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A serene respite from the towering urban sprawl nearby, this traditional Tang Dynasty–style landscaped garden is based on the design of the famous Jiangshouju Garden in Shanxi Province. Winding paths lead visitors past pines, cypress, and fragrant flowering trees. Set on Diamond Hill in Kowloon with the vast northern mountain range as the backdrop, the lovely park has been designed with artificial hillocks, ornamental rocks, waterfalls, and koi ponds to encourage quiet walks and reflection. Think of it as an outdoor museum for the soul and a place representing Chinese cultural ideals. A striking gilded pagoda and a pair of arched red wooden bridges are the focal points of a lotus pond and a favorite photo subject. To linger longer, enjoy a meal at the vegetarian café on-site.

Vintry is a small, cozy bar and restaurant in lower Manhattan. It provides a welcome counterpoint to the larger gathering spaces in the Wall Street area - it has the vibe of a discreet speak-easy. Vintry specializes in artisan producers of whisky and wine - they have carefully selected an interesting group of handcrafted libations. There are 80 wines from France, Italy, Spain, and the U.S. available in a “tasting” size, glass or bottle, plus hundreds of other wines by the bottle. There are also 100 whiskeys. Vintry’s specialties are cocktails from the house mixologist featuring homemade bitters and syrups. I don’t consider myself a whiskey drinker, but I absolutely loved the Gingerade, a shaken cocktail made with 13 Jameson black barrel Irish whiskey, fresh ginger extract, fresh squeezed lemon juice, fresh lime, Peychaud’s bitter, cane solution and ginger ale. It was ice cold, crisp, slightly sweet with a subtle twist of ginger and lime. DELICIOUS. This warm, dark, welcoming bar is easily the type of place where you can pass a good amount of time before realizing it. Vintry also has nicely prepared food - along the lines of veal meatballs and lamb ragu - to accompany its wine and whiskey list.

After falling in love with Salvador Dali at his museum in Figueres, we caught one of three buses out to the cliffside town of Cadaques where you can get to know Dali a bit more intimately by touring his house. Full of odds and ends, including mini cages where he kept crickets and a polar bear draped in jewels, his house also includes spectacular views (including this one) of the serene Port Lligat. Tips: You must book tickets in advance to tour his house, and double-check the bus schedules because there are only three buses per day that go from Figueres - Cadaques and back.

My relentless pursuit of photographic glory leads my travel partner and I to suspect locations every now and then. She would say more often than that, but I choose to plead the fifth. At any rate, I found Cabo Vidio by scouring Google Maps/Earth, my GPS, and a local road map for a location with interesting topography. Often, this sort of research leads us on a wild goose chase into the middle of nowhere (more on one of those adventures later), but every now and then, we find what we’re looking for. The image here is Exhibit A; a rocky, wind-battered headland born to be photographed. It’ll be a few weeks before I’m back on North American soil and have a chance to edit and cull my images properly, so I thought I’d share something I took on my phone. It doesn’t even feel like cheating! If you ever get the chance to visit the gorgeous little fishing port of Cudillero, make the 20+ minute drive west to the lighthouse at Cabo Vidio. You’ll be all alone on the rocks with nothing but the wind and your thoughts. Depending on the tide, you’ll be thrilled, or more than a little nervous.

Banff and Jasper are top of mind when it comes to Alberta‘s Great Outdoors. Travelers flock to Moraine Lake by the busload for postcard-perfect snaps and zip through the province’s northern parks on the trail of grizzlies, elk, and moose. Waterton Lakes manages to fly just far enough under the radar that it never feels crowded or bustling, even on a wild Canada Day long weekend, which makes it a wonderful alternative for the “been there, done that” crowd. For an iconic view of Waterton Village and Upper Waterton Lake, test your mettle against the Bear’s Hump, a mile-long trek that begins at the Waterton Visitor Resource Center. The trail opens to a grand rocky plateau atop what was once called Bear Mountain by the Blackfoot people. Begin your trek early in the morning or late in the afternoon to have the mountain to yourself, but be warned that the wind atop the Hump can be ferocious. Knock your hat off and dump you off the mountain ferocious. Still, the views of Waterton Valley and Mount Cleveland are worth the challenge. [Flash traveled to Alberta courtesy of Travel Alberta.]

“One of the biggest parks in Barcelona, Parc de la Cuitadella is situated near the port and for years was one of the city’s only green spaces. Today it is home to a zoo, a lake, a lovely fountain, as well as a few museums. This is also the home of the Catalan Parliament, which is housed in a beautiful early 18th-century building.” —Primavera music founder Pablo Soler on the El Bron neighborhood. Read more about his local’s take on Barcelona.

