The Lofoten Islands

The Lofoten Islands

We flew the next day to Bodø, a small town of 50 thousand people, which markets itself as the ‘gateway to Norway’s true north'. The city was still covered with a layer of ice, making walking quite challenging, so we spent about three hours until the ferry’s departure,...

Bergen and Oslo

Bergen and Oslo

We flew from Athens to Copenhagen and then to Bergen. The second largest Norwegian city is the hub to the fjord world, surrounded by great landscapes and dominated by the bold color palette of the city’s houses. When we arrived the sun was shining, the skies were...

Norway

Norway

Why is Norway so rich? How is life during the dark and cold winter north of the polar zone? Why are Scandinavian murder novelists so successful? What is so magic about the northern lights? These are some of the many questions I was hoping to answer at the northernmost...

Colors of Symi

Colors of Symi

Next to the island Rhodes, there is a small gem. The tiny island of Symi is only one hour away from its famous neighbor and is unwuestionably the most picturesque of the Greek islands. It has a beautiful port, with colorful houses and narrow streets. The houses climb...

Barcelona 2015

Barcelona 2015

This was my second visit to Barcelona. The previous visit for business purposes (here) so I had very limited time to walk around. This time, it was different. Four days only, joined by friends and my kids, but we had plenty of time to walk around and soak in the city...

Aegean Blue

Aegean Blue

Thousands of islands are scattered around the the Aegean Sea, a unique setup of superb beaches, beautiful villages, warm people and great food. If I had to tag the Aegean with one word that would blue. These photos were taken over the last years in some of my many...

South Italy (2014)

South Italy (2014)

South Italy is a land of historical diversity and continuity, active volcanoes, excellent food and warm people. I can hardly think of a reason I had not visited earlier this place, so close to Greece and yet so off my destination lists. Anyway, here we are, early...

Naples and the Amalfi Coast

Naples and the Amalfi Coast

This time it took less than thirty minutes to clear with the formalities at the rental car pickup in Naples airport and the good news was that they had a full tank return policy, not like the rental company in Sicily that I had to return the car empty. Since it is...

Sicily – Part 2

Sicily – Part 2

We stayed at a beautiful but overpriced lodge right next to the Valley of Temples where we were able to observe the night lighted monuments in all their glory. The next morning we headed to the archaeological park and joined a small group for a two hour walk along the...

Sicily – Part 1

Sicily – Part 1

We arrived in Catania with a flight from Rome. The sign next to the car rental office warned us not to leave any luggage in the car nor to park the car in the city center. After one hour in the queue, we finally got our car and took the road to Castelmola, a small...