Almeria's Alcazaba fortress rises above film set landscapes seen in spaghetti westerns. Fragrant herbs and Provencal menus will tease you into the hills above Nice. Familiar Roman landmarks cast long autumn shadows, silhouettes of Vesuvius and Etna marking our voyage south. Strewn with islands, the Dalmatian coast blends medieval relics with lively streets that bustle under red-tile roofs. These make way for the blue Aegean spotted with sugar cube villages and Black Sea spas that once welcomed Russian tsars.