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Artesanías de Chile is a joint effort between the Chilean government and over 2,000 artisans from north to south to support their craft with three stores in Santiago now: Bellavista, Moneda Government Palace, and SCL Airport. The pieces are unique and made with first class quality ranging from hand-thrown clay pots (greda), ornaments made with “crin de caballo” (horse tail), Mapuche earrings and weavings, alpaca shawls, and wooden bowls among others. Every sale directly supports the artisans along with government initiatives to train them in their craft. Bellavista 357, Bellavista Phone: 56 (2) 2235 2014

Chilean society is quite conservative by many standards with the younger generations finally starting to cut loose. Get more playful. Be expressive. US expat Jayne Morgan saw the opportunity to fill the niche for erotic toys in the capital, starting as private bachelorette parties. The idea was a runaway success and she’s expanded to now have two stories in Providencia and Barrio Lastarria to satisfy the demand. Sex toys, games, outfits, and erotic books, all imported of high quality and good taste, are all laid in her attractive stories with attentive staff. Monjitas 580, 2nd Floor (in Bar The Clinic Building) Phone: 56 (2) 2632 5988

Expat Dell Taylor (from New Zealand) left accounting for the restaurant business over a decade ago in Santiago when the concept of brunch did not yet exist. Café Melba was born and quickly became the place to get real french toast with real maple syrup, pancakes, eggs benedict and frothy cappuccinos. Her empire has since expanded from the El Golf locale within Las Condes (and adding alcohol to the menu for mimosas). Arrive early to get a table or be prepared to wait. Good venue for families. Don Carlos 2898, Loc 1 (Cross street El Bosque Norte) Phone: 56 (2) 2232 4546

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!

Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen, aka Clignancourt, is Europe’s largest flea market and the city’s favorite place to find a bargain. Exiting the Métro at Porte de Clignancourt, those in the know pass by the counterfeit designer-goods hawkers, avoid the parking lot with camper vans full of cheap goods, and head under the overpass to Rue des Rosiers. Groups of stalls form smaller flea markets, each with its own specialty, so shopping can feel like walking through a museum where you can actually buy things. The market called Serpette draws serious dealers looking for mid-century marvels, but shoppers who head as far as Jules Vallès market may score some true bargains. Of course, this is France, where food matters, so there are plenty of local cafés to choose from. Ma Cocotte is trendy chic, La Chope des Puces has live jazz with moules frites, and Chez Louisette draws a crowd nostalgic for French tunes with its simple steak frites.

Why we love it: A boutique hotel that puts guests in the heart of it all

The Highlights:
- Allergen-free Pure Wellness rooms
- A convenient location right downtown
- An award-winning steak house on site

The Review:

A boutique stay in the heart of downtown Boise, Hotel 43 seamlessly blends cozy charm with urban style. Works by local artist Amy Westover enliven the cathedral-like lobby (its ceiling soars to 60 feet), while vibrant drapery and bathrobe-clad teddy bears on each bed make the 112 guest rooms feel both chic and homey. If you need more than William Roam bath products and a jetted tub to feel pampered, book one of the Pure Wellness rooms, which offer purified, hypoallergenic accommodation for even the most sensitive of guests.

Hotel 43 also provides travelers with a free pass to the Boise Art Museum, plus loaner bikes for cruising to the Shakespeare Festival or farmers’ market. Come dinnertime, however, you’ll want to stay put for a meal at on-site Chandlers Steakhouse, where Kobe-style beef and fresh seafood are accompanied by live jazz each evening. In the morning, head to Metro Café for Caffé D’arte coffee, freshly baked pastries, and house-made granola, or grab the complimentary airport shuttle to catch your flight home.

Up a dirt road that feels more like someone’s private driveway, past the village cemetery with its handmade crosses framed against a dusty hillside, the Penitente Morada in Abiquiu sits crouched on the earth, a wonderful secret, discreet against one of Georgia O’Keeffe’s signature vistas. A simple bell and three wooden crosses hint to the secret society that gave rise to this chapel, recently restored but dating back to the 1700s. New Mexico‘s depth of history always astounds at these northernmost reaches of the search for Cibola. I like to remember I was hardly trying for a perfect shot when I framed this picture after a two-hour private tour of O’Keeffe’s home; my senses were already on overload. Everything is just clearer and crisper in the high desert light.

The beef goes back centuries, and will never be entirely resolved: what are the true origins of pisco, a grape-based, aguardiente distillate that became a national symbol of Chile…and Peru. To end the conflict, the people behind this bar and restaurant invented a new, independent republic dedicated to Pisco that is known as Chipe Libre. Inside a vast Lastarria mansion, this imaginary state unites lands in southern Peru and northern Chile, in obeisance to a sole monarch, pisco. The bar features a good 100 labels and cocktails like “Pisco’s in the Air,” made with lime juice, raspberry, papaya and basil; plus a full range of what are among Santiago’s best traditional sours. Standout food include the crunchy-seafood saltado (marinated and grilled beef strips), with mango, served on a sizzling grill; the joint’s star sandwich, El Presidente, is a solid slice of roast beef, fried egg, and shoestring potatoes. To avoid any sovereignty disputes, Chipe Libre flies its red-and-black, center-starred flag as the republic’s national colors.

