2. The Louvre (Paris) 1999 "The legacy of Napoleon's rapacious imperialism and mute witness to the GREAT Western ART tradition. Where else can you find the Mona Lisa, Michelangelos, Ingres and the Victory statue all in the same wing? 'Wish I had stayed longer than 45 mins there."

3. Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam) 1998 "Home of the 'Potato Eaters' and other early works by the misunderstood genius; still misunderstood as unscrupulous peddlers have cashed in on his celebrity with a Van Gogh cafe and souvenir shops nearby."



4. National Palace Museum (Taipei) 1993 "Chronicler of the heights of Chinese art and culture; storehouse of  the mainland's booty rescued in the nick of time from the misplaced zeal of the Reds; the jade grasshopper perched on a cabbage is my favorite artpiece."



5. Metropolitan Museum and Central Park (New York City) 2001 "Junior Louvre with works of 19th century European masters that you've seen in artbooks; within a comfortable autumn stroll uptown from the bus terminal on 41st Street as the sights and sounds of the world's capital entice the artist wannabe with their poetry."



6. Surfers' Paradise (Gold Coast, Australia) 1998 "White sand and blue, foamy surf as far as the eyes can see; you can imagine Captain Cook's ship pass by on a spectral, stormy night."



7. West Lake (Hangzhou, China) 2007 "A scenic spot that has spawned a thousand copycat themeparks in the Chinese world; home to ornate restaurants with exotic dishes such as different kinds of eels and ducks." 



8. Reichstag and Berlin Wall (Berlin) 1999 "Looks over the Brandenburg Gate, historic buildings and the city's sprawling gardens; you can traipse over where the Cold War ramparts once stood."



9. Hundred Islands (Pangasinan, Philippines) early 1990s "Pick your own private paradise."



10. Vermont (USA) 2011 "Zipping through the countryside on a Greyhound and looking out to green mountains and big, winding rivers can be a spiritual experience."