Destination Weddings

World-class Carnival, calypso, steel drum music, and two masters of the English language--author V. S. Naipaul and playwright/poet Derek Walcott, both Nobel Laureates--all connect artistically with Trinidad in the West Indies. Among Caribbean countries, Trinidad ranks as an arts powerhouse. Yet for most Caribbean vacationers, Trinidad's small sister island in the twinned Republic of Trinidad and Tobago remains better known. That disparity follows an almost half-century-old national decision to promote tourism in picturesque, resource-poor Tobago while developing Trinidad's rich oil and natural-gas deposits. Result is that tourism in Trinidad remains a "Trini thing," distinct, pleasurable, homegrown, and largely outside the international mainstream, driven by local investment with few cost-inflating imports. That, plus the six-to-one exchange rate between Trinidad and Tobago's dollar and the U.S. dollar, ensures Trinidad's position as the best year-round buy in Caribbean travel. And even though farthest removed from North America and therefore more expensive to reach than, say, the Bahamas or Jamaica, among islands of the region Trinidad also ranks as the most complex and rewarding. Both American Airlines and BWIA West Indies Airways (800/538-2942, bwee.com) fly into Port-of-Spain. BWIA flies nonstop from New York, Washington, D.C., Toronto and Miami with recent prices of $400-$600 round-trip. American Airlines (800/433-7300, aa.com) flies nonstop from Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Port-of-Spain starting at $259 and $109 round-trip, respectively. (All prices in this article are stated in U.S. dollars. When calling Trinidad from the U.S., first dial 1, then the area code, 868, followed by the seven-digit number.) Trinidad has the flowers, rain forest, peaks, fertile valleys, and beaches beautifully common to most of the Caribbean. But Trinidad also claims exceptional natural features such as La Brea Pitch Lake, the wildlife-filled Caroni and Nariva Swamps, the mountainside Asa Wright Nature Centre, the bird-breeding grounds of the Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust, and exquisite birding everywhere. Its mineral deposits make the country comparatively wealthy. Result is a rare widespread worldliness among English-speaking islanders. This sophistication combines well with Trinidad's legendary blend of East Indians, Blacks, and mixed ethnicities. Trinidadians are one of the most racially tolerant people anywhere in the world, with a culture adapted from around the globe that, in everything from food to architecture, ranks distinctively as Trinidad's own. Sun, sand, and sea may constitute the standard-issue Tropics. But colorful, one-of-a-kind, and affordable Trinidad supplies travelers with the gift-wrapped version. A little geography Trinidad lies at the southern cusp of the Caribbean archipelago. It's whisper-close to Venezuela. Morning weather reports announce fronts moving up from Brazil. Yet Trinidad is only a five-hour flight from New York, less than four hours from Miami. The island is 50 miles north-south, 37 east-west, big enough to accommodate northern mountains that rise to 3,085 feet, with beaches that ring almost the entire coast (the best beaches skirt the Northern Range). The island is more than ten times the size of sister isle Tobago. Metropolitan Port-of-Spain, with 300,000 of Trinidad's 1.3 million people, is the second-largest English-speaking capital in the region but by far the safest for visitors and the most cosmopolitan. The city rises from a protected gulf in the northwest. The vast industrial complex at Point Lisas that taps Trinidad's oil and natural-gas reserves lies 17 miles south along the coast. Much of the interior remains planted in sugar that controlled the economy from the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth. It's here, in dusty Chaguanas, where Naipaul first lived. Port-of-Spain and north-coast beaches are where most first-time visitors want to be. The contrast between urban sophistication and rural style captures what Trinidad vacationing is about. Street life is at the heart of it. People teem colorfully dressed, prone to hang out--what Trinis call "liming"--even in town, stopping their cars along narrow streets to chat. Buildings are colorful and ornamented, often topped by hand-painted signs. Tropical yards remain in the heart of the city full of broad-leaf palms that rattle in wind and suggest the sound and rhythms of "pan," the steel drum music that backs the ubiquitous calypsos. Port-of-Spain lays out like a hand. The palm is a great green and open space called the Queen's Park Savannah--Port-of-Spain's Central Park--that connects the old, narrow-street commercial city with its more green and spread-out residential districts. Through Belmont, St. Clair, St. James, and Woodbrook, Victorian houses with steep-sloped roofs and Asian-inspired architectural details are juxtaposed among family groceries, "pan yards" where bands practice, and shops that specialize in East Indian foods, notably the national dish called roti (which means "bread" in Hindi), a meat-, seafood-, or vegetable-filled, pitalike yeasted bread, and like-styled "doubles." The Savannah park is two-and-three-quarters of a mile around and hugely popular for informal recreation and special events. Carnival climaxes here each Fat Tuesday (late February or early March) after two months of heightening fervor. Traffic whirls around carousel-like. The immediately surrounding and mostly well-to-do districts contain famous sites: the National Museum and Art Gallery; the "Magnificent Seven," a row of landmark mansions that once sheltered rival plantation barons and that today includes the Prime Minister's office; the Emperor Valley Zoo; the Royal Botanic Gardens; and the "upside-down" Trinidad Hilton (one of two ritzy hotels, the other the Crowne Plaza, both government owned). Nearby is the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, where 43 years ago Derek Walcott established the island's theater tradition. Above Queen's Park Savannah, fingers of the hand reach up through the valleys of the Northern Range to lovely suburbs. Below, the old city improvises its twenty-first-century way along narrow nineteenth-century streets before emptying along a broad boulevard on filled land that connects south around the bay to Point Lisas, east to towns that array below foothills of the Northern Range, and west around Chaguaramas [shah-gwa-rah-mus], site of an American base during World War II and today a sprawling yacht haven with a fascinating military museum near a tasteless rich suburb. Many affordable places to stay The city's affordable lodging ranges from guesthouses and small hotels to homestays. They're found through all parts of the city and surrounding area. Of those described below, all include private bath and air-conditioning except when otherwise noted. Rates are for two. A standout in St. Ann's and only a five-minute walk from the Savannah is Alicia's House, a rambling old residence converted to guest use and popular with traveling West Indians. It's gorgeously floral under its entry arch with 17 rooms, all different, surrounding patios and courtyards and swimming pool. Alicia's is a best buy (7 Coblentz Gardens, Port-of-Spain, 623-2802, aliciashousetrinidad.com, $45-$50 including tax; full breakfast $8). A mile southwest across the Savannah and walking-close to restaurants along Ariapita Avenue and Tragarete Road is architect Bernard Mackay's Gingerbread