Travel

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.

I also relived the mastery, and mystery, of the great Mayan civilization. I hiked hidden paths, enjoyed gentle canoe paddles and explored the jungle, rain forests and rivers that encompass inland Belize.

Many people picture the Dominican Republic as a place of golden sand beaches and inviting all-inclusive resorts. While there are many such settings, we had other things in mind during our recent visit.

The town lies in a fertile valley nestled among rolling, tree-clad hills and some of the highest mountains in Maine. Small lakes, ponds and meandering rivers, dot the landscape. The stretch of the Androscoggin that runs past Bethel offers good angling for brown and rainbow trout.

If mention of Austria conjures up images of tiny villages of flower-bedecked chalets, cows and sheep grazing on hillsides so steep you wonder how they can stand, and people who cling proudly to their colorful traditions, you’re probably picturing the Tyrol.

No offense against the Galapagos Islands. Home to giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas and other exotic creatures, the archipelago off Ecuador’s coast ranks for me and many other travelers among the top places to visit before I die.

Every family member enjoyed tasting five mini-bars. We allowed the chocolate to melt on our tongues, as instructed, while trying to distinguish a wine-like list of textures (from smooth to granular), smells (including woodsy and fruity) and tastes (citrus, coffee, nutty).

As the surf laps at your feet and sand dunes stretch for as far as the eye can see under a sky filled with billowing clouds, it becomes clear that your search for the enchanting island the irrepressible Anne Shirley falls in love with is complete.