Next time you are in Japan, take an extra couple of days to visit Kyoto. It’s just a few hours from Tokyo by high-speed train, but you’ll feel like you are in a different country.

Kyoto is famous for its imperial palaces, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines. It’s also known for preserving many formal traditions, including geishas, the tea ceremony, and the kaiseki dinner (served at the tea ceremony), which consists of multiple courses of skillfully prepared and artistically presented dishes.

Warning: Some of the “finest” kaiseki dishes are creatures that may repulse you. Eat with large glasses of beer.

Chicago

I spent most of the summer of 2007 in Chicago, working on Ready, Fire, Aim. I needed to be away from home for several months to focus on finishing the book. That need dovetailed with a longstanding dream I had about getting to know some of the great cities of the world by living in them for more than just a few weeks.

I’ve been writing a bit lately about what a sh*thole Chicago has become. In fairness, my current assessment of the city is based on reading reports on the upswing in crime and how poorly the mayor has been handling it.

But I remember Chicago as a great city. A city that had nearly everything that New York had to offer, but cleaner and with nicer people. A big city with big-city amenities, but without the pretension and high costs. (And I remember it as a place where I think I did some of my best writing.)

What I like about Chicago: 

* The arts – Chicago has, as I said, everything that NYC offers.

* The shopping – I don’t know how it is now with all the crime, but North Michigan Avenue (the “Magnificent Mile”) boasts as many great stores as anywhere else.

* The architecture – from Louis Sullivan to Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright.

* The music – Chicago is known not only for jazz, but also the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera.

* The parks.

* The beach.

Angor Wat, Cambodia 

A highlight of a week K and I spent in Cambodia several years ago, Angor Wat is a breathtaking complex of temples built during the 12th century to honor the Hindu god Vishnu. Later, it became a Buddhist site. As a result, it offers art and relics of both religions in plenty throughout the complex.

What I liked about it:

* It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

* You can get lost in the labyrinth of its rooms.

* It’s a place for contemplation and quiet thinking.

Venice

Here’s the most important thing a new visitor should know about Venice: It’s just too crowded with tourists during the season. Better to visit in the Spring or Fall. And it’s got much more than the big square and gondolas. Spend some time walking the back streets.

The Facts: Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. 

What I like about Venice:

* The art and architecture of St. Mark’s Basilica

* The bridges, particularly the Bridge of Sighs

* Gondola rides (but once a visit is enough)

* Views from St. Mark’s bell tower

* The back streets

* The Libreria Acqua Alta bookstore

* The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale)

* The Gallerie dell’Accademia

What I don’t like so much: The tourists – especially the North Americans.

Key West

Key West is part of the Florida Keys archipelago. It’s Florida’s southernmost point, lying roughly 90 miles north of Cuba. Famed for its pastel-hued, conch-style houses, it’s a cruise-ship stop, and is also accessible from the mainland via the Overseas Highway. It’s known more for its coral reefs – destinations for diving and snorkeling – than for its beaches. (Source: Google)

What I like about Key West:

* The ambiance: laid back, artsy, contrarian

* Old Town’s architecture

* Sunsets at Mallory Pier

* The cemetery (some very cool gravestones)

* The Hemingway House

* The many cute and comfortable B&Bs

* The literary history of the island, generally