The beguinages of Flanders and the Netherlands are always oases of calm and stillness, where you might still expect to see an old beguine mumbling her prayers in a doorway. Two of Ghent’s three beguinages have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Although the Old St Elizabeth Beguinage, in Begijnhofdries in Ghent, is no longer enclosed by a wall, making it simply part of the city, it still has a unique atmosphere. Today the Old St Elizabeth Beguinage is known as ‘holy corner’, a place of religious tolerance, because it has no less than three different churches: one is Roman Catholic, one is Orthodox and the other is Protestant. From bleachfield to orchard This open beguinage grew into something of a ‘beguine city’ in the 13th century, with a church, the ‘Grootjuffer’s House’, an infirmary, a chapel, more than a hundred houses for beguines, a bleachfield (a field where linen was laid out to bleach) and an orchard. After the French Revolution, with increasing industrialisation, the inhabitants moved to their new beguinage in Sint-Amandsberg in 1873.

Tropical and magical, Green Island is a unique part of the Great Barrier Reef, making it a perfect spot for a half-day or full day tour. There are plenty of options to snorkel, parasail, dive and swim in the clear ocean waters. Explore the Green Island National Park or just relax on the white sandy beach. Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises will take you to this small, beautiful island

Tucked away in the northwestern part of the island (about 60 km from Chios town) is a tiny mountain village of Agio Galas. Take a tour of the cave and visit the local church, and don't forget to ask about the story behind the place's name (Agio Galas means "Holy milk").