The Palladian Traveler arrives at the very spot where Peter the Great grabbed a shovel, broke ground and gave birth to St. Petersburg as he files his third dispatch from his Easy Pace Russia journey.

As I window shopped along the pristine streets of Monaco’s Golden Circle, where the chic clothing venues of Hermes, Christian Dior, Gucci and Prada are located, I decided then and there I would save my Christmas shopping for later. Passing the legendary Casino de Monte-Carlo, it occurred to me that I could fatten my billfold at the palatial establishment.

Every summer, throngs of tourists from Germany and Great Britain descend to splay their pallid bodies on the glorious beaches that ring this island off the coast of Spain. They soak up the sun, swim and sail in the Mediterranean, swarm Mallorca's shops and restaurants, drink her wine, consume her olive oil, and snore in her hotels.

A balmy breeze wafted across our faces. The mountain air was as refreshing as only a mountain atmosphere can brighten one’s day. The crisp and unique aromas of summer drifted over all those at this mountainside location. It was exquisite. Given what we were about to see was in complete contrast to the marvelous climate, and far more about why so many from around the world are still mesmerized by a man and a unique building that he occasionally visited: The Eagles Nest & Adolf Hitler.

Just like Porfiry Petrovich, Dostoevsky’s lead detective in Crime and Punishment, the Palladian Traveler strolls down Nevsky Prospect and conducts his own investigation of St. Petersburg.

Ancient cobbled walkways wandering off from Placa Saint Jaume in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter just wide enough for horse and carriage and strangely mysterious and mystifying on this late May evening, pulled us in among the darkness of Barcelona’s medieval times past shards of Roman walls with tales to share.

The Palladian Traveler barely touches down in the “Land of the Tsars” and he immediately satisfies his craving for caviar in his first dispatch from St. Petersburg.

OK, hear me out on this because what I’m going to share with you is not only surprising, but also – in my humble view – almost unknown. Which is why I call my features “Travel With A Difference.”

Recently my 22-year-old nephew demanded in his own special way for me to name what was my favorite adventure destination. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I finally succumbed, but explained that everyone's concept of favorite is subjective. . Plus bad weather and even your emotional state at that given moment can play with your judgment.

It is not often that a toilet and a tea ceremony form perfect metaphors for the culture of a country, but so it is in Japan. The toilet falls into the realm of delightful personal discoveries – albeit all of them in the hotel bathroom of the Kyoto Park Hotel.