When Petros Themelis first visited the ruins of Ancient Messene in 1986, there wasn't much to see: only a few broken columns, strewn around the vineyards and olive groves, and some of the colossal foundations of the city's fourth-century B.C. fortifications. Over the intervening millennia, whole sections of the city walls had been carted away for use in other buildings. Farmers had wrenched the metal from monuments to make tools and used broken statues and epigraphs to build walls to protect their flocks and crops. Gradually, a city that had flourished for 800 years was turned into a de facto quarry, then covered with earth and used as farmland.
Widely acknowledged as a leading archaeologist of his generation, Themelis had already worked on some of Greece's most famous ruins: the palace of Vergina, the sanctuary at Delphi, the stadium of ancient Olympia. Ancient Messene must have seemed like a backwater in comparison-a waterlogged valley in the southwestern Peloponnese, huddled against the slopes of Mount Ithomi. But as Themelis dug deeper, an incredibly sophisticated settlement came to light, just as the secondcentury A.D. travel writer Pausanias had described it.
Right around the time Themelis was beginning his dig, 40 miles to the south a very different type of project was breaking ground-one that would also alter the fate of this often overlooked region. There, a local shipowner was quietly laying the foundations for the most ambitious luxury tourism development in Greece. He gradually bought up huge parcels of coastal land in Messinia, with a master plan to create a modern landmark of a very different kind.
Though I grew up in Greece, I had never been to Messene. So I was totally blown away by the scale, splendor, and masterful reconstruction of the 2,500-yearold city that stretched before me as I stood on the veranda of the only taverna in Ithomi, a sweet village shaped like an amphitheater overlooking the monuments.
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Travel+Leisure US.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Travel+Leisure US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Luxury of Silence - Grieving a dissolved marriage, Nora Walsh seeks peace and compassion at a meditation retreat in California.
My decade-long marriage to a man I deeply love had dissolved, and I had come to the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, in the secluded hills of Marin County, north of San Francisco, to steady myself. Led by the author and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer, the seven-day silent retreat focused on the four brahmavihāra, or Buddhist virtues: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
Family Values - Gay father and blogger Jonathan Bailey shares his proudest moments of traveling with his partner and daughters.
My partner and I grew up in families that didn't travel a lot, so we've always had a sense of wanderlust. Before we had kids, we traveled together, and it was life-changing-travel opened our minds to different ways of life.In 2000, Triton and I decided to have kids. At the time, my mom had terminal cancer, and we were all about connecting with family. We wanted to adopt, because we felt like there were so many children in the world who needed love and a good home. In 2002, my mom passed away, and Sophia was born two weeks later. We welcomed our second daughter, Ava, in 2004.
Back to Sri Lanka - The past few years have not been easy on this alluring South Asian island. But on a return visit, Prasad Ramamurthy finds a place-and a people-on the upswing.
I was at the end of a five-day journey that had begun in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Galle Fort, in southwestern Sri Lanka, and taken me across the southern tip of the island to the leopard reserve of Yala National Park. In between I had taken in the dramatic coastline of Weligama and had stopped for some beach time in Hiriketiya. Sri Lanka is a country I'm particularly fond of, so when I was asked to revisit to report this story, I seized the opportunity. Yes, I was dying to go back, but I'd had another motive for coming: I wanted to see if the island nation was ready to welcome international visitors again.
Experiences: Hands On - Single-malt whiskies and triple-cream cheeses are the stuff New York's Hudson Valley is made of.
The Hudson Valley has long drawn New York City dwellers in search of clean air, spectacular hikes, and upstate culture. Now a budding community of artisans-young farmers, bakers, vintners, distillers-is turning the region into a modern breadbasket.It is a tightly woven ecosystem that also extends to restaurants and hotels. At Tenmile Distillery, in the town of Wassaic, for example, the grain used to make whiskey comes from a farm in Tivoli, 30 miles away, while the gin and vodka it produces are served at stylish addresses like the Troutbeck (doubles from $580), a hotel in Amenia, and the restaurant Stissing House (entrées $22-$155), in Pine Plains.
LAGOS RISING
Africa's biggest city is a powerhouse of art, culture, and fashion. Shirley Nwangwa reflects on her relationship to her family's home and to her Nigerian identity, while photographer Ike Edeani captures the creative scene.
DEEP DIVE
Go for a swim with sperm whales, and you may find yourself hooked. Maggie Shipstead journeys to the Caribbean island of Dominica, where these giants of the deep are making a big splash.
AMERICAN VINTAGE
After years of being in the shadows, Virginia winemakers are finally getting the attention they deserve. Wanda Mann takes a tasting tour.
Take a Hike
A beloved Malibu spa renowned for embracing the outdoors makes its way to the East Coast. Jess Feldman takes an inside look.
Just Dive In
The most nautical Four Seasons has to be this scuba-centric ship, which sails a rarely visited corner of the Pacific.
The Next Frontier
With deep pockets and mighty ambitions, Saudi Arabia is building a high-end resort area with serious green cred.
