Eat Like a Local: Munich

At the hilltop Halifax Citadel, a crowd is gathered to witness a ritual that has been enacted every day of the year, except Christmas, since 1857. A cannon is loaded with black powder, and a group of uniformed gunners points the muzzle of the twelve-pounder at the harbor. Lance Corporal Roberts, sporting a green kilt and a horsehair sporran, gestures toward a nearby building: "These days," he says, "we don't have much to fire at, but often we like to aim it at the student loan center." The Noon Gun is fired--all sound, no real fury--and the Royal Artillery members (most of them university students) secure the cannon. For those who don't mind a dose of history with their travel but are allergic to the quaint, Halifax is a welcome bastion of authenticity on Canada's East Coast. The boardwalk has its share of chowder restaurants and street performers, but the harbor--second in size only to the one in Sydney, Australia--is a working port, teeming with trawlers and ferries. History seems to haunt the city: It's hard to walk a block without hearing a ghost story. "I grew up in a haunted house," says a waiter at the Economy Shoe Shop, as he puts down a plate of lobster flambéed with sherry. "There were all kinds of strange noises--turns out a woman had taken her life there. It stands to reason that Halifax is haunted: There have been so many tragedies here." He's not kidding. When the Titanic sank in 1912, Halifax was the closest major port, and bodies filled the local morgues. Five years later, a French freighter loaded with a cache of explosives collided with a Norwegian ship in the port. The resulting explosion flattened two square miles of the city, killing close to 2,000 people. A twisted chunk of the ship's rudder is now on display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, along with other macabre souvenirs of Halifax's past. Ten minutes' drive from downtown, 121 victims from the Titanic lie in the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. On a sloping hill, several rows of gray granite markers are arranged in the shape of a ship's bow. A path through the grass leads to grave number 227, the last resting place of a young coal trimmer named J. Dawson. It's the same name as Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Titanic (which director James Cameron has said is a coincidence). The ship also has a cameo role at the Halifax Public Gardens, where a model of the vessel floats in a pond. The Victorian gardens are an oasis of Camperdown elms, rhododendrons, and verdigris-coated statues of various fish spitting water into a fountain. This city of 365,000 may be imbued with the past, but in many ways, Haligonians are right up to date. The city is home to one of the largest groups of Buddhists on the continent. A sizeable black community, some of which is descended from American slaves who fled to Halifax in the late 1700s, nourishes a burgeoning rap and hip-hop scene. The city's six colleges and universities guarantee an audience for such local indie rockers as Sloan and rapper-raconteur Buck 65; Celtic groups regularly play at The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse. Unsurprisingly for a harbor city, area restaurants emphasize fresh seafood. At The Five Fishermen, the menu features wines from Nova Scotia's Jost vineyard, Digby scallops in a caper vinaigrette, and kettle-steamed lobster. And there's an impressive array of oyster shooters at the Little Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar. The building was the original home of the Victoria School of Art and Design, founded in 1887 by Anna Leonowens, who was governess to the children of the king of Siam and inspiration for the musical The King and I. It, too, is said to be haunted: There have been sightings of women who vanish when they reach the top of the stairs. This tidbit comes from Rene Slaney, who leads The Haunted Hike of Halifax. During a three-hour walk through the downtown, Slaney tells stories of pirates, press-gangs, and poltergeists. A highlight of the tour is Holy Cross Cemetery, where the ghost of a groundskeeper killed by a fall into one of the graves is said to leap from behind tombstones on foggy nights. Slaney also stops outside Halifax's Waverley Inn, a sprawling house where the halls are filled with portraits of dour and deceased Brits (several rooms feature soothing whirlpool baths and four-poster beds). "Guests say they see a gentleman dressed in a long coat pacing in the hall, reading aloud from a book," says Slaney, who wears a buccaneer's cap and an eye patch. "Seems that's the way author Oscar Wilde prepared for his lectures." Halifax was one of the stops on Wilde's 1882 North American tour. He only spent a few nights here; why his ghost would haunt the Waverley Inn is anyone's guess. Although it does make for a great yarn. Lodging Halifax's Waverley Inn 1266 Barrington St., 800/565-9346, from $115 Food Economy Shoe Shop 1663 Argyle St., 902/423-7463, lobster $13 The Five Fishermen 1740 Argyle St., 902/422-4421, scallops $36 Little Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar 1740 Argyle St., 902/425-4025, seafood plate $22 Activities Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada Sackville St. and Brunswick St., 902/426-5080, pc.gc.ca/halifax citadel, $6.50, free Nov.-early May Maritime Museum of the Atlantic 1675 Lower Water St., 902/424-7490, museum.gov.ns.ca/mma, from $4.25 Fairview Lawn Cemetery 3720 Windsor St., 902/490-4883 Halifax Public Gardens Spring Garden Rd. and S. Park St., 902/490-3995 The Haunted Hike of Halifax 902/444-1945, hauntedhikeofhalifax.bravehost.com, $9 Nightlife The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse 5136 Prince St., 902/492-4900, oldtriangle.com