The best thing about the Manchester Bar’s two locations in the Gothic Quarter, and Raval (Valldonzella 40) is the selection of music by greats like Bowie, Radiohead, The Arctic Monkeys and The Talking Heads. The drinks are reasonably priced and the mojitos are great. Opening hours are from 7pm to 3am daily. For a less crowded atmosphere, regulars recommend sitting down for a drink earlier in the evening when you have a moderate chance of scoring a spot on a chair or a sofa.

Though toma means “take it” in Spanish, this intimate cafe offers far more than takeaway service. Toma’s staff are able to interact with customers while showing off their impressive coffee knowledge (as well as English language prowess). Homemade pastries, cookies, and cakes are available, with some gluten-free options. The current consensus around town is that Toma Café has the best staff, bean sourcing, and know-how on pulling a proper shot. Best coffee in a city of coffee drinkers is a mighty statement, but I’ll stand behind it.

Madrid born and bred, DiverXO’s owner David Muñoz, has taken the food scene by storm. His schooling in Asian cuisine melds with his Spanish roots and has given birth to fusion food from the artist’s soul. It’s not uncommon to see smoked sardines lay next to young coconut on the same platter, bringing two culinary worlds together. Each dining experience starts with a letter of intention, a poem of sorts, from Muñoz stating his intention behind preparation of your meal -- and then you eat the menu itself as a fanciful starter! It’s best to get a reservation ASAP, with three Michelin stars, DiverXO is almost always booked!

One of the best things about Barcelona is its many delicious cafes, offering strong Spanish coffee and rich, flaky pastries. I’ve found the best cafes to be concentrated in the city’s enchanting Gothic Quarter, or “Barri Gotic.” As in a lot of other European cities, you can linger over a cup of coffee, chocolate croissant, and the morning paper for as long as you’d like without risk of being bothered to give up your table. When you’re in Barcelona make sure to enjoy a leisurely breakfast followed by a stroll through the charming Gothic Quarter, where you’ll find everything from entertaining street performers to fun little shops to the obvious highlight, beautiful Gothic architecture.

In the increasingly gentrifying El Raval neighborhood, along the leafy main avenue of Rambla del Raval, a whole host of restaurants, cafés, and bars are popping up. Among them is this intimate bistro from noted Catalan chef Carles Abellán, which takes a refined approach to traditional home cooking without being pretentious. To that end, the narrow dual-level space, a former bodega, is simply decorated with rustic wood furniture, forest-green walls, and a ceramic-tiled, marble-topped bar. The menu is divided into categories of small dishes—From the Sea, From the Mountain, From the Orchard—plus a few versions of classic Spanish stews. Leave room for the homemade desserts: The soft, silky Brie cheesecake is divine. Reservations are essential.

North of Santa Teresa, in Playa Hermosa, you’ll find sushi master Koji Hyodo carving yellowfin tuna, red snapper, and sea bass at his tinkling, tin-roofed restaurant, Koji’s. His signature Koji Roll wraps spicy tuna around fresh shrimp paste and avocado. Then the entire roll is drizzled with a secret sauce and dipped in crunchy tempura bits. The grilled octopus is lightly fired, then sprinkled with sea salt; his lobster sashimi, sliced so thin you can almost see through it, starts with a crunch and finishes sweet.

A two-hour drive south of Buenos Aires is the huge and pristine laguna of Chascomús. Fed by several streams, it’s a popular destination for fishermen, boaters and windsurfers. Rent a bicycle in the town to pedal around the lake, or hire a rowboat for an hour or two - you might catch a fish without even trying.

I had one goal for the trip to Australia: hugging a koala. This was a little more difficult than you might think; it’s only legal in Queensland province, and there are strict rules about how long the koalas can work per day and how much rest they’re permitted away from the affectionate public. My dream came true in Brisbane’s Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which has 130+ koalas as well as kangaroos, wallabys, wombats, platypus, Tasmanian devils, kookaburras, and many other exotic (to us) animals. Presentations and demonstrations happen all day long, but don’t forget to set aside a few minutes for the extremely popular koala-hug photos. My koala was a smallish, woolly female who rested comfortably against my chest and calmly looked at the camera like a true pro. Lone Pine is absolutely a must-do day trip if you’re in Brisbane — as the Aussies say, you can’t go past it!

Kananaskis Country is a stunning wilderness area that lies just outside of Canmore, Alberta. The region borders Banff National Park and the scenery rivals it’s famous neighbour. The key benefit to outdoor fun in Kananaskis Country is the complete lack of crowds! It might be near Banff, but it feels a world away. Hiking trails, bike paths, and beautiful lakes abound and it’s quite common to have them all to yourself even during the busiest summer weekends! Check out the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes at sunset, as it’s a prime location near the Continental Divide that offers stunning evening light.