Savoteur

You can hear more live music on a weeknight in New Orleans than over the entire weekend in many cities. There are so many venues, in fact, that beloved local radio station WWOZ lists the clubs in alphabetical order every other hour, all day long. But too many people visit Bourbon Street—the raucous, ultra-touristy district of bars that never close, strip joints and so-called music clubs—and think they’ve seen (and heard) New Orleans. Don’t make this mistake. Venture outside the French Quarter for clubs filled with locals, many of which are cheap or free to enter. It breaks our heart to list just five, but here goes. 1. Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub Natalie Marchant" data-width-class="100" /> Photograph: Courtesy Creative Commons/Flickr/Natalie Marchant Yes, it has a Bourbon Street address—but this bar is a great spot to hear traditional jazz as you sit just a few feet (or inches) from the band at long wooden tables, surrounded by international flags and music posters. You’ll hear classics likes “St. James Infirmary Blues” and “When the Saints Go Marching In” by local virtuosos like jazz pianist Richard Scott, clarinetist Tim Laughlin and trumpeter Charlie Fardella. Nightly music, no cover. 2. Rock ’n’ Bowl: Thursday is the night to hear zydeco, the irresistibly toe-tapping music of southwest Louisiana with French and Caribbean roots. It’s performed with an accordion, guitar, washboard and drums—lots of soul and rhythm—by top acts like Geno Delafose and Chubby Carrier. Luckily,

Having a dog, like having a kid, doesn’t have to be a reason to quit traveling. If anything, it should be an extra motive: You just got yourself the most enthusiastic co-explorer, someone who will forever wag his or her tail at the prospect of an adventure, who lives in a world where everything is new and smells exciting. Be a bit more like them and book that flight now. Woof. “I’m gonna hug you and kiss you and love you forever.” When it comes to animals, some people are born Elmyra Duffs, petting to death every innocent four-legged creature that crosses their path. I’m not one of those people. I was never much of an animal person before Baxter came into my life, although I grew up with dogs. But Baxter, a 10th-anniversary gift from my husband a couple of years ago, is the first animal I really feel is part of my family. In my B.B. (Before Baxter) life, I never would’ve imagined how such a small little love bug could bring so much joy. When you make the conscious decision to share home and hearth with a pet, you need to be prepared for the way this decision changes your daily life. (Unless your pet is a cat. But this article is not about cats. You have the rest of the Internet for that.) New York City, where we live most of the time, is very dog friendly—so Baxter is with us when we’re running errands or eating, since he can sit outside with us at cafes. But since my husband and I both travel a lot for work, we want to have Baxter with us as much as possible on our downtime

Our senses are a quick route to our subconscious. Some sights, smells, tastes, sounds and touches linger a lifetime and are powerful triggers for memories. (Remember Proust and the scent of a madeleine?) There are clever hotels across the globe that cater to one of the five senses with the goal of guaranteeing happy memories. Below, we round up the most sensational of all. Smell: East Hotel, Hamburg, Germany Photograph: Courtesy East Hotel This hip design hotel in a former 19th-century iron foundry has five floors dominated by five different scents—jasmine, cinnamon, ginger, lotus and mandarin—in a subtle nod to the East. Located in the St. Pauli entertainment district near the Reeperbahn, the East is a favorite spot for Hamburg nightlife, with an architecturally spectacular wavy-walled restaurant serving Euro-Asian fusion and sushi, several bars, a private theater, a spa and an outdoor courtyard. Inhale the luxury: A Porsche shuttle is ready for airport transfers and special tours. Taste: The Yeatman, Porto, Portugal Photograph: Courtesy The Yeatman In this luxury hotel in an area of Porto where Port wine lodges are located, each unusually spacious guest room contains bottles of wine from the producer it’s named after. The wine-centric experience doesn’t end there. The Relais & Chateaux hotel has a 24-hour wine bar selling 82 by-the-glass vinos, Portuguese winemaker dinners at its Michelin-starred restaurant, vinotherapy treatments at its Caudalie spa and a decanter-shap