The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, also known as the La Boqueria, is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and one of the city’s famous tourist landmarks. The entrance is along La Rambla, not far from the Liceu, Barcelona’s opera house. The market, which opens Monday through Saturday from 0800 to 2030 hours, sells everything from fruits to meat and vegetables to seafood. It is a delight to take in the sights, sounds and smells as locals would be shopping while the tourists would be snapping away. It’s a must-visit if you are at La Rambla. The nearest Metro is Liceu on Green Line L3.

From the windows of the Cliff House in San Francisco, visitors and diners can see for miles down the coast and watch ships sailing in and out of the Golden Gate. The Camera Obscura also provides an up-close view of the Seal Rocks. Alternatively, dine in one of the restaurants or sip a drink at the Zinc Bar or Sutro’s Bar & Lounge. After that, take an idyllic walk along the cost.

Also known as the “Seven Sisters” and the “Postcard Row”, the row of Victorian houses at 710–720 Steiner Street accross from Alamo Square park in San Francisco were built between 1892 and 1896 by developer Matthew Kavanaugh. They have appeared in numerous movies, TV programs and commercials, including the opening credits of the TV series Full House. On a clear day, the park provides a scenic view of downtown San Francisco. To get there, take bus #21 from Market Street.

Microsoft finally took the wraps off its next-generation mobile operating system at Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona after what seems like an eternity. The new Windows Phone 7 Series integrates Xbox Live gaming and Zune media experiences, as the company attempts to regain lost ground in the mobile phone business and compete against rivals Apple, Google and Research In Motion.

The Coit Tower which stands atop Telegraph Hill in San Francisco’s Pioneer Park offers scenic views of San Francisco. Be here at dawn or dusk to see downtown in a totally different light. From here, the stoic Golden Gate Bridge sits quietly in the background, masking its splendor and blending seamlessly into the cityscape. You can take a hike up Filbert Steps after visiting the Crookedest Street (on Lombard Street) nearby. For the less adventurous, bus #39 from the Fisherman’s Wharf takes you direct to the foot of the tower.

A trip to Italy isn’t complete until you’ve had one of its national dishes, pizza. Another favorite is pasta, but I digress. Pizza from a pizzeria (restaurant) is usually served in the traditional round shape and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Take-away shops sell pizza rustica or pizza al taglio cooked in rectangular pans and are usually quite thick. The slice you order is cut with scissors/knife and is sold by weight. Of course, you can ask for it to be warmed up before it’s packed to go. Depending on your appetite, two slices make up a full meal for me.

No amount of photos will prepare you for the grandeur of the 12 Apostles. I remember the long 10-hour drive, dotted with numerous stop for Fish & Chips, along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne city. A visitor centre is found inland, but take a 10-minute walk out to the cliff, you’ll be greeted with a sight that spans as far as the eye can see. If you’re adventurous, take the steps down to the base of the cliff for an idyllic stroll. You’ll never regret it. As dusk looms, the vertical cliffs bathe in an orange glow while the waves lap up the shoreline.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton led from pole position to take home the Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix 2009 on September 27. The defending World Champion drove a brilliant 61-lap race on the 5.073km Marina Bay Street Circuit. Hamilton was 9.6 seconds ahead of Toyota’s Timi Glock who came in second, while Renault’s Fernando Alonso took the third spot on the podium. The above picture was taken on Practice Day, September 25, from the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes VIP club.

西湖, literally West Lake, is a fresh water lake in the western area of Hangzhou in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. Although there are many “West Lakes” in the world, it is almost always referred to as the one in Hangzhou. The lake is divided into five areas (smaller lakes) by three causeways (蘇堤, 白堤, 楊公堤), three man-made islands (小瀛洲, 湖心亭, 阮公墩) and one natural hill known as Gu Shan. Be prepared for a fair bit of disappointment when you first get to the legendary West Lake. It’s nothing like what the Chinese poets have described the lake to be as street peddlers and throngs of tourists crowd your initial sights. But once you venture further away from the masses, you’ll be rewarded with willow-lined banks, ancient pagodas and hills shrouded with mist. And that’s when the real journey starts. You can get around with the cruise boats, but the best way to explore the legendary lake is on foot or bike.

Hanami literally means flower viewing and is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers. It almost always refer to cherry blossoms or sakura. Hanami can simply be a stroll in the park or a picnic party with friends. For the latter, it is a common practice for people to reserve a spot with their picnic sheets early in the morning. The blooming of the cherry trees depends on their geographical location: The milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open. This could happen as early as January in the southern tropical islands or late in May in Hokkaido toward the north. But for most cities in between, the cherry blossom season typically happens from late March to early April.