We’d heard from friends that Libby’s Bistro was good, but our Friday night dinner was so I-can’t-believe-I’m-eating-something-this-delicious that we went back on Saturday evening to be sure we hadn’t been eating hallucinatory mushrooms.

“The Rock” – as Newfoundlanders call their island home – is one of the loveliest places on earth. Soaring cliffs drop into the sea, often with tiny fishing villages caught in a little cove beneath them.

The log cabin guest suites of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge look even more cozy and inviting in a snow-covered Rocky Mountain landscape, with the tall spruce and fir trees frosted in white.

It was gold, mined right underneath this city that gave Ouro Preto the world’s largest collection of Baroque architecture. It is Brazilians who give it the grace that charms today’s travelers.

Contemporary architecture in an historic setting, old-fashioned hospitality at a state-of-the-art hotel – Boston’s Intercontinental Hotel is comfortable in both worlds.

The largest collection of the paintings of Wassily Kandinsky, a founder of Abstract art, is assembled at Munich´s Lenbachhaus and will also be shown in New York and Paris.

Italy’s little-known Mediterranean island has it all – beautiful golden sand beaches, glamorous resorts, wild unspoiled landscapes, chic shopping and celebrities to spot.

Overlooking a mile of pristine beach on Martha’s Vineyard, this new resort combines contemporary style and old-fashioned hospitality for a perfect island getaway close to Boston.

Even with the US dollar worth only 67 Euro cents, and travel prices rising from soaring fuel costs, Portugal still offers a world-class travel experience at costs comparable to those at home. And often a lot less.

Vermont-grown ingredients transcend mere vegetables, meat and cheese in the inspired menus of Swiss-born Chef Michael Kloeti.