Sveti Tomaž is a small settlement located about an hour away from the Slovenian capital city of Ljubljana. The name of the village translates to 'Saint Thomas', which refers to the church that sits atop the settlement. The church features Romanesque and Gothic architecture dating back to the 1500s. My journey here was during sunrise and above the clouds, which made for quite the spectacle!

Slovenia is a country that boasts more than 500 castles due to its long and storied history. The best way to see many of them is to take a road trip through the country, orchestrating stop offs to see each one. Some of the castles I managed to see in my travels include Ljubljana Castle, Ptuj Castle, Maribor Castle, Žovnek Castle, Celje Castle, and Branik/Rihemberk Castle.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is one of the most popular spots in Iceland. It sits near the Vatnajökull National Park in southeastern Iceland. It is known for having icebergs of various sizes from the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier flowing in and out of the Atlantic Ocean. Fellsfjara is the nearby black sand beach where you will find many of these icebergs beached. This is a must see in Iceland!

Borsh is a small seaside village on the West coast of Southern Albania. Known for its olive oil production, it has become more prominent for tourism due to its pristine beach, the largest in the Ionian sea. The town will only become more prominent as tourist-related businesses start to invest in local infrastructure. The Lab dialect of Albanian is typically spoken by locals in the area.

Gjirokaster is a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in the South of Albania. It's name in Medieval Greek translates to 'Silver Castle'. The city's record dates it back to 1336, when it was part of the Byzantine Empire. It is the birthplace of Enver Hoxha, the former communist leader. Above the city sits Gjirokaster Fortress and its old town has been recognized for its intact Ottoman influences.

Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in the South of Albania. Due to its existence across many times and civilizations, the city comprises many unique styles of architecture and influences. Its origins date back to the 7th century BC. it is often called the 'Town of a Thousand Windows' with notable landmarks such as Berat Castle, Gorica Bridge, and St. Michael's Church.

Shkodër, regarded as the traditional capital of Northern Albania, is the 5th largest city of the country. It was created as the Capital of the Illyrian kingdom under the name Skodra. The history of Shkodër is storied, with origins in the Bronze Age coupled with Roman, Serbian, and Ottoman influences. Notable sights to see include Rozafa/Shkodër Castle and the Ebu Bekër Mosque.

The Faroe Islands is a North Atlantic archipelago owned by Denmark. This small country with its 50,000 inhabitants has some of the best nature you can imagine. Islands like Vágar, Mykines, Streymoy, Eysturoy, Kalsoy, Bordoy, Vidoy, and Sandoy all have amazing nature to see and appreciate. Renting a car to travel through Faroe in the summertime is the way to go so use this guide as a resource!

The Faroe Islands are in no shortage of waterfalls, but some are more gorgeous than others. This is a guide on some of the most notable ones spread across the islands of Streymoy, Vágar, and Bordoy. Notably, the Fossá, Múlafossur, Skarðsáfossur, Bøsdalafossur, Svartafoss, Týggjará, and Svartidalurfoss Waterfalls are the most worth seeing.

The island of Kalsoy (meaning 'Mans Island') is located within the Faroe Islands archipelago, which is owned by Denmark. The island is isolated and can be reached by a ferry from Klaksvík to Syðradalur. A hike to the Kallur Lighthouse in Trøllanes is a must with stops at the settlements of Mikladalur and Húsar. Kalsoy was also a filming location for the 25th James Bond Film, 'No Time to Die'.

The island of Bordoy (meaning 'Headland island') is located within the Faroe Islands archipelago, which is owned by Denmark. There are 8 settlements on the island with a combined population of 6,314. One settlement is Klaksvík, the second largest city in the Faroe Islands. Notable places to see on Bordoy include Svartidalurfoss, Klakkur, Christianskirkjan, and the Árnafjarðar Church.

The island of Eysturoy (meaning 'East Island') is located within the Faroe Islands archipelago, which is owned by Denmark. It is the 2nd largest and most populated island in the country, containing the villages of Eiði and Gjógv to the north, the basalt sea stacks Risin og Kellingin, Slættaratindur - the highest mountain in Faroe, and the fjords Skálafjørður and Funningsfjørður.

The island of Streymoy (meaning 'Island of Currents') is located within the Faroe Islands archipelago, which is owned by Denmark. It is the largest/most populated island in the country, also containing the capital city of Tórshavn. Great places to visit include the villages of Tjørnuvík, and Kirkjubøur,, Fossá Waterfall, Tórshavn, Kirkjubøur, Týggjará Waterfall, and the black sand beach at Saksun.

The island of Vágar is located within the Faroe Islands archipelago, which is owned by Denmark. The three largest villages are Miðvágur, Sandavágur and Sørvágur but the highlight of Vágar are its natural features: Tindhólmur and Drangarnir, the Múlafossur, Bøsdalafossur, and Skarðsáfossur waterfalls, Lake Sørvágsvatn, and the Trøllkonufingur and Dunnesdrangar Sea Stacks.

The Lofoten Islands are located in Nordland County in Norway. They are composed of the islands Gimsøy, Austvågøy, Vestvågøya, Flakstadøya, Mostenesøya, and Værøy. These islands are some of the most beautiful in the world and a summertime road trip to Lofoten is a huge bucket list item. My favorite spots were Henningsvær, Reine, Ryten, Nusfjord, Vikten, Offersøykammen, and Eggum, to name a few!

Since it is an island nation, Iceland sure must have plenty of lighthouses. There are about 104 of them, manning the roughly 5000 kilometer coastline. Some notable lighthouses include the Garður Old Lighthouse, and the ones in Malarrif, Svörtuloft, Hvalnes, Öndverðarnes, Súgandisey Island, Dyrhólaey, Old Akranes, Bjargtangar, Dalatangi, Þrídrangaviti, and Grótta Island.

This small town sits on a peninsula on Slovenia's Adriatic coast. The orange-shingled rooftops evoke impressions from Dubrovnik and other Balkan sea towns. Piran is one big old town with medieval city walls, a city square, a church and bell tower (Zvonik Campanile Bell Tower), and plenty of restaurants and cafes lining the streets. It is a must see stop anything you're in this part of the world.

Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the tallest peak in the Julian Alps. As such, it is the centerpiece (and namesake) of Slovenia's only national park. This park is vast and full of natural wonders, my favorites being Tolmin Gorges, Lake Bohinj, Slap (waterfall) Pericnik, Vintgar and Great Soča Gorges, Fort Kluže, the Russian Chapel, and Slap Virje, among many others!