My husband, Peter, and I were in New Orleans for the French Quarter Festival, but we wanted to do more than listen to big brass bands. Like many of the people slowly returning to the city, we had to pay our respects to the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina. We weren't thrilled about taking one of the many new van tours that are popular with tourists, and it just didn't feel right to hail a cab and say, "Show us the worst of the Lower Ninth Ward!" Instead, we decided to bike around the two-square-mile district--and it turned out to be the perfect way to explore. At Bicycle Michael's, near the eastern edge of the French Quarter, we rented city hybrids with sturdy, fat tires (essential for navigating the potholed streets) for $20 each. From there, it was a 10-minute ride to the Bywater, a community of artists in the Upper Ninth Ward where flowering magnolia branches hang low over the sidewalks and colorful cottages still bear the spray-painted codes left by search-and-rescue teams. On Dauphine Street, we browsed racks of vintage umbrellas at The Bargain Center; then we had the delicious praline bacon at Elizabeth's, a restaurant now run by insurance adjuster Jim Harp. The Lower Nine is just over the Industrial Canal from the Bywater, which required us to carry our bikes up to the St. Claude Avenue Bridge. The contrast between the Bywater and the Lower Nine was stark. Above Claiborne Avenue is the breach in the canal, and the flood's path is still marked by a swath of rubble that fans out from the levee. "It's as if someone tipped over a Monopoly board," said Peter. We biked south, following the dike along the Mississippi River. Aside from a few people who greeted us with polite nods, the streets were desolate as we pedaled past FEMA trailers on our way to City Park, its 1,300 acres brought back to order by volunteers who've dubbed themselves the Mow-Rons. On Hagan Avenue, the 85-year-old Parkway Bakery & Tavern also made a quick come­back, thanks to an electrician who needed his shrimp-and-oyster po'boy fix. In Central City, we watched as a second-line parade organized by a neighborhood social club streamed by. The street was packed with trumpeters, dancers, and vendors pulling wheeled barbecues. It was an encouraging sign for a city that likely will be rebuilding for many years to come. Transportation Bicycle Michael's 622 Frenchmen St., 504/945-9505, bicyclemichaels.com Food Elizabeth's 601 Gallier St., 504/944-9272, elizabethsrestaurant.com, praline bacon $4 Parkway Bakery & Tavern 538 Hagan Ave., 504/482-3047, po'boys from $5 Shopping The Bargain Center 3200 Dauphine St., 504/948-0007

When former architectural history professor Greg Stevenson decided to restore an 18th-century thatched cottage in Wales in 1998, he had to sell his house to fund the project. That meant living in the dilapidated cottage--and showering in a cattle stall--for months. Today, his company, Under the Thatch, rents 23 unusual accommodations across the Welsh countryside. There's Loveshack, a '70s-themed cabin in western Wales decorated with Roy Lichtenstein prints; Wendy, a 1905 railway carriage named after the Peter Pan character; and a Gypsy caravan (pictured) in the Black Mountain foothills. "The caravan feels like you're in a cocoon," says Stevenson. "It's cozy even when it's 14 degrees outside because of Queenie, the cast-iron stove."

Bring cash ATMs are scarce, so carry enough cash to cover at least a couple of nights' lodging and meals. Book ahead Kintyre villages don't have many accommodations, Tarbert and Campbeltown aside. Book ahead, particularly in July, August, and even September. B&Bs start at about $40 per person (see kintyreway.com for options). Ask questions Are there restaurants within walking distance? Is the B&B far from the trail? Does it have a drying room for clothes and boots? After a long day, these considerations matter more than you might think at first glance. Equip well Scotland is prone to rain, so don't scrimp on waterproof boots (with Gore-Tex); a warm, waterproof jacket; and a pair of walking sticks (for downhill sections, they ease the pressure on tired knees and backs). Make lunch plans When booking a room, request a lunch to go. It'll cost $10 or so, and usually includes a sandwich, fruit, chocolate, and nuts or fruitcake. Travel light Take only the necessities, including a pair of light shoes you can wear in the evenings. Two changes of hiking clothes and an outfit for evenings should be sufficient, as many B&Bs will allow you to use the laundry room when things get a bit on the nose. Consider the lazy way Tayinloan Taxi offers pack (and person) transfers from any destination along the Kintyre Way (the fee depends on the number of passengers). For more info, look under Travel at kintyreway.com. Know your limits As with Scotland's other long hikes, you can skip sections should you find yourself short of time or energy. With the Kintyre Way, this may mean taking the bus from Carradale to Campbeltown, saving your legs for the true magnificence of the last day. Come prepared With its stunning scenery and winding roads, the three-hour bus trip from Glasgow to Tarbert is a highlight--and a nightmare for anyone prone to motion sickness. If that's you, bring medication. Get back to the start The walk ends near Southend on Kintyre's southern tip, and walkers will need to find their way back to Campbeltown or Tarbert to catch the bus to Glasgow. Time­tables are at westcoastmotors.co.uk. Or organize a lift with Tayinloan Taxi. Check your options If a Scottish walk sounds lovely, but you'd prefer something less taxing than the Kintyre Way, take a look at Scotland's official tourism website (visitscotland.com/walking) for other walks. The choices range from one hour to 10 days. Transportation   Scottish Citylink 011-44/8705-505050, citylink.co.uk, Glasgow-Tarbert $26, round-trip $44; Campbeltown-Tarbert $12 Lodging   The Old Smithy Clachan, 011-44/1880-740635, refreshingscotland.co.uk, from $41 per person   The MacDonald Arms Hotel Tayinloan, 011-44/1583-441387, from $51 per person   Carradale Hotel Carradale, 011-44/1583-431223, carradalehotel.com, from $71 per person   Ardshiel Hotel Campbeltown, 011-44/1586-552133, ardshiel.co.uk, doubles from $142   East Trodigal Cottage B&B Machrihanish,011-44/1586-810305, from $51 per person Food   Balinakill Country House Clachan, 011-44/1880-740206, balinakill.com, dinner $59   Beachcomber Bar & Restaurant Machrihanish, 011-44/1586-810355, from $14   Anchor Hotel Tarbert, 011-44/1880-820577, meals from $16 Activities   Springbank Distillery Campbeltown, 011-44/1586-551710, springbankdistillers.com, $10 tour, $20 tour and tasting