House. The building dates from the 1920s but stylistically suggests the nineteenth century, ornamentally trimmed and thoroughly renovated by Bernard in 1989. He offers three guest rooms, all different, all high-ceilinged. Neighbors include famed Carnival designer Peter Minshall and fashion designer Meiling (8 Carlos St., Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain, 625-6841, trinidadgingerbreadhouse.com; $35 includes tax and full breakfast). Another top buy. Two blocks west just below Tragarete Road is Williams Villa, the home of retired nurse Edris Todd-Williams whose late husband was a mayor of Port-of-Spain. Health-consciously hospitable, Edris rents six homey rooms and includes full breakfast in the rate (69 Luis St., Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain, 628-0824, williamsvilla.com; $65, tax and service included). Nearer the Savannah and walking-close to everything downtown is the urban Par-May-La's Inn with 12 rooms on two floors. Maids will do personal laundry; you handle the ironing (53 Picton St., Newtown, Port-of-Spain, 628-2008, parmaylas@trinidad.net; $65 includes tax and continental breakfast, add $2 for a full American breakfast or a vegetarian roti with pumpkin and bok choy, tax included). Roads up those fingers of the Maraval Valley crest in the Northern Range before dropping to Trinidad's best beaches. Well shy of the crest, Port-of-Spain shows off wealthy style as distinctive markets, bakeries, and bookshops appear in shopping plazas up Saddle Road. Guesthouses here remain affordable. Two well-run establishments, with in-room phones, include Carnetta's Inn, with 14 rooms (99 Saddle Rd., Maraval, 628-2732, carnettasinn.com; $55, $60 with kitchenette) and, farther up, The Morgan's (48 Perseverance Rd., Haleland Park, Maraval, 629-2587, morga@cablenett.net; $60, including full breakfast). Rooms at Carnetta's are woody, Scandinavian modern. The inn distinctively straddles the Maraval River with a nice B&B style to it, breakfast served on the porch of the owners' house. Rooms at The Morgan's are more upholstered. Guests have use of a pool, two hot tubs, and kitchen. Affordable food, handheld to graciously served Food, like music, celebrates Port-of-Spain's glory. At stalls around the Savannah park, cutlass-wielding vendors open iced coconuts for refreshing coconut water. Roti shops line Tragarete Road. Restaurants deliciously work locally grown produce and tropical fruits and nuts into dishes. Coconut silkily flavors breads, soups, and drinks. Trinis love sweets supplied by ubiquitous vendors in the form of brown-sugared coconut drops, peanut brittle, tamarind balls, and fresh-fruit ice creams, while restaurant desserts include chrystophene (mock apple) pie, luscious guava paste, and coconut bread pudding with rum glaze. Downtown roti shops like Curry Masala, Patraj, and The Hott Shoppe, plus storefronts like the Pepper Pies Shop, which serves a wider variety of Indian take-out, all satisfy for midday meals at $3-$5 including a sweet drink. The little Manna Café in a yellow gingerbread house on St. Vincent Street specializes in low cholesterol foods, while the Breakfast Shed behind yellow zinc sheeting at the cruise-ship complex serves three meals daily of what a local nurse calls "the highest-cholesterol, highest-sodium, most delicious food you can get." Almost all the city's best restaurants serve meals at considerably less than comparable U.S. meals. Stylish in mahogany and stone atop the Kapok Hotel, Tiki Village specializes in Polynesian food. More than 170 entrées including shrimp, fish, beef, pork, and chicken cost less than $10, many $6 or $7. Starters and dessert together add another $6. With 25 percent for tax and tip, many diners will enjoy meals for $20 including drinks. Also in town, the excellent Woodford Café on Tragarete Road occupies a remodeled grocery and rum shop redolent of the colonial city with old neighborhood photos, Carnival costumes, and live steel drum music (three-course dinners about $20). Lazing along north coast beaches Trinidad's pulse slows on the north coast. At popular Maracas Bay, Trinis are out picnicking weekends. Steel bands play while "shark-and-bake" stalls dispense fried fish in buns laced with free condiments, washed down with a Carib, the local lager. Midweek, vacationers can have the beach largely to themselves, whether driving the 30 minutes each way over and back while staying in the city or else moving on to one of the north shore's affordable lodgings. To get there, taxis are more expensive than renting a car in Port-of-Spain's airport. Try Econo-Car Rentals (669-2342), whose prices start at $25 a day. The coastal vacation village of choice is another 30 minutes east from Maracas Bay. That's Blanchisseuse, affordable and totally relaxed, named for laundresses once said to be prevalent here along the Marianne River. Pronounced "blon-she-suhze," the village hugs half a mile of two-lane road beside the sea. Hills rise sharply behind. A hundred-year-old suspension bridge across the river marks the end of town, from where the road turns to dirt, then trail. Eric Blackman rents river kayaks and leads hiking tours to hillside waterfalls. But mostly visitors hang out at the beaches, in the hotel bars, and rum shops, dancing at the Casbah, sampling Rennie Bobb's woodcarvings. Upscale in design but casual in dress like everyplace else in town is Surf's Country Inn. Three hillside rooms with double-door balconies plus terrace restaurant and lounge form a charming compound with a lovely view through dense tropical foliage to the twisty road below, a striking cove beach and the sea (North Coast Rd., Blanchisseuse, 669-2475, fax 669-3016; $60 includes tax, service, and breakfast; four-course meals about $15). Largest compound, just before the suspension bridge, is Laguna Mar Beach Resort with 16 rooms in three hillside lodges and an indoor-outdoor restaurant. Back of the restaurant is the big beach at the river mouth. Rooms are high-ceilinged, simply furnished, and, like all in the village, fan-cooled, unscreened, and, almost everywhere, with mosquito netting--as easy to arrange as it is sensible. (Mile Marker 651/2, Paria Main Rd., Blanchisseuse, 669-2963, lagunamar.com; $75-$85.) Two B&Bs offer three arty rooms, each only steps from dramatic cove beaches: Second Spring lies more quietly west of the village on the sea; Almond Brook in the heart of the village and across from Rennie Bobb's studio. (Second Spring, Lamp Post 191, Paria Main Rd., Blanchisseuse, 669-3909; $50, hot plate and fridge; cottage $70, full kitchen; continental breakfast $5 per person. Almond Brook, Lamp Post 16, Paria Main Rd., Blanchisseuse, 678-0822; $50 for a double includes full breakfast and use of kitchen. Both include tax and service.) Herb Hiller is a former executive director of the Caribbean Travel Association.Wyatt Gallery's photographs were exhibited at The Mercedes-Benz Manhattan Gallery from October 2nd - November 2nd, 2003. The gallery is located at 536 W. 41st Street at 11th Avenue.For more information, go to wyattgallery.com

