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STRASBOURG, France — Strasbourg is the capital of France’s Alsace region and just a two-hour train ride from Paris. But it’s also just three kilometres from the border with Germany, and a popular port call for cruises down the Rhine River.

OYSTERVILLE, Washington — Usually, razor clams get all the publicity.

HANA, Hawaii Hana, on the east side of the island of Maui, might not be literally a one-horse town, but it is tiny, with a population of 1,258. We saw only one horse, looking over the fence at us next to the Hasegawa General Store.

Like hordes before us, we entered Rome through its northern gate. We had rented a terrace apartment in an old marble-filled building in the Flaminio neighbourhood, just outside the ancient city walls.

GREENWICH, P.E.I. Even regular visitors to Prince Edward Island might not know about one of its hidden treasures. A visit to the Greenwich section of the P.E.I. National Park offers a chance to explore boardwalks, beaches and spectacular scenery.

MENORCA, Spain Locals say Menorca can be reduced to three words: water, fire and stone. The Spanish island’s three essential elements are embodied in Cova d’en Xoroi, a natural cave that houses a sophisticated lounge halfway down a cliff.

Walking along with my guide, Gundela, through what was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular wine trails I have ever experienced, I had to wonder how, nearly a thousand years ago, the Lavaux terraced vineyards were planted on these dizzyingly steep

Shane was a strong, sure-footed horse, about 20 years old, raised in Texas. He had plenty of ideas about how an excursion into the Eastern Sierra should go, especially the grazing and drinking between meals. I had different ideas, and the reins.

PERCÉ, Quebec This was going to be a story about lighthouses ... until I met a peony named Elsie. And the world’s ugliest fish. And winkles in garlic-butter sauce. And a dented Second World War German torpedo. And galleries. And whales.

I am standing outside the entrance to the Seebad Utoquai, a Zurich heritage bathhouse. The wooden pavilion for sunning and swimming rests on stilts over Lake Zurich and is almost in the heart of the city.