The 14 World Heritage Sites of Sweden
Given its relatively small population Sweden has a surprising abundance of cultural treasures. This has been recognised in recent years by UNESCO who have awarded 14 Swedish sites with World Heritage status. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that most of these places are completely unknown
How the Greek people spend their winters…
While I am working in the Sunvil UK office over the winter months, my thoughts keep returning to the lovely Ionian Islands on the west coast of Greece. This is because I am lucky enough to be the Sunvil and GIC – The Villa Collection local representative
Dog sledding in Swedish Lapland
February 2012 I have always been a little nervous of dog sledding; I have visions of the dogs taking control and rushing off in the direction they want to go rather than where I want them to take me. In fact, the hardest part of it is
Exploring the wine villages of Cyprus
Cyprus may not be the first country to spring to mind when thinking about the world’s great wine regions, yet the production of wine on this Mediterranean island has a longer history than almost anywhere else in the world. Recent archaeological discoveries suggest the presence of vineyards
Tromso – for the Northern Lights and so much more
2012 is proving a popular year to try and get a sighting of the Northern Lights. We are entering a period of increasing solar activity, which in simple speak means that the chance of seeing the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) is better now than it has been
A Brief Guide to Thassos
Thassos manages to combine all of the main ingredients of a typical Greek island (great beaches, charming villages, rich history, delicious food) despite its small size. Yet even with its obvious attractions it has retained a charm that has visitors returning year after year to its sunny
Who can you trust?
I have a friend who advertises several properties that he rents out privately on some of the well-known European villa owners’ sites. He is retired so has plenty of time to reply to enquiries and to monitor exactly where enquiries are coming from and how his –
Geocaching in the Azores
Many of us might consider our holidays to be the perfect time to put away our computers and phones, and unplug completely from our routine lives. The advent of smartphones and ever increasing wifi coverage is threatening this gadget de-tox, with more and more people feeling the
In pictures: the wonders of the Galapagos islands
The Galapagos Islands, around 500 miles off the west coast of Ecuador, are rightly regarded as a wonderful place to observe at close quarters some of the world’s most unusual species. Not only are the majority of the species found here unique to the islands but the
Sicily – an island apart
Carthage, Greece, Rome, North Africans, Normans, Spaniards and Bourbons have all taken their turns as invaders of Sicily. Some would argue that even the Italians are perhaps no more than the latest group to colonise this fiercely disobedient Mediterranean island. As each culture’s influence has waxed and