We all know the ingredients of a perfect wedding: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. But what you might not know is if your choice for something blue is the Caribbean Sea, you can save something green--as in thousands of dollars on wedding costs. According to Bride's Magazine, the average cost of a wedding ranges between $20,000 and $30,000 depending on your location, and that doesn't include the honeymoon. Of course, there are always cheaper options if you remove all the pomp and circumstance from the picture. Renting a chapel and eloping in Vegas, e.g., can run you as little as a few hundred dollars (only $35 for the license)--but what it may cost you in friends and family relations could be a bit steeper. There is a happy medium: getting married on a cruise ship. After doing the math, we found that couples can save upwards of $15,000 on their wedding day if they get hitched at sea. Even on a luxury liner, for seven nights and guests included, the total bill is only a fraction of what getting married the old-fashioned way is expected to cost. But Pat Webb, president of GalaxSea Cruises and Tours, admits shipboard nuptials are not for everyone. "If you're getting married for the second or third time, they're great because you'll invite less people. But first-time wedders, who want all their friends and family there, will end up spending more [than on a conventional wedding] if everyone gets a cruise ticket." Different cruise lines appeal to different marrying folk. Some are best for privacy seeking twosomes (geared toward the renewers or serial "been there, done that" brides and grooms). Others accommodate entire wedding parties--briefly. Guest come aboard at the ship's embarkation point for a one-day ceremony and leave before the newlyweds set sail. There are even programs for those who wish to renew their vows. Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival wants to give lovebirds more, ahem, bang for their buck, offering the cheapest combination wedding and honeymoon getaway deals. 2,200 couples are expected to have partaken in a Carnival wedding on its Glory line by the end of this year. Although it certainly has enough lounge spaces for full-blown receptions, glitzy Carnival (aka the "fun ship") is often more the choice for elopers given its reputation for being a floating Las Vegas. "Just for the Bride and Groom" runs $750 and includes an official civil ceremony, champagne toasts and flutes, flowers for both newlyweds, a two-tiered wedding cake, music and photo ops. Couples either use Carnival's on-board officiant or bring their own religion-specific clergy along. Those who want a private reception, more bubbly, more photos, or live music, pay about twice as much. Total cost? Plan on spending upwards of $2,000 for the deluxe package as Carnival's weeklong Caribbean cruises tend to average about $529. Those who bring guests, let's say 10, still end up paying less than $10,000 in full. Visit carnival.com/ or call 888/CARNIVAL for more info. Windjammer Barefoot Cruises Tall, dark, and handsome. I'm talking about Windjammer ships, not the groom, silly. Windjammer has a unique fleet comprised of restored tall-masted schooners (the kind Ahab used to whale hunt). Its boats, often powered by the wind, can sail into hideaway coves the larger cruise ships cannot-these cruisers carry 120 or so total versus thousands on board Carnival or other biggies. It's a more intimate setting that can serve as an ideal venue for a more private alternative to the altar. Here's the deal (cutely named after tropical flora); only Carnival is cheaper. Windjammer's Hibiscus package is an even $500 per couple and gives future Mr.'s and Mrs.'s a wedding consultant, an officiated wedding, wedding certificate (or vow renewal), cake, bridal bouquet, champagne and dinner at the Captain's table. Drop a few more c-notes for its Jasmine and Orchid packages including more photos and perks. Tack on these prices to the cost of a $700/per person cruise ticket for six-days and wedders end up spending $3,000 for a nearly week-long wedding. That's about 10 percent of what a one-day wedding could cost. Of course, those who want guests to sail along can easily run that number up: 18 guests for six days and the Orchid deal would be around $15,000. But because of the size of the boat, a ceremony and reception on board isn't an option. Visit windjammer.com or call 800/327-2601 for booking information. Norwegian Cruise Lines Unlike Carnival and Windjammer, Norwegian is all about the guests. Many couples bring the hordes of family and friends aboard for a few hours pre-cruise to have the ceremony, then boot them off before they actually set sail. Of course, the more popular you are, the more you'll pay. Here's what Norwegian gives offers: The $799 "exclusive" package includes an intimate ceremony run by an on-board officiant, recorded music, a marriage certificate, photos, champagne and a 10" cake. Prices for on-board weddings start at $1,100, $1,450 for a land wedding. Flowers, music, transportation and reception cost extra. Of course, the total amount couples spend depends on how long they sail. Cruises in Nov-Feb range from $499 to $1,000 per person for a weeklong Caribbean cruise, so the most marrying twosomes pay is $4,399 with the most expensive package-a fifth of what a cheaper-end church wedding would cost. For more info go to ncl.com or call 800/392-3472. Princess Cruises In the middle of the pack price-wise, Princess's claim to fame is that it's the one cruise line that can actually marry people while it's sailing on international waters (passengers on all other cruiselines have to wed while docked or on an island). Why is this? According to atlastravelweb.com, "The marriages conducted on board will be performed AT SEA by the Captain of the vessel under authority of Liberian Maritime Law and are recognized under the Law of Liberia as valid marriages." Princess is uniquely registered with the Liberian government and the U.S. recognizes legal Liberian marriages (I think I get it). Any hoo, because of its newer ships and consequently heftier price tags, Princess' weddings are more appropriate for couples going solo or those renewing their vows. For $2,998/couple, we found a complete (meaning cruise included) 10-day wedding/honeymoon cruise for two with a Mexican Riviera Itinerary. It includes a a candle-lit ceremony at the Hearts and Minds on-board chapel (while sailing), floral arrangements, a wedding coordinator, roses, a boutonniere, a photographer to fill a complimentary photo album, live piano music, champagne, flutes to keep, a sculpted cake for two, and a certificate. Multiple that price by five to get anything close to that at a regular wedding. Check out theweddingexperience.com, to book, or call 877/580-3556. Divorce rates are over 50 percent so married-folk still working at it should be rewarded. Princess' "Renewal of vows" lets couples do it all over again. For $205 per duo, couples get a ceremony (usually in a group of other couples), an orchid bouquet, a certificate of renewal, a portrait of the ceremony, and champagne with flutes. Packages including robes and facials cost more. Add it to a weeklong cruise averaging from $399 to $599/person between Dec. and Feb. for a cost of about $1,700 total. Visit princess.com for more info. Land ahoy! Maybe seasickness and wedding cake aren't a good combination. Or maybe the idea of getting married on a docked boat sounds just plain boring. Couples aren't limited to getting married on the ship: many cruise lines offer onshore ceremonies as well. However, there are strict time limits on these ceremonies (based on the ship's itinerary) and they tend to be much more expensive. Holland America Holland, an upscale line that attracts a slightly older clientele, has the highest prices, although rates for these "destination packages" include transportation, flowers, wedding cake, photos and champagne. Please note that the prices below are in addition to