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The house in which U.S. statesman Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 and lived until he was eight years old (when he moved with his family to St. Croix) is now a museum dedicated to tracing his life and achievements. The stone house itself, while handsome, is mostly a restoration, but inside you’ll find fascinating texts describing Hamilton’s childhood, upbringing, and subsequent contribution to politics.

The small museum also features a range of interesting artifacts that chart the history of Nevis, starting with the indigenous Amerindian peoples through the arrival of the Europeans and continuing right up to the present day. After touring the displays, visit the modest gift shop, where you can pick up souvenirs like local stamps and prints.

John Gaw Meem is considered one of New Mexico’s most influential architects—and that fact alone makes this ranch, designed in 1932 by the so-called Father of Santa Fe style, worth a visit. But Meem isn’t the only big name associated with the property: Landscape architect Rose Greeley designed the gardens and artist Peter Hurd painted a mural on the property. The hotel is set on 25 acres of lavender fields, first planted in 1999 and now used for a line of in-house spa products. There are organic gardens, too, which provide the kitchen with Chimayo chilies, casaba melons, big cheese squash, and other seasonal produce. The look here tends toward clean lines, neutral hues, and quiet elegance over fussiness, though the historic rooms tend to have a bit more New Mexico flair—kiva fireplaces, exposed ceiling beams, local art—than the newer farm rooms. The latter are located in 1930s-style dairy buildings, carefully constructed to feel both of the era and of the place.

In the center of the Founder’s Chapel of the Batalha monastery of Santa Maria da Vitoria, you will find the tombs of King John I and his wife Queen Philippa of Lancaster. Their sons’ tombs are also there.

One of their sons was Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry was born in Oporto in 1394 and I visited his birthplace while in that grand city which is Portugal’s second largest.


Henry was always interested in the sea and navigation. His father appointed him governor of the province of the Algarve and he founded a school of navigation and an observatory in Sagres. Sagres is located at the south western tip of the Algarve. It is a wild and beautiful rocky outcrop. There are remains of Henry’s school there.

I stood on the grounds as the wind whipped the area on a sunny day. You could almost see the caravels coming into the near-by ports their sails snapping in the wind.

The maritime trade started by Prince Henry the Navigator enabled Portugal to become a wealthy world power (14th to 16th centuries). The ship he designed called the caravel was lighter and faster than vessels of the time. Because of Henry’s work, other navigators explored the seas and discovered many new sea routes.

The Prince died in 1460 and left a very impressive legacy. Henry’s tomb is a large marble structure and is marked. I went up to the tomb that is beautifully preserved in Batalha’s chapel.

There is a lot of history in that chapel. When in the monastery, don’t miss the Founder’s Chapel.

The world’s largest indoor amusement park, Lotte World gets more than 7 million visitors annually. Seasonal festivals like the Rio Samba Carnival and the Happy Christmas Party dictate the themes of the daily parades and performances, while tons of rides—both indoors and out—keep guests entertained all day long. Other highlights include mega playgrounds, an ice-skating rink, a monorail, a folk museum, and, of course, lots of shopping. Visit on a weekday when it’s less crowded and lines are shorter, and remember to grab a map at the entrance in order to navigate the multilevel complex.

Often called the Spanish Steps, Rome‘s famous scalinata (monumental staircase) is the centerpiece of Piazza di Spagna. Built in the early 1700s, the steps connect the piazza (now a busy shopping area) with the Trinità dei Monti church on the hill above. The area became a hangout for models and artists and one of Rome‘s most photographed sites. Head to the top to see the sunset, or make like Hepburn and Peck in the film Roman Holiday and stroll around the piazza.

Given the lines you’ll almost inevitably find at the original Puesto—an authentic taqueria so beloved, it’s expanding into a small SoCal empire—you may well be discouraged. But don’t be: Simply put your name down, walk the two blocks to the beach at La Jolla Cove, and consider the seaside view your appetizer. Or the first of many appetizers. Back at Puesto, forget moderation altogether as you’re contemplating the house offerings—most dreamt up by Mexico City–born Luisteen Gonzales, who still loves to visit his father’s fish stall in the famed Mercado San Juan. Blending this inherited appreciation for seafood with an equal reverence for seasonal produce, Chef Gonzales has created an array of award-winning tacos, from spicy atún (seared ahi with avocado, jalapeno-cucumber salsa, and chipotle crema) to zucchini and cactus (crispy melted cheese with calabaza à la Mexicana, avocado, and cilantro-tomatillo salsa). Pro tip: If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll find some—but not all—of your options on the main menu. There’s also a separate plant-based menu available on request (don’t miss the Sikil Pak—a Yucatan pepita dip served with jicama, cucumber, and heirloom carrots).

