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I happened upon this moment at a night market in Jaipur, India, which has some of the best shopping for beaded crafts, jewelry, ceramics, carpets and textiles. This jewelry stand in Johari Bazaar was crowded with women interested in the necklaces, bracelets, and trinkets on offer in abundance. Markets all over India are fascinating, colorful places and provide a great sense of nearly every aspect of the culture, whether it be the degree of religious devotion, the styles of dress and adornment, or the delicious gastronomy. Soak it all in, but give yourself plenty of time....

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.

At this Michelin-starred restaurant, food is a performance art and the results deserve a standing ovation. That said, this is Prague, so although the food and presentation are comparable to other first-class dining experiences in Europe, the vibe and the service isn’t stuffy at all. At La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise, the ingredients sourced from local producers, are based on the recipes penned by the famous 19th-century cookbook writer, Marie B. Svobodová, author of Cookery School. The eight-course menu is punctuated by interstitial amuse bouches and paired with Central European, French, and Italian wines, as well as cucumber, sour cherry, and red currant juice; recent menu courses include beetroot with licorice goat kefir, kohlrabi with whey and nutmeg, and duck with pear and cinnamon.

Running for more than eight miles through the southwest part of the island of Montréal, the Lachine Canal is a window onto the city’s industrial history, reborn in recent decades as a place where nature and the city meet. Originally opened in 1825, the canal, with its five locks, allowed ships traveling between the upper St. Lawrence River and the sea to avoid the treacherous Lachine Falls. (Before the canal opened, ships would typically off-load their cargo at the village of Lachine, which would then be loaded onto another ship on the other side of the falls.) The canal’s banks would soon be filled with small factories, but by 1950 the area had started to decline, in part due to the success of the railway. In 1970, it was closed to shipping completely. Recent efforts to clean up the canal have been successful, and now bikers and walkers take advantage of the paths that line it, while many of the former factories and warehouses have been converted into luxury lofts and condos. In 2002, the canal was opened to boats again—pleasure crafts, not barges—that travel its length. If you decide to explore the canal, the Atwater Market was one of the early projects to redevelop the area, and it remains a great place to buy all the items needed for a picnic.

St Stephen’s Green is a welcome spot of calm and green set in a Georgian square in the centre of Dublin. At around 20 acres, it’s large enough to feel you have escaped the bustle, but not so large that you can’t easily return to the fray once you are ready. There are formal manicured lawns and gardens in the middle, a large lake to the north - good for swan-watching - a bandstand and play area, and plenty of benches and other picnic spots. St Stephen’s is probably not the sort of place you’d deliberately set out to visit, but chances are good you’ll end up there anyway: it’s just off Grafton Street (one of the main shopping streets), and near other attractions dotted around what is known as Georgian Dublin, such as Merrion Square and Leinster House (the seat of Irish parliament).

After crawling through a few of the tunnels that have been somewhat expanded for tourists and seeing the displays of recovered bombs, people who were not involved in the Vietnam War (called the American War there) can get a feeling of the horror that occurred during those years. A system of 125 miles of tunnels became almost a complete underground city. The picture offered above is the delivery bomb of cluster bombs from the U.S. The Vietcong recovered many of these and other unexploded bombs and used them against South Vietnam and the U.S. It is a sad place but worth going for a better understanding of why the U.S. lost this war.

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.

I took this image the first morning I woke up at the Karia Bel’ Hotel in Bozburun, Turkey (a small, quiet town of about 2000). The Aegean Sea was like glass, so still. There was a perfect reflection of the sailboat. It was a moment!

Gülhane Park, recently renovated with the zoo and other structures removed, sits on Sarayburnu peninsula at the base of Topkapı Palace of which it was formerly a part. In April, millions of tulips bloom in colorful displays to celebrate Turkey’s national flower, but all year round the promenade, green lawns, and tea gardens overlooking the Bosphorus are a great place to unwind and watch the world go by.

Formerly called ‘Jammin’ on Haight,’ the beloved tie-dye boutique rebranded and reopened in 2017 as Love on Haight in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. It’s still a hippie fashion emporium and the place to pick up colorful clothing for men, women, and kids, as well as necessities like jewelry, glitter, sunglasses, hats, books, and all things tie-dye. Love on Haight is one of the few artisan shops on the street, bringing customers psychedelic creations made by locals and friends of the owners. One thing that hasn’t change at all: It’s still all about love. Check out the “peace, love, and kindness” wall, that lets buyers know that a portion of all sales is donated to a charity devoted to homeless youth, Taking It to the Streets.

The Carmel Market is the largest outdoors market in Tel Aviv and sells everything from toiletries, clothes, meat, fruit and vegetables and some delicatessen cheese. Like in a lot of outdoors markets, the fruit and vegetables are displayed in such a way you can touch, smell and sometimes even taste it before you buy. The outdoors markets (shuk) are busy, noisy and crowded but they are also a micro-cosmos sometimes of the country’s nation. Markets in Israel are opened quite early in the morning and close around 7 or 8. Friday before the Shabat, is mostly the most busiest days as people in a hurry to get food for the weekend. Saturday Shabat the markets are closed. Almsot every city in Israel has an outdoor market (shuk). Some of the well known ones are: Kerem Hateymanim, a a small neighborhood named after the immigrants from Yamen. The most famous shuk in Jerusalem is Machne Yehuda, which is quite a big outdoor place, very busy with a mix crowd of Jews, Muslim, Christians, Orthodox and seculars. In Haifa the shuk is in the arab quarter in Vadi Nisnas, the market has bakeries, fish and seafood stores and grounded arabic coffee. In recent years some main cities have Farmer markets, which take place mostly on Fridays.

The King Cole Bar is about as legendary as any bar in New York. Located in the St. Regis Hotel at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, it has been the place to go for a cocktail since it opened in 1932—Salvador Dalí, John Lennon, and Marilyn Monroe are just a few from a long list of famous names who have dropped in for a drink. The bar sits off the St. Regis New York’s lobby and is presided over by the famous King Cole mural painted by Maxfield Parrish, with John Jacob Astor IV playing the part of the king, jesters to each side of him. Today it is still the ultimate setting to start a celebratory evening, or end one with a nightcap; it cemented its place on most lists of New York’s top bars with an extensive renovation in 2013. While the bartenders can prepare anything you might be in the mood for, you may want to order a Bloody Mary. The King Cole Bar boasts that it was the first spot where the drink (then known as a Red Snapper) was served in the United States (a claim, it should be noted, that is disputed by some other bars).

One of the best views of Florence can be savored from the Piazzale Michelangelo, a short walk across the Arno River from downtown Florence. For a fun afternoon head to the square and enjoy an enchanting panorama of the city, followed by a relaxing alfresco lunch at one of the nearby restaurants. The Piazzale Michelangelo is also worth a visit at night to get a very different glimpse of Florence. The lights of the Duomo and the buildings surrounding it make for a magical nighttime scene.

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.

A local favorite since the 1990s, Bar Przystań is a straightforward fish-and-chips joint located right on the beach in Sopot. It’s always crowded, especially on weekends, with hungry visitors lining up to order cold beers, fisherman’s soup, and fried fillets of Baltic herring, flounder, cod, and more. After placing your order, you’ll receive an alarm tile that will buzz when your food is ready. At that point, head up to the counter, collect your meal, and make a beeline for the sand, then eat under the sun.