cruise fares (we'll add up everything at the end): Jamaica: $1,695 to get married at Ocho Rios' Paradise Cove or pay $1,995 at the Sunset Beach Resort. St. Thomas: For $1,650, choose to exchange vows overlooking the British Virgin Isles or the gardens at the Marriott Hotel Frenchman's Reef resort. Grand Cayman: Couples can get married at a mansion built nearly a century ago. Choose a beach or gazebo ceremony for prices between $1,595-$2,300. Half Moon Cay: Couples can get married at Holland America's private island, either on the beach or in the island chapel for $1,950. Alaska: For $1,450, couples can get married in the Rainforest Glacier Gardens in Vancouver, or go for a pricier option: $2,595 to be married atop the Herbert Glacier in Juneau, via helicopter. Many islands have residency requirements, blood tests, fees and other headaches couples may want to deal with ahead of time (e.g. the Cayman's requires a $200 fee for a marriage license while Jamaica has a 24-hour residency wait and charges $54 in fees). Contact Royal Ocean Events at 888/47-5511 or royalwed.com for more information.Celebrity Cruises Which to pick--Aruba, Barbados, Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Juneau, Ketchikan, Key West, or San Juan? Planning a wedding with Celebrity (renowned for its cuisine) is a smorgasbord of options as it offers more island destinations for cheaper prices. Starting from $700 (the cheapest for land-based wedding packages), not including cruise fares, bride and groom duos can get hitched on one of 14 tropical locales. Marriage packages includes wedding officiant, bottle of bubbly, wedding cake for eight, bouquet, boutonniere and wedding certificate. A videographer and invitations are extra. Celebrity offers high-season Caribbean cruises for around $850 per person for seven nights. Adding together the cost of two cruise tickets, the wedding package, and a sit-down reception for 20 guests(before departure), the grand total is $3,000. If those 20 guests come along for the cruise, the price jumps to $15,000 all together (about half of the cost of a conventional wedding ceremony). For more info go to celebrity.com or call 866/595-2352. Royal Caribbean International Were you jealous of Prince Charles and Lady Di's posh matrimony? You, too, can have a 'Royal Wedding' (hopefully it'll turn out better)-but prepare to pay the price. Royal Caribbean is offering a few on-shore island wedding deals directed toward those leaving friends and family back home. It's asking about twice the price of Celebrity but not as much as Holland: The "Duet" package (without cruise fare) includes a wedding officiant, recorded music, bridal bouquet, boutonniere for the groom, champagne-toasted ceremony, photos, cake and a wedding certificate. It's $1395/couple for a port-wedding in Juneau, Nassau, Barbados, Bermuda, Hawaii, Jamaica, Cabo, Cozumel, and St. Lucia. It's $100 more in Grand Grayman and St. Maarten. For a seven-night cruise in high season, expect to pay between $450 and $500 per person in cruise fare. Total cost of the wedding is under $2,500. Adding extra champagne and more polaroid memories will run you more. Royal, like Princess, offers a fare-ly cheap vow renewal package at $400 for an onboard ceremony, lovey dovey music on cassette, flowers, wedding cake, champagne, photos and a certificate. Guests are welcome to rent tuxes, get live music, and have personalized wedding announcements made up for additional moola. To book any of these deals call 888/933-7225 or go to royalcaribbean.com. Note: a $100 surcharge will be tacked on to package deals if the wedding is held in May, June, September and October.

Who says Massachusetts' renowned Cape Cod is worth visiting only in summer? When it can be overpriced, and traffic along the area's two-lane roads unbearable? When motels and B&Bs are often sold out months in advance, and the crowds basking on the Cape's expansive and usually pristine beaches can be maddening? When the very flavor that has made this region such a tourist draw is often lost in the shuffle? From Labor Day through Memorial Day weekend, things calm down and return to normal. Prices decline (room rates are 30-60 percent less than they are in peak season). Reservations are easier to come by. And - contrary to popular belief - once fall and winter set in, the Cape doesn't just shut down. As the summer throngs slow to barely a trickle, and traffic becomes a non-issue, many discerning visitors believe the area's at its best. Because the Cape is surrounded by the Atlantic, temperatures tend to be milder and snow less of a concern - even in the dead of winter - than in other parts of New England (average high temperatures don't fall below 37[degrees]F in Hyannis). The only thing you give up, really, is baking on a hot beach (for which your dermatologist will thank you). Provincetown & the Outer Cape Imagine walking along a deserted beach, just you and someone special - and maybe a few terns and seagulls. You're bundled up against the crisp, fresh salt air, and the only human footprints on the beach are yours. As the sun sets in the Atlantic, the sky a palette of mauves, pinks, oranges, and violets, you contemplate a hearty dinner in a cozy dining spot next to a blazing fireplace, followed by some tavern hopping where you can rub shoulders with local fishermen, artists, and other townsfolk from all walks of life. Sounds appealing? Then make Provincetown your off-season Cape base of operations. Although it's at the northern tip of the Cape, it can serve as a good focal point for your wanderings and day trips. And if you decide to stay put, there's plenty to keep you occupied in the area, especially if you love nature, great seafood, and peace and quiet. Much of what's special about this artists' colony and fishing port is free of charge. The sunsets, for example: thanks to the curve of the Cape, this is one of the few places on the East Coast where you can watch the sun dissolve into the ocean. A good vantage point is Herring Cove Beach, where locals gather even in winter to watch the sky turn the most amazing colors. Many motels and B&Bs in town stay open for all or part of the off-season. Year-round options include the six-room, two-apartment Windamar House (568 Commercial St., 508/487-0599; from $60), a well-kept B&B 15 minutes' walk from the town center; the five-room Three Peaks (210 Bradford St., 800/286-1715, from $60); the traditionally furnished, 13-room Captain Lysander Inn (96 Commercial St., 508/487-2253, from $65), in a former sea captain's house; or the admirable Inn at Cook Street (7 Cook St., 888/266-5655, from $65). For something slightly farther down-Cape, the recently renovated 65-room South Wellfleet Motel & Lodge in the also-charming town of Wellfleet (170 Route 6, 508/349-3535, from $60) offers modern conveniences and a coffee shop with cooked-to-order breakfasts. Provincetown Reservations Systems (800/648-0364) can suggest other possibilities. Unfortunately, Provincetown's most visible landmark, the Pilgrim Monument, is closed from December to March. But its most impressive natural feature, the Cape Cod National Seashore, is open year-round and you'll probably have it all to yourself in the off-season. The terrain is truly stirring, perhaps unlike anything you've seen - picture towering sand dunes and twisted scrub pines with Atlantic whitecaps as backdrop. The seashore's 40 miles of bicycle trails can be explored by bike, foot, or in-line skates (the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce at 508/862-0700 