Brisbane: Riverside Pride

Athens: A city that charms its guests and stirs their emotions

The city took its name from Athena, goddess of wisdom, strategy and war, and protector of the city. The financial, political and administrative center of the country and an all-powerful city-state in antiquity, Athens is a major center of culture. A visit to the first-ever museum dedicated to Byzantium, a stroll around the National Garden and a trip to the Olympeion archaeological site will take you back through time.

Algarve: Beyond Beach

No single description fits the Algarve, Portugal’s 100- mile southern coast. Ask a northern European taking refuge from the cold, gray February of Bristol or Bremerhaven and you’ll hear of its miles of golden-sand beaches, eroded honey-colored cliffs, lively nightlife and welcoming pubs, its watersports, sea caves and golf courses overlooking the sea. But ask a traveler used to the stunning architecture, lush gardens and rich history in the rest of Portugal and you’re more likely to hear of the Algarve’s crowded resorts and hillsides covered in rows of holiday apartments.