Travel in county Walton

It once was one of the South's best-kept secrets, but now the word is out.

Since its opening in 1965, Bal Harbour Shops has been the rare outdoor shopping center driven solely by luxury retail tenants. It was the first U.S. location outside New York for both Yves Saint Laurent and Oscar de la Renta. Developer Stanley Whitman claimed it was even the first mall to charge for parking.

La Mortella is an extraordinary garden we visited on the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples. It is a wonderland of exotic plants, created in 1958 by Argentinian Susana Walton. Unbelievably sumptuous were the hanging orchids, and the experience was full of other delights such as the biggest lily pads I have ever seen. We were guided by the receptionist (with a talking parrot) to the cafe, where we enjoyed fantastic food and then a concert featuring music written by Susana’s husband, Sir William. The gardens are open from 30 March to 3 November (entry €12) on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Our memory is of music, food and glorious surroundings.David Innes-Wilkin

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When Billy Joel sang about a “New York State of Mind” he was talking about going home to the Big Apple.