The Duke’s Diwan is a time capsule of early 20th-century Amman, hidden in plain sight on the busy King Faisal Street. Built in 1924 as the city’s first post office, this Ottoman-era stone house later became the Haifa Hotel before heritage activist Mamdouh Bisharat ("The Duke of Mukheibeh") rescued it from demolition in 2001. Today, its creaking wooden floors lead through rooms frozen in Jordan’s past, complete with antique typewriters, sepia photos of camel caravans on dusty roads, and a balcony overlooking downtown’s metamorphosis. More than a museum, it’s a living diwan (gathering space): poets hold readings at the carved oak table, while artists riff under the Arabian archways. Admission is free, and the duke himself sometimes holds court, spinning tales of old Amman over cardamom coffee. Don’t miss the upstairs gallery, where rotating exhibits spotlight Jordan’s underground creatives.

Día de la Comunidad Valenciana, which commemorates the liberation of the city from the Moors, brings along one of the most peculiar and charming Valencian traditions. In a kind of “alternative Valentine’s day”, men give their loved ones a special gift of marzipan figurines of fruits and vegetables wrapped in a silk scarf known as the mocadora.

Brick Lane is the heart of London’s Bangladeshi community. Road signs here appear in both English and Bengali, and the restaurants are authentic and unpretentious. Some iconic restaurants like the Bengal Village, Aladin, Smokestak, Hawksmoor, All Star Lanes can be found here. Beigel Bake, where you can get a traditional Jewish-style filled bagel with salt beef or smoked salmon is an absolute must.