or 888/33-332-2732 can provide a biking map and more information). Bird-watchers will enjoy the town's Beech Forest reservation (the entrance is located off Race Point Road, not far from Route 6). The many unique local shops and galleries offer rainy-day entertainment and - if you hit it right-some off-season bargains. All that walking and salt air is sure to stir your appetite. Many of the more economical dining options close off-season, but an excellent bet remains the plain and homey Lobster Pot (321 Commercial St., 508/487-0842, entrees from $5.95), right on the waterfront. A good deal but a bit more of a splurge, Napi's (Freeman & Standish Streets, 508/487-1145), is a large and rustic eatery done in an arts-and-crafts style, with a huge, eclectic menu, a fireplace aglow in the cooler months, and early-bird specials such as asparagus ravioli for $10.95. Both serve lunch and dinner. During the summer, Provincetown's nightlife can get a bit raucous. In the off-season, things are quieter, but there's still plenty to do when the sun sets, and you'll get a chance to meet the local year-rounders (some of whom display bumper stickers boasting as much) in their natural habitat. The Mews Caf, and Restaurant (429 Commercial St., 508/487-1500) features open-mike Mondays from November to May, with performances by local poets, vocalists, and bands, broadcast over radio station WOMR; there's other live entertainment on weekends. The Governor Bradford (312 Commercial St., 508/487-2781) is a local pub with entertainment most weekends, including karaoke if the spirit moves its patrons, or you can entertain yourself with chess and backgammon boards. For something completely different, try the Atlantic House (6 Masonic Pl., 508/487-3821), Provincetown's longest-running gay and lesbian bar (folks of all persuasions are more than welcome), housed just off Commercial Street in a building dating from 1798. Among the many year-round Outer Cape attractions within a short drive from Provincetown: Highland Light in North Truro (508/487-1121, admission $3 to climb to the top), the Cape's oldest lighthouse; the Marconi Wireless Site (508/349-3785, admission free) in Wellfleet, where the first transatlantic wireless message was sent in 1903; the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (508/349-2615, $3 adults, $2 children), a thousand-acre nature preserve ideal for bird-watching or trekking; and the Salt Pond Visitor Center (Rte. 6, 508/255-3421, free) in Eastham, with its museum of local artifacts and nature exhibits and more information about the Marconi Site. Mid-Cape meanderings If the Outer Cape is just a bit too far out, another good base of operations might be West Yarmouth in the mid-Cape area. Although some of the region, especially Route 28, has been strip-malled to death, there are still stretches where fast-food joints and convenience stores have been kept at bay by careful town planning. Stick to Route 6A, a winding two-lane road, to get an idea of what the entire Cape - the one rhapsodized about in the Patti Page song "Old Cape Cod" - once looked like. Here you'll find the full range of Cape architecture, from imposing sea captains' manses (some of which have been turned into B&Bs) to authentic eighteenth-century "Cape Cods," along with eclectic antique and book shops, all lovingly preserved. Among the attractions in the area are the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (869 Main St./Rte. 6A, Brewster; 508/896-3867; $5 for adults and $2 for children age 5-12), which offers seal cruises (weekly, $25 per person for nonmembers, $22 for members) and 4 miles of scenic nature trails winding across a pristine salt marsh and woodlands. Another popular pursuit is antiquing, without the summer crowds to compete against (Route 6A is teeming with dealers). Be sure to pop into Yarmouthport's Parnassus Book Service (220 Main St./Rte. 6A, 508/362-6420), boasting a large collection of rare, antique, and out-of-print books, shelved with no apparent logic. Overnight possibilities include the clean and modern 100-room Mariner Motor Lodge (800/445-4050, from $38.50 with continental breakfast), with indoor pool, whirlpool, and sauna; the 116-room Cape Point (508/778-1500; from $35 midweek, $49 weekends), with a large indoor pool, budget restaurant, and above-average fitness center; or the 128-room Bayside Resort (800/243-1114; $50 midweek, $69 weekends, with breakfast) also with indoor pool, hot tub, and saunas. The Yarmouth Area Chamber of Commerce (508/778-1008 or 800/732-1008) can provide other suggestions as well as information about the area. Because this is seafood country, you'll want to sample the ocean's harvest (and as any New Englander will tell you, the best lobster is caught in months with an "R" in them - yet another reason for avoiding the Cape from May to August). Jerry's Seafood & Ice Cream (654 Rte. 28, 508/775-9752, entrees from $4.25) is a casual hole-in-the-wall specializing in fried seafood platters and the like. For large portions of locally caught fish in a slightly more upscale setting, try Clancy's (8 Upper County Rd., Dennisport; 508/394-6661; entrees from $5.95), which often features a pianist during dinner on weekends. For some local conviviality, try Michael Patrick's Publick House (435 Rte. 28, Dennisport), offering live entertainment on weekends and the chance to meet a local character or two. The Upper Cape With its classic New England town green and wide choice of B&Bs and other accommodations, Falmouth is the perfect place from which to explore the Upper Cape area. Budget lodging possibilities include the characterless but tidy, 98-room Admiralty Inn (800/341-5700; from $60 weekdays, $80 weekends); or the more old-Cape, 80-room ShoreWay Acres Resort Inn (800/352-7100, from $59), with its campus - like setting and family-style atmosphere. For a hearty meal, head to Falmouth's rustic, bustling Chapoquoit Grill (410 West Falmouth Highway/Rte. 28A; 508/540-7794), blissfully free of long waits in the off-season and with entrees starting at $6.95. Local attractions include the Cahoon Museum of American Art (4676 Falmouth Road/Rte. 28., Cotuit; 508/428-7581; free; closed in February), located in a beautifully preserved 1775 Georgian Colonial farmhouse. Golfers will enjoy the town's four public courses, all open year-round, weather permitting (and, this being the Cape, it usually does), with greens fees starting at $35. The Falmouth Visitors Center (508/548-8500) can provide details and offer other lodging and sightseeing options. From Falmouth, you can easily explore Sandwich, the Cape's oldest town (est. 1637). For a cheap lunch, try the Dunbar Tea Shop (1 Water St., 508/833-2485), a restful spot for home-cooked food (entrees from $7) with an English flair; save room for the bumbleberry pie if it's on offer. The Sandwich Glass Museum (129 Main St.; 508/888-0251; admission $3.50 for adults, $1 children age 6-16) is a popular year-round attraction. For some exercise, head out to the Sandwich Boardwalk, a plank walkway stretching 1,350 feet out into the Atlantic. After a day of sightseeing, grab a bite and a hot drink at Cap'n Kidd in nearby Woods Hole (77 Water St., 508/548-9206), frequented by a wide range of humanity - from local fishermen to research scientists from the famous Oceanographic Institution (which has an exhibit center that's open during the off-season; for hours, call 508/289-2522. Suggested adult donation is $2). Newcomb Hollow Beach Wellfleet, renowned for its oysters at fresh-off-the-boat prices.

