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On the toe of the Italian peninsula, a second-generation Italian American finds striking landscapes, underappreciated cuisine, and warm hearts.

Yes, you can—and should—pluck and eat the sugar bananas you find near Sydney’s harbor or the pomegranates in the Jerusalem’s public squares. Here, a guide to city foraging and a few places to try your hand.

A country that spent much of its history in isolation, Japan claims unique arts and crafts traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation, with little influence from the outside world.

Yes, it can be done—these travel shoes hold up to a long day of walking but are still chic enough for a night out on the town.

Closer Look: The Coolest Teahouse in Chengdu

@storiesofiran illuminates a country that’s shrouded in mystery for most Americans.

This is the perfect food-filled adventure in Santa Barbara.

Seeking the wonderfully disorienting effect of travel, writer Taras Grescoe ventures to Budapest, where bewilderment ensues.

Young artists stake their claim to the city’s open spaces.

Once you’ve seen your first Hawai‘ian quilt, you’ll want to buy them all! The distinctive fabric art uses appliqués—usually symmetrical—in bold colors, often depicting botanical designs on a white background. Many experts consider it the marriage of missionary handicrafts with the indigenous kapa (mulberry-bark cloths with geometric patterns). Opened in 1973, Kapaia Stitchery on Kauai remains the largest and longest-operating retailer of batiks, quilting supplies, and Hawai‘ian-print fabric on Kauai. It also sells finished masterpieces, for those who don’t sew, as well as aloha shirts, wall hangings, locally designed visors, and animal-shaped pot holders. One especially charming gift: little stuffed-animal chickens with simple pyramid bodies of flowered fabric and cloth faces, beaks, and combs.

Who doesn’t love a Guido? And now you can wear your so-called Guido pride right on your chest. Of course, you might be punched out by an irate Italian-American but you’re probably willing to take that chance, right? Right. This gift shop, spotted in New York’s Little Italy, sits on Mulberry Street, a lane flanked by schlocky (and below-mediocre) “Italian” restaurants.

For the best views in Gardiner, pop down onto the big patio at the Iron Horse Bar & Grill and gaze out over the river, mountains, and unspoilt terrain of Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Order up a heaping pile of elk nachos, a few craft beers, a hulking bison meatloaf, and perhaps a mulberry margarita or two, and chill on Gardiner’s only real cowboy pation. Keep an eye out for bears on the banks of the river.

Combining the purity of natural elements with traditional Chinese wisdom, Ba Yan Ka La has developed a line of skincare, hair care, and other beauty products that are both carefully sourced and expertly blended. Ba Yan Ka La means “Mountain of Abundance” and it’s the namesake of the range in Qinghai (Western China) where the company sources its water, drawing from the mountain’s pristine glacial springs. Chock-full of ingredients like lotus seed, Tibetan roseroot, and Chinese mulberry, their product list is not only unique but thoughtful.

Kyoto has no shortage of craftsmen and women. And Eriko Horiki is one of Japan’s preeminent Washi paper designers beloved for her architectural creations that verge on contemporary art. Her studio, Mecca for Washi fans, is located in a simple, modern concrete building. Her paper art can be experienced in a literal slideshow with 15 foot long piece of paper, showcased on ceiling tracks and then dramatically lit from behind to reveal its range of gorgeous characteristics, including fibrous works with swirls of mulberry bark to elongated textured strips of bark to more sculptural pieces in the form of lanterns that mimic the shapes of eggs and cacti.

Old man weaving a straw hat in a small weaving village called Ban Xang Khong on the Mekong River near Luang Prabang, Laos. The village is located about 5km east of Luang Prabang and the inhabitants are noted in particular for their arts and crafts, especially their skill in making traditional Saa paper, which is made from mulberry trees.There are several bamboo bridges in the area, and the village can be approached on foot or by tuk-tuk from Luang Prabang; however, I would recommend taking a longtail boat up the Mekong River--much more scenic!