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“Café con piernas”, or coffee with legs is an institution in downtown Santiago. Founded originally as Italian-style espresso bars decades ago, bar maidens serve steaming cups of frothy “cortados,” pumped out by macho men manning the coffee machine. While many patrons are men who must enjoy the mini-skirts, today, office workers and those running errands stop in to experience this classic coffee--Santiaguino style. There are locales all over the downtown although the largest location is on Paseo Ahumada and Moneda.

Zanzibar is a place I enjoy returning to whenever I am in the area. Located on a trendy strip of Midtown Sacramento, next to wine bars and upscale restaurants, this quirky shop sells fair-trade products from around the world. Despite its global origins, the shop most notably reflects the local Latino population through its array of beautifully painted Day of the Dead items. In fact, the store offers classes in making sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos each October.

Eating out in Stockholm can be downright expensive, and it’s not uncommon to spend upwards of $15 just for a sandwich. A local insider tip is to keep an eye out for signs that say “Dagens rätt” or “Dagens lunch,” placed outside restaurants and windows especially around lunchtime. This means “dish of the day,” usually served at an affordable price. In most places, the total price will include a salad buffet, bread and butter, and water as well as coffee.

One of the oldest restaurants in Park City, the “Double E,” as locals call it, opened in 1972. When I first lived in town in the mid-1980s, they’d have $1.95 breakfast specials of eggs and bacon. Can’t beat that. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the stick-to-the-ribs breakfasts are what they’re really famous for. Try the signature Miner’s Dawn, seasoned potatoes with melted cheddar cheese, topped with basted eggs and served in a skillet with wheat toast.

Casual wood-fired pizzas are the specialty in this popular, contemporary-styled restaurant owned by longtime locals Deb and David Harries. This place is always busy, so expect a short wait. It’s worth it. The V salad, with arugula, prosciutto, olive oil, lemon and shaved Parmesan is to die for, as is the Tutabella pizza with housemade sausage, caramelized onion, fresh tomato, roasted pepper, fontina, and fior di latte mozzarella. Don’t skip the housemade gelato for dessert.

With the Latin American restaurants and cuisines featured, one must not forget to mention El Salvador. Having the largest immigrant population in the Washington D.C. area, their reputation for hole-in-the-wall restaurants boasting their signature pupusas have won the palates of locals and residents. Blanca’s on S. Washington Street ranks among the elites. Your choice of soft, warm, thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, pork and cheese, beans and cheese, jalapeño and cheese, or loroco, a type of exotic flower.

If you’re looking for unique clothing to take home as a souvenir, head over to Squash Blossom on the Decatur square. Squash Blossom opened in 1999 by mother and daughter Ettie Wurtzel and Talia Wurtzel Blanchard, who were devoted to featuring the work of local designers and artists. In addition to the lesser known brands, they carry clothing from Free People, Frye Boots, BB Dakota and more. Be sure to check out the sale section in the back!

Biking the boardwalk is the best way to experience the beaches and coastline of L.A. Rent a bike in the middle at Dockweiler Beach and either go the 10 miles north through Marina Del Rey, Venice, and the Santa Monica Pier (or keep going to Malibu) or go three to six miles south to the more relaxed local life of Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beaches. Whichever way you choose, make sure you have the stamina to bike back.

Shop for an authentic souvenir in Everything but Match, a store inspired by a T-shirt line designed by the owners’ 6-year-old daughter. In this shop in Old San Juan, you’ll find original art, accessories, and children’s clothing made by local artists and artisans. From unique jewelry to brightly colored throw pillows, you’re sure to fall in love with something unique to bring home in your suitcase.

Despite the moniker, fries are 100% Belgian. At least that’s what locals and expats alike believe. Having lived in Brussels for six years, I ate my fair share of frites. Mayonnaise is the sauce of choice for most, but me? Oh la la. I prefer the Sauce Andalouse ---Mayonnaise mixed with tomato purée and pimento. In a word---yum! The best way to eat them is from the numerous frite stands that dot the city scape of Brussels. Hot out of the oil, wrapped in a paper cone, there is nothing better.

If you are looking for truly unique and beautiful gifts from Andalusia, Spain, look no farther than the Zoco Artisan Market in Cordoba. This shop is filled with jewelry, hand painted tiles, shawls, pottery and other local crafts. There are workshops and studios on site so you may even have a chance to see some artists at work. Even if you’re not in the market to shop, the beautiful inner courtyard is worth a peek for its hanging flowers and burbling water-feature.

For an early breakfast treat, get some malasadas at the Village Snack and Bakery Shop (a hole-in-the-wall eatery) located in the Ching Young Village Shopping Center. They sell out of them fast every morning, so you need to roll out of bed early. The shop is owned by an attentive local family and it has been there since I first came to Hanalei 15 years ago. When I asked exactly how long, I was told ‘forever’.

Siwa is a desert oasis in the heart of Egypt’s Great Sand Sea, just 30km east of the Libyan border. Traditionally constructed of sand, salt and mud, many of the town’s buildings literally melted away in the torrential rains of 1926, leaving behind eerily beautiful ruins amidst this lush enclave in the middle of nowhere. The buildings were reconstructed with more modern day materials, but some of the original town structures remain, and can be explored with the aid of helpful local guides.

Plan on spending the better part of a day at the National World War II Museum, even if you profess limited interest in history. This fine, sprawling museum—formerly the D-Day Museum—is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, and was established here because of the role the locally made Higgins landing craft played on D-day. Don’t expect the usual repository of static artifacts, like machine guns and airplanes—although you will find those on display. It’s more about gathering stories, from film and oral histories, and from all sides of the conflict. The museum was the idea of Stephen Ambrose, noted author of books about WWII, who wanted to share with the public the interviews that didn’t make it into his books. It’s grown massively since its humble beginnings, and does a remarkable job of capturing the era through both a microscope and wide-angle lens.

A stalwart on the medina dining scene for several years now, Nomad has fabulous views of bustling Place des Épices and takes a bold, creative approach to Moroccan dining. The yellow-and-black ‘60s-inspired space has several dining areas and rooftop terraces, which make lingering over lunch or dinner a joy; the food is a lighter, brighter take on local cooking that plays with traditional flavors and elevates them into something fresh and exciting. To start, try their delicately spiced Moroccan gazpacho or a shaved cauliflower and fennel salad scattered with toasted almonds; perhaps followed by a hearty plate of roasted bone marrow scattered with preserved lemons, cumin, and mint; then finishing with a hibiscus-infused panna cotta. Alcohol isn’t served here, but with food this enticing, you won’t miss it.