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Originally the Place d’Armes, the Place de la Liberté was renamed in 1889 to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. The square is bound on the north side by the impressive Grand Hôtel. Now an office building that also contains the Théâtre Liberté, the hôtel provides a perfect backdrop to the dramatic late-19th-century Fountain of the Federation, a dramatic composition complete with triumphant sculptures and splashing jets of water.

Just north of the city center, Töölö was built in the 1920s in response to Helsinki’s explosive population growth and the result of the first-ever urban planning competition in Finland. Architect Gustaf Nyström’s winning design (which was later revised) established Nordic classicism, with wide main thoroughfares and imposing public buildings, as the prevailing style. Historically an upscale area, Töölö has been experiencing a renaissance of late with the opening of new cafés, restaurants, bookstores, galleries and fashionable shops.

Located on an uninhabited island near Qaqortoq, the Uunartoq Hot Springs is the country’s only naturally heated outdoor spa. These waters have been a destination for locals and travelers alike for over 1,000 years—legend has it that Leif Eriksson bathed in the springs before beginning his expedition to North America. Plan on taking half a day to journey to the island and back if you want to splash around in the great outdoors while enjoying the unparalleled mountain and iceberg views.

La Fosca is one of the most popular beaches around Palamós. It’s a five-minute drive or a 20-minute walk north of the town’s marina. The sandy interior of the cove is divided by a rocky promontory in the middle, while the ruins of the Castle of San Esteban de Mar are at the north end of the bay. During the busy summer months, there are ample services available at La Fosca, including lifeguards, seaside restaurants, bathrooms, showers and beach-chair rentals.

Around 1.6 kilometers wide, this hanging glacier has a dramatic 76-meter-high face. Big and beautiful, the river of frozen water flows 1.8 to 2.4 meters daily and very actively sheds icebergs. Those fragments contain compacted snow that fell 75 to 200 years ago, before half the states had even joined America. Presiding over the bay’s extreme northwestern end—perpendicular to the Grand Pacific Glacier—Margerie Glacier serves as the turning point for many cruise ships.

If you’re staying in the Soufrière area, head north to nearby Anse la Raye, a fishing village that hosts a fun Friday night fish fry. It’s not as crowded or boisterous as Gros Islet’s weekly jump-up, but it’s lively enough to give a taste of island “liming,” or hanging out with friends at the end of the workweek. Order your fish of choice, throw back some cold beers, and glimpse a slice of laid-back fishing-village life.

Most people travel to Canada in the winter to ski the famous big resorts like Whistler and Lake Louise. But 20 minutes from downtown Banff is a little “hill"—as the Canadians like to call their mountains—called Sunshine Village. The resort, located on the continental divide of the Canadian Rockies, spans more than 3,300 acres and has three mountains to explore. I visited in mid-March (locals say March conditions are often best) and we had perfect powder. The resort stays open through late May for those looking to extend their ski season. The ski-in, ski-out Sunshine Mountain Lodge is a perfect base for those who want to get first chair in the morning. Rooms have great views of the surrounding mountains and loft-style rooms with Murphy beds are perfect for couples or families. I liked the lodge’s unique offerings such as hot tub bingo night and new yoga and ski retreats. The mountain has terrain for all levels. Serious skiers and riders will want to go off-piste and experience Delirium Dive. A check-in gate ensures skiers and riders are equipped with a beacon and safety gear before they tackle the Dive. On Lookout Mountain, you’re likely to find powder stashes on some of the steep tree runs such as Little Angel, and Horot’s Revenge. And don’t miss the frozen waterfall on the way down the Waterfall run off the Wawa chair.

The Milan Cathedral, or Duomo, occupies a site that’s been holy since the time of the Romans, but it wasn’t until the early 19th century when the finishing touches were finally placed on this massive building. The Duomo is the fifth largest cathedral in the world and one of the top tourist sites in the northern Italian city. Entrance is free, but a small fee is requested if you wish to take photos. Inside the church is even more magnificent then the outside, with scores of shrines and altars dedicated to saints and notable Milanese. During the Christmas holidays the city’s night market takes up residence next to the cathedral, adding one more reason to visit this central site.