Want to try hearty, rustic specialties that are considered true Chilean cooking? Look no further. This sprawling place on the outskirts of the city, in the foothills of the Andes, is a winner. Agustina Gómez de Olivares (aka Doña Tina), now 72, started decades ago selling “pan amasado,” homemade dimpled bread along the road. Years later, the whole family is involved. She’s stickler for seasonality so visit her during the summer months when corn is in season to try the heavenly national dish “pastel de choclo” or “humitas,” fresh corn tamales with basil. However, faithful capitalinos make the schlep east for her baked beef empanadas with juicy stuffing. Camino Los Refugios del Arrayán 15125, Lo Barenechea Phone: 56 (2) 2321 6546

One of Intramuros’s main tourist attractions, Fort Santiago and its beautifully landscaped grounds on the bank of the Pasig River make for a wonderful escape from the bustle of the big city. Originally built by the Spanish in 1590, the citadel today includes gardens, plazas, fountains and a lily pond. The Rizal Shrine museum features displays of memorabilia relating to national hero Dr. José Rizal, executed by the Spanish in 1896 for being one of the leaders of the Philippine Revolution. The fort includes a re-creation of his cell and the courtroom where his trial was held.

In the middle of a metropolitan area of twenty million, Seoul’s historic Bukchon neighborhood has kept a traditional village feel. “Hanok"—traditional courtyard houses, with upswept tile roofs and latticed sliding doors—line the hilly streets. Some of them have been opened as small guesthouses. After a trans-Pacific flight, and then a bus ride into the city (from the new airport, built on reclaimed land in the Yellow Sea), I walked a few blocks up narrow lanes and through a wooden gate. I felt as if I’d stepped back into the Korean countryside of a century ago. A rooster and a rabbit shared the courtyard, filled with hydrangeas and herbs. A persimmon tree towered overhead. My room had sliding papered doors; a simple low bed and table; no TV...but free Wi-Fi! The friendly owner, whose family lives in one wing of the house, showed me the hot water machine where I could make instant ginseng tea and “ko-pi” (coffee). Not all hanok lodgings are so spartan. Behind the main courtyard of this house, a “sarang-chae” is also available—it’s like a mini-house (or casita), with its own private garden: rustic luxury. While staying here, I met an Israeli man and his Japanese wife on their way back to the Middle East, as well as a couple of professors of Indian languages from Seattle on their way to New Delhi. Bukchon is becoming more widely known as one of Asia’s urban gems. (For more information: http://www.seoul110.com/html_en/1.html)

A short walk from Daikanyama Station is one of the metropolis’s iconic bookstores, Tsutaya at T-Site. Designed by Klein Dytham Architecture, the Tsutaya bookstore is celebrated not only for the beauty of its three buildings but also for the extensive selection of books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. Tsutaya opens at 7 a.m., perfect for travelers who land before hotel check-in. You can have a coffee or a cocktail in the Anjin Lounge while perusing books. The concierges are specialists in a variety of topics to help guide consumers through the books, music, and movies.

If you’re keen to experience the medieval practice of “kahve falı” or “fal” (fortune telling with Turkish coffee) then make an appointment at Symbol Café in Nişantaşı with Tunc, one of the few English-speaking coffee readers in the city. Once there, order a Turkish coffee with “sade” (no sugar), “az” (little sugar), “orta” (medium sugar), or “şekerli” (sweet), and savor the flavor of a rich aromatic coffee as you ponder your life’s ambitions. When the last drop leaves your lips and all that is left are the grinds sunk deep in the demitasse (small cup), take the saucer and gently seal it atop the cup. Swirl the cup and saucer clockwise three times and then flip them both toward you, holding them firmly so as not to spill the grinds. Relax as the grinds dry out, and wait for Tunc to find you in the cozy café filled with locals who are also eager for readings. When Tunc hypnotically gazes at the grinds to interpret the patterns before his eyes, expect to hear about your past, present, and future with uncanny accuracy (or at least that’s what happened to me). Facts about your life, love, career, money, family, and travel will spill out of the cup for Tunc to interpret without you mentioning a word. Symbol Cafe is at Valikonağı Caddesi (Street) No: 34 Nişantaşı - İstanbul - Telephone: (0212) 291 75 40. The closest train stop to Symbols Cafe is Osmanbey Metro Station, one stop from Taksim Square.

Few local D.C. residents know about St. Matthews Cathedral, and I would really be surprised if any visitors to D.C. knew about it, since it’s the National Cathedral that gets the mention in the guidebooks. That’s too bad, really, because this tiny Catholic church, with its unassuming exterior, has a glorious interior that few people see and appreciate. (Believe it or not, I get to come here for my Spanish classes.) Although it is a neighborhood church, it’s had its moments in the national spotlight. There have been many funeral services held here for notable people, including President Kennedy. For a cathedral, it has a very small interior—there are only seven chapels. The walls and ceiling are decorated with stunning images of angels and saints, including Matthew, rendered in marble and mosaic. The center dome helps to make the space feel larger. Last, but not least, there is a beautiful organ that is often featured in concerts and recitals; the sound of the music that pours forth from it is amazing! If you are visiting from out of town, I would recommend going to the church in the late morning. Then walk back toward the White House, stopping for lunch in McPherson Square. That’s where some of D.C.’s fleet of food trucks parks every day. Find a spot in the park to eat and enjoy your time in D.C.! The church is located about five blocks north of the White House and is a short walk from the Farragut North Metro station.

Architecture lovers flock to the Huangpu River’s western side to stroll the Bund, a waterfront tourist magnet in central Shanghai. There’s a glorious mishmash of late-19th- and early-20th-century styles here, from Gothic revival to art deco. Walk by the Fairmont Peace Hotel—first opened in 1929 as the Cathay Hotel—to behold its copper pyramid roof turned aqua with age. (Talk about aging gracefully.) Then hit the marble-floored HSBC Building (No. 12) to admire the domed ceiling’s eight mosaic murals, with frescoes depicting the 12 zodiac signs.