“What’s your favourite place?” – a question I’ve been asked more times than I can recall over the years, and one that’s nearly impossible to answer. So, I’ve made a list that spans the globe, from Aachen to Zurich and each letter in between: My ABCs, though are not nearly as simple as 1-2-3. Today, we bring you the letter G – for the Greek Islands:

It once occurred to me, on my fourth visit, that the ruins of Knossos on Crete seemed a very unlikely place to be able to say that I had stood in so many times.

But such is the allure of the Greek islands that the ancient palace – origin of the legend of the half-man, half-bull Minotaur – was not, in fact, a rare place to be, at least for me.

From Delos to Mykonos, and Rhodes to Santorini, I’ve been to a few islands, each boasting their own unique attributes, not least incredible history; whitewashed villages with winding lanes and spiked with colour in their doors, window boxes and rooftops; restaurants and cafés overlooking huddled fishing boats in the harbour; solitary or rows of hilltop windmills; and drop-dead gorgeous drop-off cliffs that frame sunrises, sunsets, or simply impossibly blue skies and the Aegean Sea during the full light of day.

Two of the best are bustling Mykonos, party-central; and Santorini, known for its famous sunsets over the rim of the volcano, viewed from Oa or Thira, or, even better, a tall ship cruise in the bay.

But I’ve also seen the other side of Mykonos (and its island mascot, Petros the pelican) off-season for an entirely different experience, and been invited to a wedding on Santorini – like everyone else in the village – on the less touristy side of the island in a cave hotel to which I was unexpectedly transported on the back of the owner’s motorbike.

I was stuck on Paros for days when the meltemi winds stopped the ferries from sailing – a schedule-wrecking annoyance at the time, but which I now recall fondly.

The experience also taught me that, while the fast ferries from Athens and between islands get you there – or gone – well, faster, the slow ships attune one to a pace of life that has endured for ages. And for good reason.

Honourable mention: Grand Canyon

Bucket list: Greenland, Georgia (Central Asia), Guadeloupe

Unlike the song, I have not been everywhere, so please don’t wonder why one of your favourites wasn’t one of mine. Instead, tell me at baginski@travelindustrytoday.com. I’m already thinking about my next list.

Stay tuned to future issues for the rest of the list. And for previous entries, click HERE.