Wales is blessed with so many natural and cultural treasures. And one way to get acquainted with what this country has to offer is by booking a stay at one of several unique accommodations that vary from the serene to the quirky. You can read about six of these in my latest article for ForbesLife.
Though the vast majority of visitors flock to Spring Lake in the summer, many people find the other three seasons to be quite atmospheric, especially without the crowds. This is winter in Spring Lake.
One of the 19th century wooden footbridges shining in the rays of the rising sun in winter. During the holidays, each of the pair of footbridges is strung with lights, making for an even more atmospheric experience if you walk across either of them at night.
Every season is delightful in Spring Lake, though I’m especially fond of the off season. This is one of two footbridges that date to the late 1800s.
Divine Park, the home of Spring Lake, is wonderfully forested with white oaks, sugar maples and many other trees that take on a dramatic hue come fall.
Despite traveling all over the world to the most wonderful places, I always return to Spring Lake, New Jersey that’s a bastion of serenity and bucolic scenery.
Sunrise is a special time in Spring Lake.
Santorini has such a distinctive, dramatic profile as whitewashed buildings hover over an expansive caldera, and a narrow road zig-zags from the shore to the cliff top.
Patmos is one of my favorite Greek islands. It’s small (just about 7 miles long), scenic, only accessible by boat, and hardly thronged with tourists.
It’s so lovely wandering around the streets — many lined with marble — and exploring the neoclassical architecture on the island of Syros.
It seemed like I was the only one checking out the nooks and crannies on the Greek isles. This is an image from my wanderings in the Vaporia neighborhood on Syros, where I found numerous neoclassical mansions.
On Mykonos, this church (Panagia Paraportiani) — one of the island’s signature sights — is an amalgam of five chapels that were each developed during a different time period.
Mykonos is noted for its luxe shopping venues. But, I scoped out other sights, including some lovely bars perched on the waterfront.
I managed to wander around Mykonos early in the morning before the narrow lanes were thronged with people. This is the scenic Little Venice neighborhood that’s noted for its proximity to the seafront.
Meandering around the relatively quiet streets of Mykonos, I found plenty of scenes that defy the obvious photos often taken of this Greek island.
Portmeirion Village (the quirky village in Wales where The Prisoner was shot) is captivating even in inclement weather.
Though I didn’t visit the 180-foot-long Laburnum Arch at the height of the season (late May-earlyJune), it’s still lovely to behold. This is one of the most visited venues at the expansive Bodnant Gardens in Wales.
What an atmospheric setting for a tea room in Wales. At Tu Hwnt I’r Bont, I enjoyed scones with butter and jam in the leafy gardens beside the Conwy River. Most of the edifice is blanketed with Virginia creeper which, I’m told, turns a delightful shade of crimson in the fall.
The landscape of Wales is a delightful patchwork of verdancy in all its vivid green hues.
I’m enamored with Newport, a lovely town in Southwest Wales with a sandy beach, a castle, several coffee shops and art and craft emporia, and much more.
In the town of Llangollen, Wales, the lush grounds and oak-paneled interior of this mansion, Plas Newydd, are worth an extended visit. This is where the Ladies of Llangollen - as portrayed in the BBC series Gentleman Jack - lived.
Wales is surprising in every way — all of it great because, among many things, the natural landscapes couldn’t be more abundant.
Southwest Wales is peppered with picturesque coves.
In Wales, the town of Cardigan is a wonderful mix of old and contemporary, including a window-walled coffee shop in the 12th century castle, a former riverfront warehouse turned into the atmospheric Albion Hotel, and a wood-fired pizza restaurant along the River Teifi.
The riverfront Albion Hotel has a delightful melding of the contemporary and the old, whether in the decor of the guest rooms, the bar, restaurant or other public spaces.
Some people come from far afield just to take a photo of what’s referred to as the “lone tree” in Eryi National Park (Snowdonia) in Wales. I watched one photographer set up for what looked like an extended visit to document the changing light on this silver birch as well as the rugged peaks in the distance.
Aside from nature-based wonders, Wales presents so many other wonderful surprises, including the array of boldly-hued facades.
Visiting or staying at Portmeirion Village on the coast of Wales is a not-to-miss experience. Sure, it’s where the cult classic, The Prisoner, was shot. But this quirky village is so much more: trails thread through woodlands, waterfront vistas are abundant, as are the diverse works of art on display.
No matter where you gaze, including through your windows, brings into view something fantastical.
Wherever I go in the world, I’m always on the lookout for public art and I found plenty to admire in Toronto. Some of the works were difficult to find while others are on the tourist radar. This is my latest for ForbesLife where I discuss the sculptures, art installations and street art that peppers the landscape of Toronto.
While I was in Reno, Nevada attending the awesome Cordillera International Film Festival with my feature-length comedy script, I had the opportunity to explore the fab public art that peppers the nicely landscaped plazas at The Outlets at Legends in Sparks, Nevada. (Many of the festival’s features and shorts played at the Galaxy Theaters Legends.)
One more example of the creative public art that dots the plazas at The Outlets at Legends in Sparks, Nevada. This botanical sculpture is part of a small water feature.
On the North Lake area, I found the clouds to be mesmerizing.
There were no bad views when I bicycled from the East Point Lighthouse to Souris Beach.
It’s worth spending several days in the charming capital city of Charlottetown that’s peppered with vibrant public art.
A walk along the Greenwich Dunes Trail is a must-do when visiting Prince Edward Island. The setting that includes serpentine boardwalks (including a floating boardwalk) and tall sand dunes couldn’t be more bucolic.
Even in cloudy weather, strolling along the floating boardwalk is an enthralling experience.
Bicycling around Prince Edward Island is an idyllic experience, full of picturesque views and great seafood. (I fell in love with the abundance of boldly-hued lupines lining the roads.)
Along the north shore, I discovered scenic North Lake, known as the World’s Tuna Capital, with its pristine oceanfront beaches and some blustery headwinds.
And yet another dessert that resembles a work of art, served at Raest in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. Sebastian Jimenez, who hails from Mexico, is one of the most creative chefs around. Presented here on a blue and white tile is a churro containing a dollop of white chocolate along with coriander seeds, and topped with cornflowers. Next to it is a typical triangular-shaped Mexican snack, but here it’s made with rhubarb juice.
Island hopping in the Faroe Islands is an idyllic experience. Transportation to get to the different islands can involve driving through wide subsea or narrow tunnels, or across causeways, flying in a helicopter, or boarding a ferry that can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours.
I’ve now visited 10 of the 18 islands that make up the Faroe Islands. No matter where I roamed, I found nothing but stellar views. (That’s Koltur Island in the distance.)
ROKS is one of several delectable restaurants in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. This stunning dish is razor clam served raw in its shell and topped with foraged flowers. The two-story restaurant is centered around serving fresh-from-the-sea fish and seafood in two multi-course menus.
On the Faroe Islands, the roads that thread along a headland in the south of Eysturoy provide numerous picnic opportunities as well as stellar views of Nolsoy, the small adjacent island that is accessible by a short ferry ride.
I fell in love with the look of this town hall in the Faroe Islands. It’s located in the Eystur municipality and designed by the same architect who did Reykjavik’s stunning Harpa Hall. (You can walk across the grassy rooftop!)
Torshavn, the tiny waterfront capital city of the Faroe Islands, couldn’t be more atmospheric. No matter the weather, it always looks good and offers a warm welcome to this archipelago of 18 islands.
