Travel

Mention Chincoteague Island, Virginia, and you’re likely to be asked, “Isn’t that where those ponies are?” The answer is “yes.”

I stood frozen with fear as the terrifying image drew closer, his curved sword swinging wildly. Just as he seemed about to separate my head and body, I snapped back to reality.

How can you not love a city where local rogues and scoundrels have streets and bridges named after them? A place that celebrates its oddball residents on a website.

In Chester, England, guests at a medieval inn often claim they see the ghost of a woman looking for her lover who was killed during a 17th-century battle.

My first stop was the Eiffel Tower, where I ooohed and aaahed over views from the observation deck 50 stories above ground. Next I wandered among splashing fountains and graceful statues reminiscent of ancient Rome.

In ways, Railson resembles many 17-year-old boys. He likes to fish, helps with household chores and enjoys hanging out with his friends. But there are differences.

Hearing the word “Greece” can conjure up multiple images. Whitewashed villages gleaming in the sun. Seas that range in a spectrum of color from light turquoise to dark blue.

Life here is laid back and people need little excuse to party. Even the sunset provides one. Each evening, a crush of people congregates at Mallory Square as the sun dips toward the horizon. Jugglers, musicians and other entertainers compete for an audience — and tips.

Raniero Campigotto, the owner of a mountain hut nearly 7,000 feet up in the Dolomites range, has resigned himself to the impossibility of serving dinner without having his guests jump up mid-fork through the polenta and grilled sausage and run outside.

Billboards that recently touted the benefits of socialism now advertise designer clothes and the latest electronic gadgets.