All good things must come to an End

Photos: 7,125

We’ve decided to end all our future trips with stint at the Intercontinental. AirBNB has been fantastic for us, but 5 star is hard to beat, at least occasionally. We broke up this trip up with 3 proper hotels, with the Athens Athenaeum the last breed, so decided to spend the extra 80 Euro and do it club Intercontinental style. This is basically the Emirates First class lounge with free-flowing food and drinks (well almost), so our last day in Greece was limited to swim, full buffet breakfast, swim, afternoon tea and then flight home. Couldn’t fit anything else in with all that indulgence.

So, here’s the stats. Choosing a best of is like choosing a favourite child and of course any rating is subjective – just google best beach in Europe and you will find that no two lists match – but this is what we liked the best from a memorable section. I will add that this list is biased by our preference which grew for the small towns and rural areas over the famous cities (which can tend to be much like many other cities, despite some genuine gems which inevitably bring the mega crowds), as they were hypocritically less full of tourists and generally more “real’ (in my opinion).

Radisson Blu pool no. 2

Best Hotel: I’d have to say the Radisson Blu in Split, just because it had the view and private beach (and two pools and spa and 4 restaurants … indulgence indeed), only because the Athens Intercontinental didn’t have a view (unless the graffiti covered delict building next door counts) and only one pool. In fact, all the proper hotels were good, with the Murano Sofitel a great start and the Prekas Apartments in Santorini had THAT view.

Life's a blur on holidays

Best AirBNB: we really didn’t get a bad AirBNB. Florence was a work of art, Korcula was in the heart of the old Town, Dubrovnik had a terrace view of the old town and Corfu of the bay and Vidos Island, Mykonos was a full island resort, but Hvar had great facilities and was only 50m from the beach.

Stunning

Best Beach: Balos in Crete, it’s just a pity it’s so hard to reach (and Helen will NEVER go back on that road) – in Australia that would mean no people, but not so in Europe. Hopnourable mentions to Agia Pelagia (Chilled Crete), Kalafasi (less party than the other Mykonos beaches), Palaiokastritsa (Corfu's attempt at Balos), Plaa unj (the closest to sand in Croatia) and Mlini Beach (idyllic but no sand).

The Orange cafe?

Best City: Dubrovnik by a good margin. Rome has the history and culture, Athens has the Acropolis and ruins, the Venice canals are unique and Florence is a classic snapshot of old Italy, but Dubrovnik has the old town, a great bay and wonderful islands.

The bay at Korčula

Best Island: Korcula is stunning, but more mature than party island Hvar. The location is just made for watching the sun set on the terrace at Konoba Morski Konjic, enjoying a beer and tuna steak. Crete was authentic, Corfu once would have been cultured, and Mykonos is just a party rock, although the view was stunning at Santorini.

Piazza San Pietro

Best Church: The churches in Firenze were impressive (including our local Basilica di Santo Spirito with a Michaelengo in the corner), but the sheer size, the fresco covered (even higher) ceiling, the multiple renaissance frescos that adorn each (of about 20) knaves, the carvings, sculpture and marble make St Peter's Basilica a truly beautiful place, that reflects its status as the home of the world’s biggest Christian community.

What big hands you have

Best Art: Anything by Michaelangelo, esepcially his statue of David. The detail is outstanding. He is a very masculine wimp, as you can see the muscle definition, the veins in his arms and hands, his ribs and the smug, satisfied expression on his face - Mick was good.

Best History: Firenze is a snapshot of 1600 and Roma has a cathedral on every corner and the Roman Forum, but the Acropolis dominates the Athens skyline and the buildings atop it are magnificent - marble masterpieces on the sheer 100 foot cliffs of the limestone monolith, even more impressive given it was all built in about 400 BC.

Poggio Amorelli - home of Lorenzo the great

Best Region: We loved Croatia, Corfu had potential and Crete was much more authentic than the other Greek slands, but we loved Tuscany, with its rolling hills covered in vineyards and Olive trees and dotted with stone villas – idyllic. Like McLaren Vale but with more hills (and stone villas and olive trees).