I hang over an enormous copper bowl cradled in a hammock like a tea bag waiting to be submerged. My spa therapist Julia encourages me to relax. So I close my eyes and take a deep, nervous breath in anticipation of what’s to come.

My professor friend had just returned from visiting the Greek islands, but didn’t have enough time to see Delphi as she had hoped. I was departing the next day for mainland Greece — the Corinthian Gulf, the Peloponnese Peninsula and central Greece — and made it to Delphi. I thought of Rita as I stood amongst the ruins on Mount Parnassus where ancient Greeks trekked to seek sacred counsel of the Oracle — a “Wow-I-can’t-believe-I’m-here” moment. This journey through a magical region of roa...

For 500 years, this tiny Bavarian town has staged an annual performance of the story of St. George slaying the dragon that has grown from a humble religious procession into a spectacular event that today features the world’s largest walking robot.

LAGUARDIA, BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN - A cloud of doubt hangs over Juan Manuel Lavín Santamaria’s head as he surveys the dark sky forming above this picturesque medieval Basque town.

I must confess, I have a love, hate relationship with observation (Ferris) wheels — I “love” the view they offer but “hate” how they disturb iconic skylines like London and Singapore. However, while I may find the massive urban wheels to be more eye sore than eye candy, millions of people disagree — they’re the ones who stand in long lineups and pay for the slow motion “thrill” of riding in one of the wheels’ futuristic observation pods.

I had been looking forward to this trip for a while. Not just because it would be my third visit to fascinating France, but also because of the mode of transportation I would be using to get around during my six days here — a barge. And not just any old commercial barge, but a luxury European Waterways barge with all the amenities of a 5-Star hotel.

WARSAW - As I stand at the foot of what could be known as The Empire Distaste Building, I am reminded of Apocalypse Then in a city that really and truly has come back from the dead.

Inebriation, ammunition, a blazing bonfire, and a beauty queen. Throw in a healthy dose of pagan mysticism — and barrels-full of cider — and you, my friend, have got the recipe for one rockin’ wassail, as I discovered on a visit to this delightful West Country hamlet one wintry January night.

It’s a brisk autumn morning, and Italy’s Lake Como is glittering like an emerald set not in gold, but among green undulating hills. The frothing wake of my boat creates the only ripples on its otherwise mirror-like surface, which reflects the sorbet-hued villas that cluster around its banks as if admiring their glamorous facades in the water.

I step into the lobby of the posh Merrion Hotel and pause when I see people wearing audio devices and admiring priceless works of art. I’m left to wonder: Is this the best hotel in Dublin or the National Gallery?