User:Pawpalala

Excursion to enchantement: A journey to the world's most beautiful places: National geographic society

1- A galaxy of islands 2- Shining jewels of europe 3- Splendors of the east 4- Africa's wild realms 5- South american wonderlands 6- An american mosaic

Muted colors proclaim the scottish highlands, where a sea loch surrounds Eilean Donan Castle, near Dornie opposite the isle of skye. Built around 1220 to ward of Danish raiders, the castle today welcomes visitors from April to September. 1- A galaxy of islands: A gentle breeze rolls in from the sea, rustling the stiff fronds of coconut palms edging the beach. Sitting in the shade of a palm tree, I look out on a seascape of luminous colors. At anchor on the tiny bay before me are a dozen gleaming sailboats, their hulls slashes of white on a backdrop of startling blue. A curving brushstroke of golden sand defines the semicircular bay. Set back from the beach, dense tropical growth spatters the surrounding hills in the sensuous greens of an impressionist's palette. I am in a traveler's paradise such as dreams are made of. This sunny speck of tranquillity is the island of Mayreau, part of the Grenadines, a 50-mile chain of unspoiled isles devided between the countries of St. Vincent and Grenada. Tucked away at the southern end of the west indies, the grenadines separate the Caribbean sea from the Atlantic ocean. The island nation of Barbados lies to the east; the next stop beyond- Africa.

I have come to Mayreau on an excursion to enchantement, a journey to one of the world's beautiful places. Earth abounds in such settings from lush river valleys to grassy plains, from lofty mountains to wild coastal realms. But spots such as Mayreau are special. For me, as for many others, islands represent a place to kick off your shoes and indulge in Robinson Crusoe fantasies. On Mayreau, those places can come true, if only temporarily. For a week, I settled into that special way of living perfected by islanders, where the quickest pace of the day is a sunset stroll along the beach. I soon found that decisions on this 700- acre hideaway are few and elemental: should I take a swim just now? Get back into that suntan oil smudged paperback? Or maybe just sit here under this palm tree for a while longer. "What most people do here is nothing- absolutely nothing," said Undine Potter with a laugh. Undine, along with her husband, Tom, runs the saltwhistle bay resort, the only hotel on Mayreau. "People come here just to get away, to relax," and get away they do. On Mayreau there are no cars, roads or telephone. The only way to get there is by boat, or by swimming.