Devon occupies England’s southwest peninsula, a county shaped by seafaring, farming, and long continuity of settlement. Its history stretches from prehistoric sites on Dartmoor through Roman roads and medieval ports to towns that grew wealthy on trade and shipbuilding.

Wick’s location at the mouth of the River Wick provides a dramatic coastal setting, with cliffs, sandy beaches, and the North Sea stretching into the horizon.

Carcassonne is a fortified city in southern France, rising above the Aude River with walls and towers that feel lifted from another century. Its origins stretch back to Roman times, but the city is best known for its medieval citadel, rebuilt and expanded during the Middle Ages when Carcassonne became a strategic stronghold on key trade and military routes.

La Palma (also San Miguel de La Palma) is the fifth of Spain's Canary Islands. This mountainous volcanic island is a natural wonder of tropical vegetation. Its coast is lined by jagged cliffs and plunging ravines, and its beaches are covered with black sand. Thanks to dry climate and the height of its mountains creating excellent observation conditions, La Palma has become the home of some of the world's largest telescopes, seated on the rocky ridge called El Roque de los Muchachos.

Kobe, Japan is a beautiful port city renowned for its historic shrines, botanical gardens, hot springs, and marbled Kobe beef. Highlights of this Japanese retreat include Ikuta Shrine, thought to be one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines, Kobe Nunobiki Herb Botanical Gardens, Mount Rokkō, and Arima Onsen, a popular hot springs resort surrounded by Japanese maple trees.