The 12th-century Duomo displays Greek and Byzantine mosaic work.

The sake and the glasses are kept on ice at En Japanese Brasserie.

ON A CLEAR DAY A view of the Hudson River and the Catskills from the observation tower at Ferncliff Forest, a 192-acre preserve near Rhinecliff, N.Y., that was once owned by the Astor family.

AFFORDABLE Upper King Street.

The lobby of the hotel, which opened in May, is near U.C.L.A. and the Hammer Museum.

COLORADO LORE The 1878 Silver Dollar Saloon is on Leadville’s Victorian main street.

Modern sculptures stand out against Gothic architecture of Gdansk's Main Town.

The Arab restaurant Nefertiti on Bangkok’s Arab street.

Jill Smart, in foreground, in a videoconference from her office in Chicago with colleagues in Atlanta and London.

Baltimore, San Diego, St. Louis and two Florida destinations are among the cities affected as the carrier grounds a third of its fleet to counter soaring fuel costs.

A surfer and a wedding party present contrasting images in Neve Tzedek, a quiet corner of the city.

Juan Torres in his studio in Capula, near Pátzcuaro, with his ceramics.

At Hongik Sootbul Kalbi, a barbecue restaurant near Hongik University.

The southwestern section of the Mekong Delta is known as Vietnam’s rice basket.

Events in Poland, Wales and California are worth getting on a plane for.

To the Editor: I got a kick out of the travel section’s “36 Hours in Pittsburgh” (July 6). Pittsburghers have known for a long time that the only people who don’t like our city are those who have never visited. The theater scene here is vibrant. Not to be missed is Quantum Theatre (www.quantumtheatre.com), which since 1990 has been producing works in sites specific to them like a city park, abandoned industrial warehouse or an empty swimming pool in Andrew Carnegie’s first library building in Braddock, Pa.

To the Editor: I was very distressed that the Travel article “36 Hours: Bangkok” (June 29) chose to include a trip to Patpong, the infamous red light district. First, with a mere three days in a city rich with art, culture, religion and food, why would anyone waste their time at strip clubs or buying porn? But more disturbing, why would The Times advocate visiting a part of the city that profits from the sex trade, a business that exploits men, women and children? Visitors who want that experience will find it without a tacit endorsement by The Times. Lauren Bufferd.

To the Editor: I would like to congratulate Adam Begley on his excellent article, “Sicily, Through the Eyes of the Leopard” (July 6). Having been born in Siracusa, Sicily, and grown up there in the 1960s, I was made to read “Il Gattopardo” in high school and never appreciated it. Not sure how, but recently I found the old high-school book, reread it and loved it. The article captures, better than any I have ever read, the essence of the book, the author, the land, the people, the contradictions, the culture. Paul Pirrotta.