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.
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