotto of St Anthony of Padua. The grotto was designed by the local curate and inaugurated on the 12th July 1903. It features 22 religious-themed statues. Many of them depict scenes from the life of St. Anthony of Padua. The Ardennes region is an undiscovered Belgian treasure. There are many more charming little villages like this one. They look like time did not pass over them. When you enter a bakery people treat you like one of their own. Go and discover this wonderful part of Belgium. For full size photos see www.facebook.com/adisphotopage and www.lifeinasuitcase.com

Never underestimate the power of shocking pink. The intimate but lively dining room at Dulce Patria—the smash hit by celebrity chef Martha Ortiz—feels not unlike a stage set. Soon after 2 p.m., it starts to fill with high-powered ladies-who-lunch types, cooing over a menu of updated Mexican classics with extravagant, architectural presentations that are at least half the fun. That said, chef Ortiz’s flavorful sculptures really deliver: Tastes are delicate, authentic, and quite delicious. The well-balanced offering presents ample choices without overwhelming, in favorites like the corn-kernel soup, a full portfolio of quesadillas, duck mole, and an extravagant dessert list (gelatin lovers rejoice) that really does drive home the dulce part. A recent seating included telenovela stars and a former Señor Presidente. And who knew there were so many edible flowers?

When it opened in 1996, the Belmond Miraflores Park was the first hotel in Lima to take advantage of the city’s Pacific Ocean views. Set along the Miraflores malecón, the 82-room property offers some of the most privileged panoramas in the city, particularly from the heated rooftop pool. Several levels down, the ground floor was completely redesigned in 2010 by renowned Peruvian architect Jordi Puig, who added an open-air lounge and avant-garde restaurant space that now houses international eatery Traguluz. Also on-site is The Observatory, a breakfast buffet spot on the 11th floor, and Belo Bar, a park-side lounge offering pisco cocktails infused with Amazonian fruits.

New Orleans’ green spaces run the gamut from City Park, which spans 1,300 acres and is the 6th largest urban park in the United States, to the city block-sized Jackson Square, a French Quarter gathering point for artists, musicians, and street performers. The former has walking trails, botanical gardens, and an open-air sculpture garden, plus tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, and a mini-golf course, but most come to see the world’s oldest grove of mature live oaks. Uptown’s Audubon Park is frequented by walkers, joggers, and cyclists who make their way around the park’s 1.8 mile loop—and it’s also home to the Audubon Zoo.

This zoo in incredible for a few reasons: obviously, primarily for the animals there. Being in Belize, there are jaguars, ocelots, scarlet macaws... everything you wish you could stumble upon when hiking in the rainforest (if only hiking boots were less noisy!). Most noteworthy perhaps are the scarlet macaws, which are endangered. If you like to research places before visiting, you MUST read, The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw by Bruce Barcott: it tells about the Scarlet Macaw, Belize itself, and Sharon Matola- the woman who started the zoo and fought to save the macaws a while ago. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to hold a boa constrictor (I did!) or meet Matola, who my friends ran into while touring the zoo.

Pisa’s famous leaning tower (the campanile of the adjacent Duomo) is part of the Piazza del Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Duomo, baptistery and cemetery. Begun in 1173, the tower began to lean almost immediately thanks to soil subsidence. To try to halt the tilt, cables and counterweights have been inserted. A spiral staircase with nearly 300 steps leads to the top of this unique, iconic building.

The Power and the Glory is a cool bistro in the center of Cape Town that has attracted a cult following among locals. The relaxed style, the bearded staff, the folding chairs, and the sidewalk stools may remind you of a Brooklyn cafe. If you can snag a chair, it makes for a great place to work or to have a meeting over a light breakfast. In the evening, the place is usually packed with revelers. Try the quiche in the morning, the pretzel bun hot dog in the evening, and the Nutella cheesecake for dessert.

Chile has some of the tastiest pork anywhere, and this spot is a great place to order it: in stews, as a rack of ribs, or baked with puré picante (hot sauce–seasoned mashed potatoes). From its humble beginning in 1912 (the name El Hoyo means “The Hole”), the eatery has become one of the best places in the city for traditional Chilean cuisine, attracting everyone from presidents to famous out-of-town foodies. The aptly named Terremoto cocktail, made of pipeño wine and pineapple ice cream, was invented here (terremoto translates as “earthquake” in Spanish). The wine barrels that serve as tables in the front room are delightfully kitsch; a rear dining room has a more sober vibe.

If you have time, you could travel nearly two hours south of the capital into wine country to dine at the outstanding Miguel Torres restaurant near Curicó, part of this Spanish winery’s headquarters--or you could dine at their outpost in the upscale area known as El Golf. The focus is on blending seasonal Chilean ingredients to showcase their ample portfolio of wines with small plates and tasting glasses rather a full meal. For any meal, be sure to kick off with their pink sparkler, Santa Digna Estelado made from the traditional “país” grape. The winery supports many small, organic producers to make their wines and this is just one example. Salud! Isidora Goyenechea 2874, Las Condes Phone: 56 (2) 2245 7338 Photo: Miguel Torres Chile

Ask any Montrealer the question “Which is the fanciest restaurant in town?” and chances are Toqué! will be a frequent answer. Indeed, quite fancy. But also quite expensive. Luckily, chef Charles-Antoine Crête, once mentored by Toqué’s Normand Laprise, decided that a more accessible and younger version of the famous restaurant would fit perfectly well with the new Place des Festivals—in style, location, and ambience. And he wasn’t wrong. I always go for the beef tartare, and not once have I been disappointed. The menu changes according to the season, but there is a constancy in quality, regardless of the time of the year. This is definitely the best way to get a taste of Montreal‘s finest, sans the waiting list and the steep check.

Before I went to Belize, anyone I spoke with who had already been told me that I had to have a meal at Elvi’s Kitchen. What started out as a take-out burger window in 1974 eventually became a sit-down restaurant serving lovingly prepared Caribbean dishes such as conch soup and fritters, mojo de ajo, fried green plantains, and street corn. During high season you might have to wait in line to eat dinner at the restaurant, but most of the time, there isn’t much delay. Save room for dessert. Elvi’s Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

This historic market has been in operation since 1892, and is beloved by locals as a destination for lunch, grocery shopping, or buying regional gifts at the Pennsylvania General Store. More than 70 businesses sell fresh wares here, including ice cream, cookies, meat, seafood, produce, Mexican cuisine, and artisanal grilled-cheese sandwiches—just to name a few. Philadelphians line up daily for just-baked goods from the Amish-owned Beiler’s Bakery, which also runs a separate doughnut stand in the Pennsylvania Dutch section of the market. The market’s location, across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, can mean throngs of visitors on convention days; try to get to the market as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

This former railroad bridge, built across the Mississippi River in the 1880s, is now a pedestrian and bike path perfect for strolling between parks. With panoramic views of the downtown skyline, river, and St. Anthony Falls, Stone Arch Bridge is a favorite trail for locals.