Since opening as a preserves shop in 2011 (and adding breakfast and lunch service in 2012), Sqirl has become an East Hollywood staple. The tiny space—only 800 square feet—invites crowds of hip Angelenos looking for a bright space for all-day breakfast and brunch that’s carnivore-, vegetarian-, and vegan-friendly. There’s an airy outdoor patio where diners can take in the L.A. sun and sip on the fresh-squeezed juice of the day while ruminating over the eclectic menu. The buckwheat pancakes make for a great healthy unhealthy breakfast: They’re made with buckwheat and cactus flour, cocoa nibs, and toasted coconut, making them vegan, gluten-free, and not-so-sinfully delicious.

With Shanghai’s sprawling metro system, this suburb is now a few short stops from downtown. Why would you want to make the trek out to Nanxiang? Well, among other reasons, it’s the home of xiaolongbao…those marvelous little soup filled pockets of goodness. Go for the dumplings, but stay and check out the quaint little village, their local museum (which is new and quite well done) as well as the gardens. The town makes a welcome respite from the bustle of the city and if you’re coming to China to eat some “authentic” cuisine, it doesn’t get more authentic than going straight to the source of China’s infamous dumpling. How to get there: take Line 11 to Nanxiang and then walk down Huyi Gong Lu for approx 10 minutes (or jump in a taxi) and head towards Guyi Garden.

On the non-descript, busy corner of Bucareli and Morelos streets in Mexico City is a café with a famous history: Fidel Castro and Che Guevarra met here at Café La Habana several times, chain smoking and drinking strong coffee, to plan the Cuban Revolution. Nowadays, you can still get excellent coffee—and pretty good food—while you plan something a little less dramatic (but more enjoyable), like your vacation itinerary. Old journalists and businessmen congregate here for hours on end while salt-of-the-earth, slightly surly waitresses take your order and bring you your food and drink. Come for breakfast and order their chilaquiles, motuleños, or molletes, and wash it down with an espresso or café americano.

With its walls of colorful glass bottles, this charming little bar can be elusive—nestled deep in downtown Athens, in the warren of streets that make up the Plaka. Day or night, Brettos (pronounced Vrettos in Greek) is frequented by locals and tourists alike—the oldest distillery in Athens. While you can opt for beer, wine, homemade moonshine, or perhaps a cocktail, you might kick yourself later for passing up the chance to have an ouzo, Greece’s signature anise-flavored liquor, in such a storied watering hole. Who knows where that first sip might lead?

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.

Some find this narrow, neon-lit French Quarter street appealing, others appalling. But it’s worth a stroll either way. It’s as if all the sins of mankind and then some were rounded up and corralled here—tawdry strip shows, cheap and potent drinks, the coveting of neighbors’ wives, petty larceny, big-ass beers, bad cover bands, and so on. (Bad cover bands were not technically mentioned in the Old Testament, but to many they’re the street’s most shameful sin.) The heart of the party zone stretches eight blocks from Iberville Street to St. Philip Street, with the thickest concentration of bars on the Iberville end. New Orleans allows alcoholic drinks outside, as long as they’re in plastic cups, or “go-cups"—meaning you can roam the length of Bourbon Street with your beer or hurricane in hand.

Between 15th and 16th streets on Ninth Avenue in Chelsea, the Chelsea Market is a food court with New York attitude. Its restaurants and shops sell Australian meat pies, banh mi, and lobster rolls. These are no fast-food chains—this is a place to find cheese from upstate or that spice you can’t find at your supermarket. There is now a Posman Books and an Anthropologie outpost, but most of the places here stay true to the market’s culinary roots with Sarabeth’s, Ronnybrook Dairy, and Berlin Currywurst as good places to pick up food to eat on the spot or to take home. If you are looking for a hard-to-find kitchen gadget, the Bowery Kitchens store is almost sure to have it. The market is also ideally located if you want to purchase picnic supplies before ascending to the High Line if the weather is good.

Tempt fate at the Monkey Paw’s Book-O-Matic machine, where for the price of a toonie you’ll be delivered an archaic tome in the vein of Elementary Arabic, Vol. 3. I’ll let you know how my studying gets on. The Monkey’s Paw is an eclectic vintage bookstore on Dundas with a collection of unique books, vintage maps, and bugs preserved in Lucite.

Perhaps the most famous artwork in the archipelago is God, our Father, on the Rainbow, by Sweden’s most popular sculptor, Carl Milles (1875–1955). It depicts God standing on top of a 23-meter-tall (75-foot-tall) water spout. The work was designed in the 1940s and intended to stand in New York outside the United Nations. That plan was not realized, but in 1995 this version was installed at Nacka, just outside central Stockholm. Milles’s home and studio can be found on the nearby island of Lidingö and is a fascinating place to visit on a sunny day when you can wander through its sculpture garden.