Europe
St. Petersburg
In 1373 a whole army was felled by it, parents still treat their children's fevers with it, and last year 22,000 deaths were attributed to bogus versions of it. For better or worse, vodka has helped shape the Russian character. Now the recently opened Russian Vodka Museum in St. Petersburg helps enshrine the national spirit. The museum documents the emergence of vodka about 500 years ago with the first moonshine distilling devices, bottles dating back to the 1860s, and a recreated 19th century tavern where shots can be downed along with caviar and pickled cucumber.
Australia
Canberra
Pain, passion and painting: unibrowed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) had it all, including battles with polio, a tempestuous marriage to radical muralist Diego Rivera and an addiction to painkillers following a horrific bus smash. No wonder Latina stars Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez have raced to be the first to bring Kahlo's life to the silver screen. Before either of their films arrive, visitors to the National Gallery of Australia can witness what made Kahlo great: her proudly personal art. "Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera & Mexican Modernism," places Kahlo's works in the wider context of Mexico's 20th century creative revolution. Through Oct. 28.
North America
Retreats
With more peace and quiet than they know what to do with, monks and nuns in the U.S. and Canada are sharing their tranquility with paying guests. What spa hotels are to the stressed-out body, monastic hostels are to the searching soul. The facilities may be more stripped-down than sybaritic, but they're also lighter on the wallet. So popular are cloistered vacations that they now have dedicated guidebooks. Christian retreats are listed in A Guide to Monastic Guest Houses, by Robert Regalbuto, and A Place for God: A Guide to Spiritual Retreats and Retreat Centers, by Timothy K. Jones. Sanctuaries: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbies and Retreats, by Jack and Marcia Kelly, includes Buddhist, Hindu and Jewish havens.
Globe
Pets
If having to leave Muffy or Fido at home has kept you from visiting Britain, it's time to book your ticket-and pack the pet food. On July 2, a retriever and a cat from Bermuda became the first furry tourists from outside the E.U. to arrive at Heathrow under the government's pet travel scheme, which lets dogs and cats from rabies-free countries-and traveling on approved carriers-enter the country without spending months in quarantine. So far, the only approved transoceanic carrier is British Airways, but other airlines may soon be added.