I had never seen so many tall and sleek model types in my life. I watched with fascination as they rushed through Milan’s  Piazza del Duomo (“Cathedral Square”) for an unknown rendezvous or appointment, dressed in the latest fashion. It was also the first time I had ever paid $16 for a café latte, but it was well worth the price for a front row table facing the magnificent Piazza.

A sensory blitz overtakes me as I shamble (yes, the result of that red-eye, early-morning arrival at Heathrow, so I am a little beleaguered) into the very groovy nhow Hotel lobby in Shoreditch, a London neighborhood that has (to quote Wikipedia) "become synonymous with the concept of contemporary 'hipsterfication' of regenerated urban areas"

Built in the late 1700s its location on a lonely, high cliff that overlooks the often raging seas below is, in my view, one of the most romantic and yes, stunning places in all of Bonnie Scotland. It was a delightful and wonderfully sunny day when I visited and, as a WW2 buff, I was fascinated to learn that the entire top floor is a luxurious suite called “The Eisenhower Apartment.” It was so named in 1945 as a “Thank You” from the people of Scotland to the American general for what he did in WW2.

Would you marry your partner all over again? If the answer is yes, start thinking about a vow renewal. There’s no better way to celebrate an anniversary than with a trip capped with a joyful celebration. Unlike a destination wedding, no legal rigmarole attends a destination vow renewal. You won’t have to sign official documents or even secure an officiant. Want a friend to stand up in front of you or write your own vows? Go for it!

Vietnam is a captivating country where ancient natural wonders blend seamlessly with vibrant urban energy and a remarkable story of resilience.

I was in New South Wales in the land down under and flora, fauna, time and season were out of joint. Lying on the southeast coast of Australia, the state enjoys a Mediterranean climate (ranging between 40 and 75 degrees in winter), the country’s largest population (7 million of a total 30 million) and fosters sophisticated and alternative lifestyles.

Millions of years ago these salt waters covered the peninsula, layering in shell that would become limestone. When the tectonic plates rose and forced the waters back they cracked the granite that lined the earth's crust into boulders, which later mixed with the illuvial soils of clay, sand, and other minerals to form the land that would so influence the vineyards.

Soothing trade winds caress the landscape. Palm trees sway in the breeze. Gentle waves blanket the golden sand. Please forgive this stilted attempt to be descriptive – but I’m feeling a bit of the pre-holiday stress, and I thought it was fitting to emotionally escape to some of my favorite island destination. Come to think of it, they’re not all tropical. But an island is an island.

You may not be traveling to far-away places in the immediate future, but we can bring them to you.  Here’s a series of T-Boy’s virtual vacations, and we hope you’ll be able to go there and to other distant destinations soon.

One thing you’ll never have to ask, if you are ensconced-and I might add, you will be ensconced very happily and very pleasantly-in Hotel L’Orologio Roma, is what time is it? The hotel’s name is a dead give-away: L’Orologio, or the clock.