Smag31

Hofbräuhaus Anyone visiting Munich should make the pilgrimage to this venerable beer hall – symbolic of all Bavarian pubs and the most famous pub in the world. Locals, too, simply can’t stay away. Brass bands play daily at noon and again after 6pm. Am Platzl 9 089 22 16 76 www.hofbraeuhaus.de Hofbräuhaus Augustinerbräu Here in … Read more

National Theater Bibliophiles can forage for reading material at the Münchner Bücherschau at the Gasteig in November/December. Munich Biennale This music theatre festival was founded in 1988 by composer Hans Werner Henze. The city of Munich commissions young composers to write their first full work for the festival. Now a bi-annual event, the festival has … Read more

Climbing Rock Walls The most popular indoor location for rock climbers is Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI, which has a huge practice wall in the atrium of their flagship store on Eastlake Avenue. Stone Gardens also offers classes and practice walls for members and walk-ins. Stone Gardens 2839 NW Market 206 781 9828 Adult $14; student … Read more

Coffee Town Seattle’s signature beverage comes in myriad forms. The rampant availability of whole bean, latte, espresso, and basic drip created a coffee craze even before Starbucks went global. Though Seattelites love their streetside espresso carts and neighborhood cafés, the city is also home to Starbucks and its major competitors, Tully’s and Seattle’s Best Coffee. … Read more

Wall tile advertising Barcelona restaurant All food and drink names are given in Catalan, but in many cases the Castilian variant is used just as commonly. Cal Pep The line-up at this traditional, boisterous tapas bar includes top-notch cured hams and sausages, truita de patates (potato omelette), fresh mariscs (shellfish) and an array of daily … Read more

Waterside dining, Port Vell All food and drink names are given in Catalan, but in many cases the Castilian variant is used just as commonly. Cafè Bliss Hidden down a tiny side street, in one of the loveliest Gothic squares in the old city, is this delightful café. There is a bright terrace, comfy sofas … Read more

Molson Amphitheatre With its lakeside setting in Ontario Place, this is a great place to take in a summer concert. There’s seating for 9,000 under the copper canopy, plus space for 7,000 on the grass. Top performers often mean sold-out shows. 909 Lake Shore Blvd W 416 260 5600 Molson Amphitheatre Roy Thomson Hall The … Read more

Swimming Cherry Beach in the east and Hanlan’s Point are two of Toronto’s best beaches. While the city has improved water quality, beaches are often posted with no-swimming signs, often after heavy rains. More reliable are the public pools. Beaches hotline 416 392 7161 Beach and pool info www.toronto.ca Young swimmers at a public pool … Read more

Beer selection Unless otherwise specified, locally-brewed beers listed here are available citywide La Grande Dame Bar Bearing the nickname of the orange-labeled Veuve Clicquot champagne house, this bar is the first branded venue the Reims producer has launched in the US. Views of the Liberty Hotel grand rotunda overhead are magnificent. Multiple vintages of Veuve … Read more

L’Aroma Café The beautiful people take their espresso at L’Aroma, where the Italian style of the coffees, sandwiches, luncheon salads, and pastries are more evocative of Milan than Rome. As a bonus, tea-lovers can order from a choice of 20 loose-leaf varieties . Caffè Vittoria The jukebox at the largest of North End’s Italian cafés … Read more

We discover sports and spas on the Portuguese island in the middle of the Atlantic. I’d heard that Madeira was a great walking holiday if you were of a certain age, so I’d always earmarked it for my retirement years. How wrong I’ve been! In fact, the Portuguese island is one of the most youthful, … Read more

Carnegie Hall This historic concert hall opened in 1891 with Tchaikovsky making his U.S. debut on the podium. A campaign led by violinist Isaac Stern saved the hall from demolition after Lincoln Center was completed in 1969, and it entered its second century with old-world style intact after an extensive, lavish renovation . Carnegie Hall … Read more

Peter Minuit Sent from the Netherlands in 1626 to govern New Amsterdam, Peter Minuit (1580–1638) was so disliked by his subjects that they welcomed British occupation. Alexander Hamilton Revolutionary leader and first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton’s (1755–1804) business-friendly policies were instrumental in New York’s emergence as the financial center of the U.S. He lost … Read more

Arrival of the Parisii Although the remains of Neolithic settlements have been found dating back to 4500 BC, the first inhabitants are considered to be a Celtic tribe called the Parisii, who settled on the Ile de la Cité in the 3rd century BC. Hunters and fishermen, they named their village Lutetia, meaning “boatyard on … Read more

Hôtel des Invalides Versailles Louis XIV turned his father’s old hunting lodge into the largest palace in Europe and moved his court here in 1678. It was the royal residence for more than a century until Louis XVI and his queen Marie-Antoinette fled during the Revolution . Conciergerie Originally home to the caretaker and guards … Read more

War Memorial Opera House and San Francisco Ballet The San Francisco Opera Company is the second largest in the country and performs from June to January. The excellent San Francisco Ballet, one of the nation’s oldest, mostly performs at the Opera House, too . 301 Van Ness Ave 415 864 3330 War Memorial Opera House … Read more

Lincoln Memorial The majestic monument to the president who preserved America’s unity and began the long process of ending slavery is built in the form of a Greek temple. Daniel Chester French designed the enormous statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln in 1915, and it is among America’s most inspiring sites, especially for its association … Read more

Piazza Navona The elongated oval of Rome’s loveliest square hints that it is built atop Domitian’s ancient stadium . This pedestrian paradise is filled with cafés, street performers and artists, milling tourists, kids playing football, and splashing fountains. Bernini designed the central Fountain of Four Rivers, and added the Moor figure to the most southerly … Read more

St Peter’s Basilica Should the opportunity arise, don’t miss seeing the basilica’s cavernous interior when all the lights are on – only then can you fully appreciate this giant jewel-box of colour . Santa Maria del Popolo Legend recounts that on this spot, where a magnificent oak grew, Nero died and was buried. The site … Read more

Cape D’Aguilar It may be only 7 miles (11 km) directly south of Hong Kong’s busy Central district, but Cape D’Aguilar feels like another world. The wild coastline has wave-lashed rock formations and a marine life so rich that researchers have discovered 20 species “new to science” in these waters. Hoi Ha Wan The long … Read more