Bordeaux is ready for its close-up! After years of improvements, modern public transportation is in place and the city is gleaming after a wave of restorations. When visiting this lovely destination, be sure to walk across the Garonne River-spanning Stone Bridge (17 arches in all!) and see Place des Quinconces, France's grandest public square.

Enniskerry is a small village in County Wicklow, Ireland, set in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin. Its compact center is arranged around a triangular village green, with stone buildings, traditional shopfronts, cafés, and pubs surrounding the open space. The village is closely associated with the Powerscourt estate, whose entrance lies just beyond the center.

Gudauri is a mountain resort in northeastern Georgia, located along the Georgian Military Highway in the Greater Caucasus range. The settlement is known as one of the country’s main ski destinations, with long winter seasons and wide alpine slopes that attract skiers, snowboarders, and paragliders.

Rockport is a coastal town on the tip of Cape Ann in northeastern Massachusetts, surrounded by rocky shoreline, small coves, and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The town developed from fishing, quarrying, and maritime trade, and its harbor remains central to its identity. Bearskin Neck, a narrow waterfront peninsula, contains galleries, shops, restaurants, and working boats. Rockport’s landscape is marked by granite ledges and exposed coastal rock, while wooded inland areas provide a contrast

Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, is a city that blends the desert’s quiet rhythms with the daily life of a growing urban center. Its coastal setting, unique cultural traditions, and access to the desert make Nouakchott both an introduction to Mauritania and a gateway to exploring the country further.