This list of 12 buildings "worth a journey" was prepared by Tony Atkin, Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and his office, Atkin, Olshin, Lawson-Bell Architects of Philadelphia. Mr. Atkin covered "older" structures. For buildings constructed after 1999, click here.There are the obvious buildings, like the Parthenon, the Egyptian pyramids, and the Taj Mahal that everyone would like to see (and should), but in compiling this list of the 12 must-visit classic architectural sites we have picked places we have been to and loved. Many of the sites are extraordinary for their architecture combined with their landscapes, or for their relation to the art or objects they house. Of course, there are many wonderful buildings and sites left out of such a short list. 1. Chartres Cathedral, France (1130 - mid 13th Century) Chartres possessed the tunic the Virgin Mary wore at the Nativity, and by 1100 became the center of a cult of Mary that flourished in the Middle Ages, and a very popular pilgrimage site. Work began in the 1130's to modernize and extend an existing Romanesque church on the site, and it was done in the new Gothic style, first championed by Abbot Suger at the Church of St. Denis 55 miles away. The new style emphasized unity, light, and almost dizzying verticality, made possible by the invention of the gothic arch and flying buttresses, that allowed much of the wall to become windows. God and spiritual attainment became synonymous with luminescence and structural transcendence. An almost feverish competition for patronage of the church resulted in glorious stained glass windows, given by King Philip Augustus, Peter of Dreux, the Duke of Brittany--all the noble houses of France are represented. Queen Blanche of Castile, the mother of Louis the IX, gave windows of the north transept, which glorifies Mary and her child in brilliant reds, as she fought to protect the life and prerogatives of the future king. Today the church is still approached across abundant wheat fields. Its uneven towers, done in different building campaigns, sharply break the horizon and set the stage for visiting this noblest and best-loved Gothic church. Address: Place de la Cathedrale, ChartresHours: Monday-Sunday: 8:30 am to 7:30 pm Guided tours at 12:00 and 2:45 2. The Pantheon, Rome, Italy (begun in 118) Built by the Emperor Hadrian as a temple, it is unknown what rites or services were held here. The building's powerful presence is perhaps because of the combination of the highly detailed, square portico that is oddly attached to a huge, circular rotunda surmounted by a majestic dome with an open oculus at the top. Once inside, the odd exterior is forgotten, as one is overwhelmed by the scale and perfection of the vault and mesmerized by the round sphere of light from the open "eye" above that moves slowly around the interior as the sun changes position. This being the only light in the room, comparisons to the vault of heaven are inevitable. The building was (and is) a great technical achievement: built of concrete (a building material perfected by the Romans), the size of its great dome was unchallenged until the Fifteenth Century, when Brunelleschi made a dome of slightly greater span for the Cathedral at Florence. Address: The Pantheon, Piazza della Rotuonda, RomeWeb Information:monolithic.com/thedome/pantheon/Hours: Monday-Saturday: 8:30 am to 7:30 pm Sunday: 9 am to 6 pm Closed: Jan. 1, May 1 and Dec. 25 3. Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (1924-30/1940-43) The Cranbrook Academy, Museum, and Educational Community is at first glance simply a beautiful example of a successful collaboration between Eliel Saarinen, a visionary genius who believed in the expressive power of modernism, and his patrons, George and Ellen (Scripps) Booth. In looking deeper, however, one can also find that it is a truly homegrown American icon that reflects a dedication to the importance of craftsmanship and making things by hand in the city--Detroit--that transformed American manufacturing capabilities through the assembly line. The campus is made up of several different parts developed over the course of its 100-year history. The original Boys School courtyard exemplifies an intense level of detail that only becomes apparent through extended discovery; for example, each pane of glass in the Dining Hall has a unique leaded pattern. Throughout the courtyard the hand of the master mason is apparent, as quirky brick details are--with Saarinen's blessing--randomly scattered through the walls. Although later buildings on the campus developed newer ideas about form, the tradition of incorporating the hand of the craftsman was never relinquished. The Girl's School and the Art Museum's breathtaking arcade show Saarinen's burgeoning interest in Modernism, flavored by arts and crafts decorative detailing. Contemporary additions to the campus--by Williams/Tsien, Peter Rose, and others, still display the human-scaled interest that hand-crafted detailing can provide to modern architecture. Address: Lone Pine Road, Bloomfield Hills, MichiganPhone: 877/462-7262 Web Information: cranbrook.eduhours/Hours: Self-guided tours, Cranbrook House and Gardens: Daily, 11 am to 3pm in September and October. May through Labor Day: Daily, 10am to 5 pm (Fridays, 10 am to 8:30 pm) Guided Cranbrook House Tours: Sundays (June 1 to Oct 26) at 3:00 pm, Thursdays (June 19 - Oct 31) 11:00 & 1.15 There are many other types of tours, showcasing the various parts of the complex. Go to the Cranbrook website for complete information. 4. Tikal, Guatemala (peak of development about 800) Tikal was one of the most powerful city states of the classic Maya, in the highlands of present day Guatemala. It consists of many groups of platforms, pyramids, and low buildings on knolls and shoulders of land, sitting above the surrounding swamps and jungles. The Great Plaza in the center of Tikal is flanked by the pyramids of Temple 1 (Giant Jaguar) and Temple 2, facing east and west, and also the low North Acropolis and palace building of the Central Acropolis on the south, all forming a dramatic and exciting civic and religious space. The central pyramids each have only one impossibly steep stair, facing each other and rising symmetrically up from the plaza. At the top is a small room with an elaborate "roof comb" headdress. Should you make the climb, you are rewarded with an astonishing vista of the tops of dozens of other pyramids, many unexcavated, rising above the dense jungle. The architects of Tikal and other Peten Maya sites, habitually thought in terms of groups of platforms and buildings, rather than isolated structures. Exterior space is much more important than interior rooms, which are generally small cellular spaces in a row. Assemblages of several buildings often serve as markers of significant positions of the sun on the horizon, or perhaps the stars. Tikal also contains a ball court that was used in the ubiquitous ancient Mayan ritual game, and structured causeways that lead to many outlying structures. Mayan hieroglyphs, carved on stelae (vertical rock slabs) around the site, have recently been deciphered, and mostly tell of ancient Kings and their conquests against neighboring cities. Today, Tikal's remote location and towering limestone pyramids make a powerful impression. Address: Tikal National Park, GuatemalaPhone: 502-7920-0025Web information: http://enjoyguatemala.com/tikal.htmHours: Monday-Sunday: 6 am to 6 pmAdmission: 50 Quetzales($6.35) 5. Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy (1300-06) Few buildings illustrate the potential for the integration of art and architecture as well The Scrovegni Chapel. This small early 14th century chapel is the masterpiece of Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), a Renaissance man before the Renaissance. A master-builder and painter, Giotto revolutionized western sight and philosophy through his early developments in perspective drawing. The chapel, a simple vault, is built into the ruins of the ancient Roman amphitheater, transforming a monument to brutality into a place for forgiveness. (Reginaldo Scrovegni, whose son built the chapel, was consigned to hell by the poet Dante.) The extent of Giotto's frescoes make the size and scale of the interior all but impossible to fully gauge. No photograph can capture their intense blue. This color alone could make a Hell's Angel cry and alone is worth the trip to Padua. A fabulous website provides information on the history and restoration efforts, as well as information on visiting the chapel. Don't miss the virtual tours. giottoagliscrovegni.it/eng/home.html Address: Piazza Eremitani 8, Padua (off Corso Garibaldi)Phone: 011-39-049-2010020Web information: See aboveHours: Daily, 9 am to 7 pm (closed Jan. 1, May 1, Dec. 25 and 26)Admission: Adults 11 Euros ($13.50); students and seniors 4 Euros ($4.90); children five and under free 6. Mesa Verde, southwestern Colorado (abandoned just before 1300) These astonishing Pre-Columbian dwellings, built on cliffs in shallow caves by people known as the Anasazi, were rediscovered in 1888 by a rancher looking for lost cattle. In the canyons of Mesa Verde are hundreds of caves, and during the height of the area's occupation (the 13th century), dwellings were built in almost every cave. The majority of tree ring dates obtained so far from the sites fall between 1230 and 1260, indicating this was a time of great construction activity. Remarkably, many of these extensive and beautiful sites were only lived in for one or two generations, as the inhabitants struggled with drought and possibly defense. The cliff dwellings range in size from a single room to the largest, called Cliff Palace, which has about 200 rooms and 23 kivas. Kivas are the remarkable underground Anasazi religious spaces (one can be entered at Spruce Tree House, one of the dwellings open to the public). The buildings were mostly made of ledgestones gathered from the site, and were originally covered with mud plasters, some with painted designs. The caves provided some shelter from the elements, and some of the dwellings were situated so they were shaded from the hot summer sun, but warmed in winter, when the sun angle is lower. Viewed from the top of the mesa, the cliff dwellings express a beautiful and timeless relationship between man's dwellings and nature. If you can climb a tall ladder and squeeze through the entrance (arranged for defense), don't miss the tour of Balcony House, where an ancient terrace overlooks the canyon. Address: Mesa Verde National Park, on highway 160. (It's a one-hour drive from Cortez, Colorado, heading east on Highway 160 to the park turnoff, and a 1.5 hour drive from Durango, Colorado, heading west on Highway 160 to the park turnoff.) Phone: 970/529-4465Web information: wws.gov/meve/pphtml/planyourvisit.htmlHours: Open seven days a week Ranger guided tours and self-guided tours spring, summer and fall only. There are also commercially-led tours available in many Chapin Mesa Museum: Mid-April through mid-Oct 8am to 630pm; 8 am to 5pm the rest of the year. 7. Shisendo Hall and Garden, Kyoto, Japan (1636-1672) Known as Hall of the Hermit Poets in English, Shisendo is a relatively small garden and house in the hills on the northeast edge of modern Kyoto. It was built by Ishikawa Jozan, a samurai warrior who became disillusioned with war and the Tokugawa shogun, and built an estate based on the legendary retreats of scholars and poets of the T'ang dynasty of China. After his death the garden was neglected and then restored in the 19th Century. Shisendo's main building is approached by a marvelous sequence of stone steps and spaces that lead past a large camellia tree to a genkan where shoes are removed and the visitor is greeted. As you walk along the portico to the main hall, your feet feel the wonderful cypress planks through your socks, and then the stiff resistance of the woven tatami mats. The hall is relatively dark, but opens diagonally onto the inner garden of sand, shaped azaleas, and beautiful trees beyond. The view is breathtaking and almost entirely open, because the shoji and fusuma panels have been pushed back into the walls--the roof carried by an impossibly small wooden column in the corner. The visitor sits on the tatami, and contemplates the gorgeous outdoor scene while listening to the gurgling of a nearby stream. After a while, green tea is brought by a discreet attendant, and the cares and concerns of the outer world slip away. After a peaceful few minutes, the visitor is allowed to enter the garden and look back at the building, which is a brilliant collage of form and materials. The roof planes are variously made of tile and thatch, punctuated with a small moon-viewing room with a circular window. Address: 27 Monguchi-cho, Ishojo-ji, Sakyo-kuPhone: +81-75-343-66Hours: 9 am to 5 pm, dailyAdmission: Adults 500 yen ($4.50), students 400 yen ($3.60) 8. Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain (1900-14) Originally conceived as a suburban housing development, Parc Guell--designed by Antonio Gaudi --epitomizes the long Catalan tradition of creating engaging public spaces and is the most interesting public park in Europe. Nestled into the hills surrounding Barcelona, the park surprises the first time visitor with robust organic elements which all share a simple basic structure of rubble masonry adorned with a confection of complexly surfaced and patterned tile mosaics. Make your way to the projecting platform plaza (called the 'Greek Theatre' by Gaudi) for unparalleled vistas of the city and Mediterranean. Don't miss the opportunity to wander deeper into the park's grounds where one will discover the super-rustic rockwork causeways and retaining walls. These linear constructions, so seemingly random, are the organizers of the site and were as carefully conceived as any of the fantastic forms in Gaudi's other works. Address: Carrer d'Olot 7, VallcarcaPhone: +34-934-243-809Hours: 10 am to 7 pm, dailyAdmission: Free 9. Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China (1420) Formerly the site where the Ming and Qing emperors, escorted by a brilliant retinue, traveled from the Forbidden City to pray and make sacrifices for good harvests, the vast Temple of Heaven complex in southeast Beijing has become a national symbol of China. A sequence of three significant groups of intricately detailed structures with blue tiled roofs and vast open spaces that housed the annual rituals are situated on an elevated central axis that runs through a lovely park and historic pine woods. The temple at the center of the complex is a masterpiece of integrated architecture and landscape design that in its simple geometric layout of a circular structure on a square base, formally symbolizes the relationship between the heaven and earth. It beautifully illustrates the significance of cosmology in Chinese philosophy, and has greatly influenced East Asian architecture and planning in for centuries. The temple complex has been transformed in more recent times from an imperial ritual ground into one of the most popular public gathering spaces Beijing, and is often filled with Beijing's citizenry engaging in shadowboxing (tai-chi), dancing, calligraphy, musicianship, song, and selling birds and other wares. The arrangement of the buildings, altars, and broad avenues is a lasting memorial to the consummate ability of the Chinese to utilize large spaces to the best possible advantage. Address: Tiantan Park, BeijingPhone: 8610-6702-2242Hours: 6 am to 7:50 pm, dailyAdmission: 35 Yuan Renminbi ($4.25) 10. Paestum, Italy (530 - 460 BCE, and also occupied during Roman times) Part of Magna Greca (the part of Italy controlled by the Greeks, before Rome), Paestum is the site of Greek Doric temples, such as the Basilica' and the Temple of Neptune' that make magnificent ruins, some of the most intact Greek buildings surviving. The buff colored columns are so massive that their width almost equals the spaces in between them, and their fluted, pock-marked surfaces give them a tremendous physical presence. Severely tapered, they rise up to plain capitals that support a massive frieze, mostly shorn of its ornament. The whole has a powerful effect, perhaps of rugged soldiers in strict alignment marching across the plain. Several temples remain, and are arranged in visual relationship to each other, in a way that speaks of Greek civic design. After the complex was rediscovered in the 18th century, they became a "must-see" for British nobility on the Grand Tour. The German philosopher Goethe saw the temples in the early 19th Century and called them "sublime." The Italians really know how to treat their ruins, and these are beautifully kept, with little blue flowers growing out of the cracks in the stone. Address: The town of Paestum is located in the Italian region of Campania. Most visitors take the train from Salerno.Phone: (39)828-811-023Hours: 9 am to sunset for the temple zone and museumAdmission: 4 Euros ($4.90) for admission to the archeological park and museum 11. Fallingwater, Bear Run, Pennsylvania (1936) Probably the most well known house of the 20th Century, the fame and popular success of Fallingwater revived the architect Frank Lloyd Wright's career at the age of 69. This "weekend house" set deep in the woods over a stream exploits the technology of concrete construction and the geometry of intersecting and overlapping forms to create an unsurpassed architectural intensity. The visitor enters the house through an astonishingly small space (Wright was famously only 5'-4" tall) that upon entering, dramatically opens up through glass walls to the outdoor terraces and woods beyond. The open, free plan, pinwheeling rooms, and central fireplace relate the house to Wright's Prarie Style work of 25 years before, but the use of horizontal concrete bands played off against vertical stone masses and the dramatic structural expression, have made the house a modern icon. Address: PA Route 381 between the villages of Mill Run and Ohio PylePhone: 724/329-850Website info: wwconserve.org/index-fw1.aspHours: Mid-March through Thanksgiving weekend: Tues - Sun, 10:00 - 4:00. Also open: Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Friday, the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day 12. Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, England (begun in 1591) Hardwick Hall, designed by the brilliant architect, Robert Smythson, is a true prodigy house. It was built by one of the most powerful and richest women of Elizabethan England, Elizabeth "Bess" of Hardwick, a sometimes friend and sometimes rival of Queen Elizabeth. Bess was first married at the age of twelve, and as each of her four husbands died she became richer and richer. A project to remodel an existing house on the grounds was abruptly abandoned when her last husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, died leaving her another substantial fortune. The old house was left to ruin as she immediately began plans for a magnificent new house that still bears her initials, ES (Elizabeth Shrewsbury), in the parapets. The house is a radical combination of Medieval and Renaissance, with huge glass windows that increase in size the higher they are in the building. All the floors of the house are connected by a straight continuous staircase that ascends all the way up, past Bess's living spaces to the High Great Chamber at the top. The house contains many tapestries done by Bess and her handmaidens, as well as wonderful chimneypieces and elaborate plasterwork. Address: Hardwick Hall, Doe Lea, Chesterfield, DerbyshirePhone: (44) 124 685 0430 Hours: 12 pm to 4 pm Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun (for the hall) 11 am-5:30 pm Wed thru. Sun (for the gardens) 8 AM-6PM seven days a week (Parkland gates) Hall: £6.80 ($12.25) Garden: £3.70 ($6.65)