From Scandinavian Light to London

Succumb to the uniqueness of light that washes over Skagen Odde Peninsula, ringed by bright yellow cabins and the solitary Grey Lighthouse at the northernmost tip of Denmark. With an inviting slow-pour pace of life and artistic creativity, artists have convened here for centuries including such notables like P.S. Krøyer, Holger Drachmann, and Anna and Michael Ancher, whose work is displayed in Skagen Museum. Spot seabirds and seals near the half-buried tower of Den Tilsandede Kirke, survey the landscape from the top of Rabjerg Mile, a migrating dune that edges seaward each year, or hike to the tip of Grenen sandbar, where the waters of the North Sea converge with the Baltic and you can stand barefoot in two seas at once. 

Bergen is Norway’s gateway to the fjords and its only UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Ringed by seven peaks and threaded with waterfalls, the city pairs dramatic nature with a compact, walkable core. The restored Hanseatic wharf of Bryggen (a World Heritage site) now houses contemporary galleries and workshops, while the historic Fish Market (Norway's oldest outdoor bazaar since 1276) serves some of the freshest seafood in Scandinavia. Add a robust culinary scene, neo-gothic churches, mountain hikes minutes away, and you have a destination that feels both timeless and completely of-the-moment. 

There’s a raw, wind-swept charm about Aberdeen, the Highland city that grew up from medieval roots into a hub of higher education and oil energy. Old Aberdeen unfurls past ancient colleges and botanic gardens from St Machar’s Cathedral, towards the grand Victorian facades of Union Street and its museums and cafes. Beyond, the North Sea crashes over miles of golden beach where lilac sunsets set skies ablaze, and a string of picturesque fishing villages line the coast towards Dunnottar Castle, a hilltop eyrie of stone and siege. Inland, the Highland spirit can be found in Speyside distilleries and windswept golf courses, flowing along the winding River Dee, past Balmoral Castle to the wild and rugged landscape of Cairngorms National Park. 

It’s easy to fall in love with Scotland’s eccentric capital, where royal heritage and warm hospitality imbue the city once known as 'Auld Reekie'. Times have changed since Edinburgh’s industrial heyday, but the old charm remains in the cobbled laneways of medieval old town and its ancient taverns overlooked by the historic monuments atop Calton Hill. Sample a dram of whisky on the Royal Mile before scrambling to the top of Arthur's Seat or wandering the battlements of Edinburgh Castle, which stands on an imposing volcanic outcrop. Georgian facades and leafy squares distinguish New Town, which rolls down to the old mills and galleries of Dean Village and the picturesque Water of Leith. Bold, proud and full of good cheer, Edinburgh is a welcoming refuge on the North Sea coast. 

Built on the indomitable spirit of its inhabitants over 2,000 years, London is one of the most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities in Europe. Feel the weight of history as you walk the Thames past the Houses of Parliament as Big Ben chimes the hour, and on to St. Paul’s and the Tower of London’s hulking walls. Feast on royal pageantry during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, visit Westminster Cathedral, or solve the maze at Hampton Court Palace, before taking a seat at a top table in Mayfair or Soho, where members’ clubs and Michelin stars fuse heritage and culinary art. Architectural mastery frames historical context in South Kensington’s Museum Quarter, and noble institutions like the Tate Modern, British Museum, and National Gallery are home to some of the world’s finest artwork.