Sicily presented a problem. Searching through guidebooks, I could not find a “Garden Path” garden to visit. With that, I wrote to the Italian Government Tourist Board (630 Fifth Ave., Ste. 1565, New York, NY 10111; 212/245-5618), giving them a list of Sicilian ports I’d be visiting in early fall of 2010 while on board Sea Cloud, the 1930s-built plaything of heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.

An e-mail message came flying back: ‘From Syracuse, make your way to Il Biviere.’

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by Philip Wagenaar (Part seven of a series)

In the February 2010 issue, I recounted the Indian tribal villages that my wife, Flory, and I visited as part of our ’round-the-world tour. In this issue, I continue with a story about the intriguing tribal markets.

As these markets often are far away from towns and each takes place on a specific day of the week, we stayed overnight in three different locations. In order to have enough time at each market, careful planning is...

by Julie Skurdenis

In the Barri Gòtic, one of Barcelona’s oldest quarters, there is a lovely small square called the Plaça del Rei (King’s Square). Dark, narrow streets lead to the square, hidden away in the middle of the old quarter. Minutes away is a major thoroughfare, but you wouldn’t know it standing there surrounded by medieval stone buildings.

Barcelonans pass by, striding briskly. Tourists stroll through at a more leisurely pace, slowing down to admire the old...