Smag31

Exploring Chinatown & South End Morning Walk down Essex Street, ducking into Oxford Place to see the mural, Travelers in an Autumn Landscape, based on the famous scroll painting by the same name at the Museum of Fine Arts. Stroll along the aisles of Cheng Kwong Market if you are looking for exotic produce, Chinese … Read more

Boston’s compact Chinatown is the third most populous Chinese neighborhood in the US, concentrating a wealth of Asian experience in a small patch of real estate. Theater-goers find the proximity of Chinatown to the Theater District a boon for pre- and post-show dining. The Theater District itself is among the liveliest in the US, and … Read more

A Village Stroll Morning Begin at Washington Square and the elegant townhouse row where Edith Wharton and Henry James once lived. Find the charming houses of Washington Mews and MacDougal Alley , then follow 6th Avenue, past the Jefferson Market Courthouse, to West 10th Street. Stroll down the passageway at the front of the Alexander … Read more

It was Different from the Start, a crazy pattern of streets that broke from the city’s grid plan, reflecting the boundaries of a rural village. As a bohemian haven, the leafy lanes of the Village have been home to artists and writers. Jazz musicians, beat poets, and performers like the young Bob Dylan found their … Read more

A Day in the Tuileries Morning Visiting the Louvre takes planning, and you should get there at least 15 minutes before opening (unless you’ve already bought your ticket). Spend the whole morning and pick up a map as you enter so that you can be sure to see the main highlights. Have a morning coffee … Read more

These two quarters were once the province of the rich and the royal. Adjoining the Tuileries Gardens is the largest museum in the world, the Louvre, while the grand opera house gives the second quarter its name. The Place de la Concorde is one of the most historic sites in the city. Storming of the … Read more

Seville, Cordoba and Granada Seven days from only $748.5pp. Selected departures up to November 2013 Andalucía is one of the most beautiful corners of Europe, where the excesses of modern life do not seem to have taken root and travelers are welcomed as honored guests. Immortalized by the writings of Ernest Hemingway and beloved by … Read more

Pubs & Cafés Royal Opera House Café Take the escalator up to the café in the Amphitheatre Bar for coffees, cakes and drinks. Covent Garden WC2 World Food Café, Neal’s Yard Dining Room Have a pot of tea or a coffee, an Indian mango ice cream or a vegetarian snack in this pretty corner of … Read more

A Walk around Covent Garden Morning Take the tube to Leicester Square and visit the latest exhibition at the Photographer’s Gallery. Head up Monmouth Street, where the delicious smell of coffee roasting will lead you to the Monmouth Coffee Company for coffee and a pastry. Continue up Monmouth Street to the small entrance to Neal’s … Read more

Covent Garden is a popular destination for Londoners and tourists alike. At its heart is the capital’s first planned square, laid out in the 17th century by Inigo Jones and recently completed by the addition of the imperious, pearly white Royal Opera House. In spite of such grandeur, there is still a local feel to … Read more

Equal parts relaxing and exhilarating, exotic Morocco is an ideal getaway destination. Penny Carroll goes in search of surf and soul On a sizzling stretch of sand on a bright, sunny morning, I’m lying face-down on a surfboard, pretending to paddle. “Stabilise, stabilise…Now jump!” calls the instructor as I shakily attempt a surfer’s pose. I’m … Read more

Pubs & Bars Newton-Bar One of the trendiest bars in town. Sink into the deep leather armchairs and sip your cocktails, surrounded by Helmut Newton’s photographs. Charlottenstr. 57 10am–3am daily 030 202 95 40 Opera Court Afternoon teas, coffee and cake are served daily at the historic Opera Court, with its original glazed ceiling, in … Read more

A Day of Culture Morning Unter den Linden begins at Pariser Platz in front of Brandenburger Tor . Stroll eastwards along the wide avenue, past Hotel Adlon Berlin. Then turn right into Wilhelmstraße , the former political nerve centre. On the right-hand side you will pass the new building of the British Embassy. In Behrenstraße … Read more

Most visitors to Berlin regard the magnificent boulevard of Unter den Linden as the heart of the small historic Mitte district. Many of Berlin’s sights are concentrated along the grand avenue and around Bebelplatz, creating an impressive picture of Prussian and German history from the early 18th century until the present day. South of Unter … Read more

A Walk Around the Castro District Begin at the city’s gay mecca, the Church Street Muni Station on Upper Market. Decades ago, this corner developed a gay identity as the beginning point of the Castro neighborhood, but it is on the next block, between Sanchez and Noe, that the gay shops and venues really begin … Read more

The southern part of the city comprises some of the liveliest, most authentic parts of town – the clubs of SoMa, the gay world of the Castro, and the Latino Mission District. There are also some up-and-coming neighborhoods such as Bernal Heights and Glen Park, as the more central areas have priced creative types out … Read more

The State tends to be ahead of the curve when it comes to wellness, so where better for a holiday with a fitness fix? Miami is renowned for its beautiful beaches, art deco architecture and great nightlife, but it’s also the place for healthy living – where the rich and famous mingle with the fitness … Read more

A Morning Walk Around Old Madrid Begin the morning at Plaza de la Villa with its handsome 16th- and 17th-century palaces. Take the busy Calle Mayor as far as Calle de Felipe III, then turn into Plaza Mayor . Cross this magnificent square diagonally, leaving by the ancient Calle Toledo, once the main exit south … Read more

In the 17th century the focus of the rapidly growing city shifted from the medieval centre, around Plaza de la Paja, to Plaza Mayor. Part market, part meeting place, this magnificent square was, above all, a place of spectacle and popular entertainment. No one knew what the populace wanted better than the playwrights of Spain’s … Read more

Tutto II Giorrno, Southampton The new Southampton outpost of Gabby Karan’s Sag Harbor restaurant is bigger and more comfortable than its predecessor, with a cos yet indusstrail harmhouse look (lots of iron and rough wood). The simple Itelian suisine is excellent: homemade spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and basil; sea bream in white wine. Gabby Karan’s … Read more