Hello Eva!
Only one is the best place in the world.
The place is the(Amalfi Coast)Italy.

1. sunset in Oia, Santorini
2. Charles Bridge, Prague
3. Horse-drawn carriage through Sevilla, Spain
4. Acropolis, Athens

Eze village on the french riviera. Beautiful view. Must go off season though, so it will not be crowded.

Hmmm...that is a tough one.....I was usually on the go too much to sit and relax and be reflective...I will say that there is this cute little brasserie on the corner near Barbes Rouchechart (sp?).....it is one block down from the creperie that is on a triangle shaped corner street....the waiter was so inviting and welcoming and just such a joy to talk to....the coffee was the best I have ever,....ever...EVER had. I felt reflective there cause I could just sit and relax and enjoy my dinner and my coffee and basque in the realization that I am having coffee in a country a few thousand miles away from me and a place neither of my parents ever had the pleasure of visiting.

Sainte Chapelle in Paris

Imerovigli, Santorini

Lake District, England

Kings Highway and lava field near Makena, Maui

Ceremony of the Keys, Tower of London

Kew Gardens and Hampton Court, London

Train from Glasgow to Fort Williams, Scotland

Kona Village, Big Island

Looking at a Vermeer, anywhere

Bruges canal boat excursion, Belgium

I spent a semester in Florence, Italy. One of the most magical things we would do was take a sack dinner down to a bridge next to the Ponte Vecchio. It had triangles that extended from it. We'd climb over the bridge and sit on the triangles to eat our dinner and watch the sunset. You didn't have to talk because it was so beautiful and serene.

Riomaggiore, Italy!!!!!

The Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat in the moonlight.

The Tower of London after dark, during the Ceremony of the Keys.

Portmeiron, in Wales, after all the day-trippers go home.

For someone who never thought she'd leave Pittsburgh, I can't believe I'm writing this. I am so blessed.

The Temple of Apollo - Rhodes, Greece
The Snowdonia Mountains - Wales
LONDON!!!
Any beach on Bermuda
Home

I wrote on this thread more than 2 years ago, and I feel that I have to add a few places:

1. Sultanhamet and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Amazing architecture and vibe.

2. The view of the Giza plateau, standing in front of the Sphinx. (On an embarassing note, I almost cried when I stood there. My wife DID cry). It is amazing to be in front of one of those places that have held my imagination since I can remember...

3. Sunrise in the Serengeti. There's nothing more magical than that...

"Magic" in terms of spiritually moving...no question for me it's:
1) The Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
2) Vincent van Gogh's gravesite at Auvers-sur-Oise
3) The entire town of Assisi

Each in their own magical and special way.

Gazing out at the Otago Peninsula (south island, NZ) at sunrise from Larnach Castle.

The swing on my patio in my back yard. It is so peaceful and quiet. I love to read there.

Kauai - incredibly beautiful
the red rocks of Sedona, AZ
Wales
Paris

Eva, many thanks for initiating this posting. I much enjoyed reading the responses; haven't read all of them yet.

My magical, ethereal place is ......; see if you can guess it using as few of the ten clues as possible.

For a change, I am going to name a place I haven't visited as yet but hope to include in our upcoming trip next month. I "discovered" it just this past weekend on this site. I am going to see if my utter fascination with this place holds AFTER visiting the place! I am sure it will, though.
it is now my desktop background on my PC! I'll try to put in a URL link in a subsequent posting, AFTER I check out copyright and stuff on the picture.

Just to make it interesting, let me give you a few clues; see for yourself if you can guess the locale.

1. It is in Europe (a big help!)



2. OK, it is in central europe.



3. It is in a country that is a member of the European Union.



4. Small country.



5. The name of this country is often confused with the name of another country.


5. Its capital is tough to spell for non-natives.


6. The actual locale: It is a small lake.



7. In the middle of the lake is a church.



8. A castle overlooks the lake, and I estimate the overlook is about a 1000 feet or so.



9. The name of the lake contains four letters.



10. Okay, here is the answer, the name of the most ethereal place I have "seen" so far but only thru a photograph. it is Lake CMFE (substitute each letter with the letter preceding it in the alphabet). And the country is TMPWFOJB (same decoding scheme). Sorry to make it so difficult!

It would be interesting to find out how many people guess it BEFORE getting to clue #10. Some of you veteran travelers may leap to the answer after clue #5. And who knows, there may be a kindred soul out there who is also dreaming of this place, never having visited this place!

Cheers, all!

Huntley

Favourite magic places....

1. St. Francis' tomb in Assisi....could sit forever

2. Dante's church in Florence...BF and I sat for an hour staring at the altar..so simple, so pure...so restful.

3. Ledge facing the San Lorenzo Market and front of San Lorenzo church...sat there every day, an hour or so, just staring at the marvelous church, the people, the market. That became my peace of heaven while in Florence.

CAn't wait to go back in seven weeks and find a new peace of heaven. We have a layover in Frankfurt...maybe I will find something wonderful there too!

Looking out over an ocean and being able to see the last moment the sun sets and that split second of green light...

A clear blue sky penetrated by many of the worlds majestic mountain ranges; immence, raw beauty.

Waterfalls in the forest

Tyrella Beach, Northern Ireland

Huntley,
What a strange coincidence...earlier today I was reading "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova (a fascinating book that I can only compare to "The Da Vinci Code," only it's about Dracula) and there is a scene early in the book that takes place at Lake Bled. I got to about #7 on your list and thought, "It couldn't possible be..." But it was!

I have never seen a photo of it but it certainly sounded like an amazing spot in the book!

Salzburg, by far my favorite city, especially at night with all the churches lit up.

Sacre Coeur in Paris

Nurnberg Christkindlemarkt

Closer to home: Black Hills of South Dakota

Climbing the Scala Sancta Holy Stairs in Rome on my knees, the Necropolis under St Peter's Basilica,Sedona at sunset, the boat ride from Sorrento to Capri... Magical....