Fancy yourself a brave one, do ye? Aye, aye, then the Cliffs of Moher are right up your alley. Ireland‘s most popular tourist destination does not disappoint, though visiting during the middle of the day means you’re going to have to share the walking paths with plenty of other folk - most of them American visitors in their finest Notre Dame Fighting Irish t-shirts. Come early in the morning or late in the afternoon and you’ll have the cliffs, beautiful light, and ancient rock monsters all to yourself. That’s right; rock monsters. That’s one giving tourists the finger right there in the ocean.

These green huts are known as Cabman’s Shelters. They first started appearing around London in 1875 to provide cheap hot meals to cabbies. Even though the huts are pretty small, there’s enough room inside for a little kitchen and some seats. I wasn’t particularly aware of these huts until I saw a documentary on TV. Apparently, there are now only 13 of them left. This one is located at Thurloe Place in Kensington, opposite the Victoria & Albert Museum. As you can see, it’s located in the middle of the road, and cabbies, stopping for a bite, park their taxis behind it. I walked past the back of the hut and peeped through the window. The place was packed full of diners (around 10 of them) all squeezed in side by side, enjoying their meals.

In 1931 Rowena Cade started to build a theatre on the cliffs in Porthcurno, Cornwall. Today there is a remarkable arena on the coast with just the sea and rocks as a backdrop. In summer the audiences are treated to performances from Shakespeare to Gilbert and Sullivan and many other dramas. The experience of watching a play in the open air with the sea crashing on the shore below is quite magical and a must do for anyone visiting Cornwall. When I last visited a pod of dolphins swam across the bay, completely distracting the audience. Take a picnic to eat during the performance as well as a rug and warm clothing. When the sun sets and darkness falls you can see the lighthouses and passing ships, but it does get cold.

The small “motu” islets surrounding many of the islands are the perfect spots to enjoy an al fresco island feast. These miniature, palm-covered paradises offer a get-away from the big island and you’ll get a taste for paradise in the buff. You won’t find roads, cars, markets or restaurants, just secluded atmosphere, pristine surroundings and a romantic ambience. Plus you get a unique view perspective of the Pacific Ocean and the lush mountains of mainland Tahiti. Motu Martin (Motu Au’) is the only private island in the North East Coast of Tahiti. The departure is from Venus Point Lighthouse.

Wish that your one-stop shopping and dining location had high-concept ice cream, ramen, and New York–style pizza? Look no further than Pine Street Market, Portland’s first modern food hall. Home to some of the city’s best-loved restaurateurs, it counts among its popular food stands Wiz Bang Bar (featuring the nation’s only high-concept soft serve from the folks at Salt & Straw), Bless Your Heart Burger (done Carolina-style, from Toro Bravo’s John Gorham), and OP Wurst (from local wurst-meisters Olympia Provisions). The 10,000-square-foot space in the renovated 1886 Carriage & Baggage Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was the site of the Old Spaghetti Factory until 1981.

On the central coast north of Valparaíso, the beach resort town of Concón is popular with Chileans for its boardwalk, great restaurants, and, most of all, the 52 protected acres of monumental sand dunes that cascade down from high bluffs all the way to the sea. In addition to hikers, the dunes draw sandboarders who climb to the top, wax their rented boards by rubbing them with candle stubs, and then slide or sled down the slopes to the sound of the sea lions barking in the waters below.

Owners Laura and Riccardo Bonino opened this local staple in 2011, bringing inspired, authentic flavors from Italy‘s Piedmont region to small-town South Carolina. The late author Pat Conroy was fond of eating here, a fact that the restaurant plays up in their marketing. But hype aside, the kitchen’s use of seasonal ingredients in dishes like tagliatelle verdi (handmade kale pasta) and seared scallops makes for a memorable meal.