Italy’s irresistible attractions for travelers are not just tantalising glimpses of faded glory, the civilisations of Rome and the Etruscans, or the architectural and artistic marvels of the Middle Ages, or as the cradle of the Renaissance, or even today as t one of the great centers of the arts, design and fashion.
The variety of quality travel in Italy is boundless: from the pinnacles and refuges of the Dolomites to mountain communities of " Old Sicily"; from the world’s greatest cities for art and architecture ( and Shopping! ), Venice, Florence, Rome and many perfectly preserved medieval cities, Siena, Assisi, Gubbio... to countless isolated "gems" that people travel the world just to see.The countryside, punctuated with cypress trees, castles and walled hill town, that have scarcely changed since medieval times.
Nowhere is there a greater profusion or variety of flowers, and as you follow ancient country paths from one perfectly preserved hill town or village to the next, and find comfortable characteristic accommodation and a wonderful meal, you'll have no doubt that the only way to really see Italy, in all its infinite diversity , is on foot.
The charms of France need no introduction - vibrant town life, fine wines, lovingly prepared cuisine, varied scenery and a plethora of sites from prehistoric caves to Provençal markets.
The Dorgogne tour follows a marvellous route through the heart of castle-, cave- and confit-country, to the pilgrim village of Rocamadour. In Provence, which is another surprising area, we find the images that inspired Van gogh and Cézannne: scarlet poppies in gold fields, scrub scented with thyme, myrtle and juniper and the inspiring scenery of the Mts Alpilles and Ste Victorie.
In the north, apart from the beauty of the Lima valley, is a unique landscape of rounded granite mountains: Europe’s largest wilderness area. Here are wide crystal clear rivers and ancient granite-paved pilgrim trails that pass beneath pergolas laden with grapes, and through quite, unspoiled villages. Further south, dry plains are punctuated by low, craggy hills, fortified with splendidly preserved medieval castles, dominating the white-washed towns, that overlook cork orchards and olive groves, in whose shade lie many outstanding pre-historic monuments.
Offshore, the volcanic archipelagos provide outstanding scenery, and ever-present views of the Atlantic. Madeira provides excellent walking along its network of watercourses (levadas), and the Azores are famed for their remote, hydrangea-ringed volcanoes - and whales.
Portugal’s cities reflect the opulence and culture of a powerful, seafaring, imperial past. Lisbon , Oporto and Évora are renowned for their culture, monuments and bustling energy, making them ideal destinations for a short break.
Enriched by the legacy of so many civilizations, whether Phoenician or Greek, Carthaginian or Roman, Visigothic or Moorish, Spain has a unique wealth of cultural complexity, while its imperial past, supported by gold from the New World, has left magnificent monuments and echoes of fading grandeur. The richness of the tapestry is completed by Spain’s ethnic diversity, following millennia of migrations and invasions, from small dark Hispanic people of Teruel and the Maestrazgo, to the Swabians and Moorish Goths of Leon, to the Basques, the Celts of Galicia...
With sophisticated centers of culture, Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, architecture from Roman and Moorish to Gothic and Gaudi, art from Velasquez and Goya to Picasso and beyond, and great monuments spanning every era, Spain’s heritage has an expansiveness that matches the vast panoramas of landscapes.