Places
Not every place earns a return visit. These ones did. Here are the spots that stopped me in my tracks — the views, the streets, the moments I keep going back to in my mind.
"Worth every steep step"
The most beautiful stretch of coastline I have ever seen. The roads are terrifying, the steps are endless, and I would go back tomorrow.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
Go in September. Stay at least four nights. Hire a driver — do not attempt those roads yourself.
"The most beautiful neighborhood I've ever walked"
Stone-paved lanes, wooden machiya townhouses, the smell of incense from a hundred temples. Higashiyama is what you imagine Japan to be — and it actually is.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
Be there before 8am. The lanes are empty and the light is extraordinary. Bring comfortable shoes — you will walk for hours.
"Every alley is a photograph"
The Blue City lives up to its name. Every wall, every staircase, every pot of geraniums is painted in a different shade of blue. It sounds gimmicky. It is genuinely magical.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
Stay two nights minimum. The day-trippers leave by 4pm and the town becomes yours. The light at dusk is extraordinary.
"The most livable city in Europe"
Porto is Lisbon's cooler, less self-conscious sibling. The Ribeira waterfront, the azulejo-tiled churches, the port wine lodges across the river — it all adds up to something irresistible.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
Walk everywhere. Porto is a city for wandering. The hills are steep but every climb rewards you with a view.
"Still the most moving sight in the world"
I have been to the Acropolis four times. It moves me every single time. There is something about standing where people have stood for 2,500 years that puts everything in perspective.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
Book the first entry slot of the day — 8am. You will have the site nearly to yourself for the first hour. Bring water.
"The landscape that looks like a painting"
Rolling hills, cypress avenues, medieval hilltop towns, and wine that costs almost nothing. The Val d'Orcia is the Italy of your imagination, and it is exactly as beautiful as you hope.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
Rent a car. You cannot do this region justice without one. Stay in an agriturismo — the breakfasts alone are worth it.
"The most charming city in Southeast Asia"
Three hundred temples inside a moated old city, surrounded by mountains and jungle. The Sunday Night Market alone is worth the flight. The food is extraordinary.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
November to February is the best time — cool, dry, and the air quality is good. Rent a bicycle to explore the old city.
"France at its most seductive"
Lavender fields, perched villages, outdoor markets, and rosé wine at noon. The Luberon is the France of postcards — and it is even better in person.
Highlights
Margaret's tip
July is lavender season — spectacular but busy. Come in June for the blooms with fewer crowds. Stay in a gîte, not a hotel.
More to explore
I review hotels and restaurants with the same honesty I bring to places. No sponsored stays, no free meals — just my honest opinion.