SUNDAY'S SPECIAL SPOT - SANTORINI, GREECE

Any moment that Greece is mentioned my mind inevitably thinks of the white washed, blue domed buildings of the island of Santorini. One of the Cyclades island group, Santorini is without doubt the most familiar of all the Greek Isles. It is located in the Aegean Sea, 200km/120mi south of the Greek mainland. It was created from a volcanic blast that destroyed what once was a lone island and created this caldera.

This photo of Santorini is courtesy of TripAdvisor

History, an arid climate, good food, stunning views and beaches of white, black and red makes this a locale one that is heaven to the senses.

Photo credit: Trip Advisor

SUNDAY'S SPECIAL SPOT - SARDINIA

Italy's Mediterranean island of Sardinia is a sought after destination for beach lovers and sun worshipers. In addition to it's warm summer weather it has a history that reaches back to 1500 B.C.E. It is one of the oldest pieces of land in Europe. It is now a semi-autonomous state of Italy.

Photo credit: Riviera VIP Services Blog

GETAWAY TO TOFINO

Several weeks ago I spent a few days on Vancouver Island with some of my closest girlfriends. We headed to Tofino, as I mentioned here. I was excited to get away for a couple of days and relax. It was a great time despite that the weather was a mix of rain and clouds. The sun did shine for us one day.

Tofino is a beautiful coastal town enveloped in green on every side except that of the Pacific Ocean.  We stayed at the Pacific Sands in one of their suites (and jammed five of us in there to save $$$). We faced the ocean with a row of trees lining the view. If you were to sail west from Tofino you would end up in Japan or thereabouts. Without any land between them the waves and storms can be wonderful and awe-inspiring. Even with the rain, we did not see any thunderstorms.

Our resort was on one of the beaches just outside of the town of Tofino. We did cruise into town to book the surfing lessons. Well, my friends did. I am not always confident in the water and the strong waves would have freaked me out a bit as I can barely swim.  I do like the water but if there is a chance of being overwhelmed by the waves I will opt to avoid them. Calm waters suit me best. As well, being a bigger gal, I don't think the surf shop would have a wet suit to fit me. In the end, I was the one who documented my the first-time surfing adventures of my companions.

We also looked around the very touristy aspect of Tofino. That is the main industry I am certain. Among the many surf shops there were galleries, whale-watching outfitters, sea-kayaking and fishing adventures and much more. One would be hard pressed to find a reason to stay indoors at this locale. 

I hope to return to Tofino and have a nice getaway to storm watch and take in the natural beauty on one of its many nature trails.

Ms Brown, mascot of girls getaways

On the beach

She sell seashells on the seashore

Surfing lesson

Surfer girls

Our beach at dusk

dusk

An incredible sunset

An (overexposed) starfish 

Birthday cheesecake and wine

We stopped here on our drive back 

Such lush greenery

Me hugging a very old and majestic tree

SUNDAY'S SPECIAL SPOT - SHARK BAY, AUSTRALIA

On the western coast of Australia,1200 km (800 miles) north of the city of Perth, lies an incredible "W" shaped bay that is home to hundreds of bird, reptile, amphibian and marine life. Its geology ranges from stunning cliffs to beautiful lagoons all along a 1,500 km (932 miles) coastline. This extraordinary locale is Shark Bay. 



A sensational sunset at Hamelin Pool in Shark Bay. In the 1990s this unique 10,000 km area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A spectacular area it is.

Photo credit: Flickr. Owned by Rosalia C

Sunday's Special Spot - Saba

"Where do you live?" 
"The Bottom."

And you raise your eyebrows. The bottom of what? In actuality, The Bottom is the capital city of the tiny Caribbean island of Saba, a municipality of The Netherlands. Home to 500 of Saba's   1400 + residents, The Bottom is where the annual Saba Carnival is hosted. Surrounded by lush vegetation, an active volcano and superb diving, this quirky named city is a jumping off point for the rest of the island.

The Bottom, capital city of Saba, Netherland Antilles

What a lush place this minute island is. 

This photo was taken from Wikimedia Commons and the image credits go to Simon Wong