This beautiful swallowtail butterfly stopped by our butterfly garden to pay us a vist. The lantana bush's flowers were the draw.

Swallowtail butterflies can be this darkish black coloration. They can also be a bright yellow with the same distinct markings.

A regal Queen

This Queen butterfly sat and posed on this milkweed plant in my backyard.

One of the milkweed butterflies, the Queen butterfly resembles both the Monarch and the Viceroy butterflies.

Carmel by the Sea sunset

One of the "things to do" in Carmel by the Sea besides strolling the shops and trying all the great restaurant options is to time your ocean walk to the setting of the sun.

You won't be alone. Hundreds of townpeople and visitors flock to the beach to watch the golden orb set slowly into the horizon.

One of life's best views for free.

Foxgloves

These beautiful flowers are found in gardens all over Carmel-by-the-Sea.

California travel

Let's change course and travel to a California location--Carmel-by-the-Sea. The tiny town is filled with charming dwarf-style cottages and gardens overflowing with flowers of all kinds, including foxgloves, dahlias, daisies and hydrangeas of pink, blue and lavender.

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Mesta

In the southern part of the island of Chios is the medieval village of Mesta. Tall stone walls enclose the city and create passageways between the homes.

A wonderful central courtyard is found within the walls where townspeople mingle with visitors to the village.

Inside the small restaurant, diners select their main dish.

The island of Chios

It seems the island of Chios is now becoming quite the place to be. Even a former President toured the island visiting the sites and enjoying the hospitality of the people. If you travel to the island, be sure to visit Daskalopetra, better known in English as Homer's stone.

The ancient Greek poet was thought to have taught his students at this location overlooking the sea. He may have been telling them the tales of Helen of Troy or those of Ulysses.

Food and drink

What would a grand travel experience be without good food and drink? Greece is one of the best places to experience wonderful grilled meat, fish and vegetable dishes while sipping Retsina wine or an ice-cold glass of ouzo-the Greek national beverage.

The Greek cucumbers called xylagoura are absolutely delicious as part of a Greek salad along with freshly grown, bright red tomatoes, green peppers and black olives, topped with a lovely drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a healthy chunk of Feta cheese. Served with a loaf of crusty, whole-grained country bread it forms a very healthy lunch.

Medieval villages such as the one named Mesta in the southern part of Chios, are constructed in a way that connects all the walls to one another. There are doorways and small alleyways with arched pathways running across the main walls. The configuration was built to confuse marauders who might attempt to conquer the village.

Today, the high stone walls provide protection from the summer sun, as the temperature within the walled community is significantly lower than the outside surroundings. What a great place to visit and stop for a meal in the beautiful courtyard in the center of the town.

Whenever I have the chance to vacation in Europe, I always seem drawn to those cities with a lovely character. Places like Paris, Rome, Nice and Lyon.

Recently I visited the island of Chios, located on the eastern side of the Greek Agean across the water from Czesme in Turkey. The walled streets and homes offer wonderful photo ops with their layers of multi-hued stacked stones inset with tall, wooden doors.

A peek into the courtyard of these homes reveals balconies covered with vividly colored bougainvillea and pots of geraniums. Many of the older estates have a well with a water wheel called a maganos.

Doorways of the mind

During a recent visit to Greece, I was fascinated by the ancient doors and doorways. Some are in disrepair, hanging ajar from years of neglect. Others still had their original majestic lineages--strong bones--creative ironwork or handsome slabs of wood.