From childhood through the 2000s, I’ve been on the move. And luckily, where I started from was a delightful small village called The Mumbles, on the coast of Wales in the U.K., storybook in every way. As I’ve traveled through the years, it’s been my good fortune to experience the beauty of unforgettable places often in the back of beyond – and have a camera close to hand! (Mount St. Michaels in Cornwall is pictured above.)
The Mumbles, Wales
The Mumbles was everything a child could dream of…a village of small cottages and shops, including a tiny grocery halfway up an almost vertical hill called Higher Lane. Everywhere were country lanes and meadowlands starred with wildflowers and heather. The Mumbles is surrounded by cliffs, shores, pebbled beaches, and caves which beg for exploration.
Grazemala, Andalusia, Spain
Enchanting Grazemala in Andalusia – the town is absolutely charming: all hilly cobbled streets and a tiny town square overlooked by the Catholic church, lots of adorable shops … beautiful.
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Granada is one of Andalusia’s storied cities; here you will find the magical Alhambra.
Ronda, Andalusia, Spain
One of my favorite places on earth, Ronda is a town divided by a deep gorge, looking out over the plains to a faraway horizon… Hiking here was an incredible adventure.
Portofino, Italy
Our first view of Portofino, as we hiked down from high atop a hill: narrow walled paths, starred with daisies. The tiny town of Portofino floats within this panorama, the bay dotted with white boats and yachts. Like a small blue sapphire within an emerald green cup, Portofino is a quintessential cosmopolitan seaside Riviera town.
Snowshill, The Cotswolds, England
Snowshill is a town of sunwashed Cotswolds stone, lanes and lavender fields, and home to Snowshill Manor, once owned by an eccentric individual who gathered oddities from all over the world for the manor house. The manor garden is enchanting. Snowshill’s small pub on the village green is quintessentially English.
Minster Lovell, The Cotswolds, England
Minster Lovell is a village I had never heard of, and was a delightful, absolutely charming surprise. The old church, St. Kenelm’s, is a grade A-listed church dating from the 14th-15th century. Behind the church are tall lacy ruins of what used to be a great manor house set against a wide green lawn alongside the river, where children play on the grass.
Stanton, The Cotswolds, England
The little village of Stanton seems to personify everything I love about the Cotswolds. It is perfect in every way. The houses are built of the butter-yellow Cotswolds stone, and the small street winds downhill and is filled with beautiful sights. Ivy covered walls…a pansy growing from a stone…climbing roses in bloom…views of the rolling Cotswolds hills seen through a framework of old, old trees and houses… and a picturesque little pub in which to have lunch.
Chipping Campden, The Cotswolds, England
One of the beautiful historic gems dotting the Cotswolds, Chipping Campden is full of storybook buildings, cobblestone streets and drystone walls, fields and trails.
Lacock, Wiltshire, England
A storied small village with a lovely little inn, The Sign of the Angel, which houses a resident ghost. If you walk the cobbled streets at dusk, the mystery and magic of Lacock’s history surround you.
Polperro, Cornwall, England
A tiny fishing village on the coast of Cornwall, Polperro has an aura that is really magical. The narrow winding streets, the tiny houses interspersed with shops, restaurants, pubs and galleries…everywhere you look is a picture. Houses are built into or hacked out of bedrock, stacked up on the cliffsides, looking out over steel gray seas.
Fowey, Cornwall
Some of the most enchanting views on the Cornish coast are seen from Fowey, a small port town, and the village itself is made up of white houses on a cliff overlooking the natural harbor of great beauty.
Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, England
No bigger than a teacup, Perranuthnoe casts a magic spell. We couldn’t find directions when driving in Cornwall one autumn, until someone told us to turn right at Bertie Wooster’s Inn.
Ryde, The Isle of Wight, Great Britain
One of the most magical views looks out from my 4th story hotel room over the rooftops of Ryde to the English Channel. Surrounded by beautiful beaches and hiking trails, Ryde is hilly, with cobbled streets and wonderful little shops, pubs and houses.
Cong, Ireland
A tiny historic town in County Mayo, Cong is where the film “The Quiet Man” with John Wayne and Maureen O’Sullivan was filmed…and every pub and restaurant and hotel is named after one of the characters in the movie, and every window is filled with photographs from the movie. Just delightful. Just outside the town is Ashford Castle (with more photos of the cast on its walls)…here you can experience falconry, boat rides, sing along with a troubadour onstage, and revel in the beauty of the Irish countryside.
Glendalough, Ireland
Glendalough is a glacial valley located in County Wicklow known for its incredible natural beauty. Hikes in this historic and magical place are something never to be forgotten.
Inverness, Scotland
Located on the River Ness and steeped in history, Inverness is one of Scotland’s loveliest towns, with architecture that makes you think you’re in another time and place.
Bergen, Norway
Majestic and thrilling, Bergen is surrounded by green mountains – we loved riding the funicular to the top of the mountain and walking back down through deep ferny woods and huge oak and birch trees – beautiful!
Loutro, Crete
Our first glimpse of Loutro is of a heavenly small port on the Libyan sea coast, its buildings whitewashed and edged with the vivid blue shutters of Greece – all facing the water. Our hotel, the Sitis, is at the far edge of the tiny waterfront. It is hard to describe my feelings on first seeing Loutro: it is all I had hoped Greece and Crete would be.
Carpe diem 