My husband, Mike, and I stayed in Brittany at Gîte Lapin Kerguedalen (Kerguedalen, 56160 Ploërdut, Bretagne, France; phone +33 [0] 297394228). During planning, e-mails were answered promptly, and the owners accepted PayPal, which makes things easier. We paid €400 (near $510) for eight nights, Sept. 23-30, 2012, and were sent detailed directions to find the property.

This place was fantastic! The owners, Inge and Remco, were a joy. They live on the property and were always available...

I made my 24th annual visit to the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, March 3-31, 2012. Tahiti and its neighbors in this archipelago are the loveliest islands I’ve visited in the South Pacific.

Cook’s Bay on Moorea is the most beautiful tropical sight in the world. It’s framed by 2,000- to 3,000-foot mountains covered with a vibrant green jungle of flowering trees. The best things about this tropical Eden is there are no snakes or wild animals, and sea breezes seem to keep...

The Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende offers a number of cultural events every week, as my husband and I found in February and March 2012 (Nov. ’12, pg. 14).

Anything sponsored by Pro Musica, which offers classical music at its finest, will be first rate. All performances are held at St. Paul’s Church (Callzada del Cardo #6), and tickets cost 100, 150 or 250 pesos (near $7.75, $11.50 or $19). We buy the 100-peso tickets because the seats are folding chairs rather than church pews...