Athens

Capital of Greece, this is a great destination for the visitor. Tourist Athens includes the ruins of classical Greece, after all the image of Athens - home to the Parthenon is iconic For lovers of Greek cuisine there is a great choice of basic tavernas and sophisticated restaurants. Museums and smart shopping make Athens an all-year destination.

John Travolta

Don’t mistake the home of John Travolta and his family for an airline terminal. Even though it is located near the main runway of the Ocala, Florida airport and a portion of the home looks like an air-control tower, it is not part of the airport. The home was built and designed to house two of his planes: a Gulfstream jet and a Boeing 707B. The property was chosen because it came with a 7,500-foot runway that was extended to allow Travolta’s jets easier access to taxi his planes from the airport to his house. His wife, actress Kelly Preston, and his family can view his planes as they arrive from within the home. Travolta’s fascination with airplanes and aviation is carried out further inside the home. There is a large mural painted on the wall in the dining room that gives the impression of being in the lobby of the Paris airport circa 1930. The mural is based on an advertisement found in a 1937 issue of Fortune magazine.

Ira Rennert

The billionaire founder of the Renco Group typically eschews publicity. However, it is his ostentatious mansion, Fair Field that is located in the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island that garners most of the publicity. Rennert named it after the nearby Fairfield Pond. It is recognized as one of the largest occupied private residences in the United States. The home and associated buildings total more than 110,000 square feet. The main house itself is over 66,000 square feet. How to sell a house like this? You will be appealing to the supremely rich and if Rennet did choose to sell this property it could be the most expensive home on the planet. Some of the amenities found in the residence include 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, 91-foot long dining room, bowling alley, tennis and squash courts, a $150,000 hot tub and a basketball court.

Will Smith

Will and Jada Smith are the owners of a ridiculously large mansion in Calabasas, California. As active sports fans, the Smiths made sure to include a basketball court, tennis court, and a lake. They even have two par-three golfing holes in their backyard. The castle-sized home took more than seven years to build and cost more than $20 million. By the time the home was occupied, Smith stated that their desires had changed from the house that they had wanted seven years prior. Smith joked that the children would be in their own homes by the time this one was built. Nonetheless, the entire family was able to move into the expensive and expansive home. In 2005, Will Smith and family fled their extravagant mansion when California wildfires threatened it and others in the area. But the estate was spared and the family returned.

Donald Trump

One cannot think of an extravagant celebrity house without Donald Trump’s mega-mansion coming to mind. Trumps’s Palm Beach, Florida mansion has 9 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, art gallery, media room, ballroom, beauty salon, and a conservatory with over 4,100 square feet. The 80,000 square foot estate also has two guest houses, spectacular gardens and parking to accommodate 40 cars. It sits on 6.5 acres of prime oceanfront land with 475 feet fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The estate, named Maison de l’Amitie, was purchased at a bankruptcy auction in 2004 for $41 million. Just before the real estate market peaked, it was estimated that if Trumnp chose to sell this property it would be worth $125 million in 2006. It was considered one of the most expensive residences in the nation.

Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz

His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz was ambassador to the United States from Saudi Arabia from 1983 to 2005. He lived infrequently in an elaborate 56,000 square foot, mountaintop estate in Aspen, Colorado that is larger than the White House. Upon his appointment as Secretary-General of the National Security Council in 2005 by King Abdullah, the prince placed the Aspen estate on the market. The main house includes 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and an indoor swimming pool. Situated on 95 acres, the estate also has a tennis court, water features, snowmelt driveway and other ostentatious amenities. The asking price for the estate was $135 million, which was $10 million more than Trump’s mega-estate. It was ultimately removed from the market in 2007 due to a lack of offers for the pricey property.

Barcelona

Second city of Spain and major Mediterranean port, bustling Barcelona incorporates a delightful historic mix of Roman remains, medieval quarters and 20th century avant-garde art. See:
Barcelona - Capital City of Catalunya,
Barcelona - Las Ramblas,
Barcelona - Sagrada Familia,
Barcelona - Parc Guell.