The Southernmost town of Cinque Terre is Riomaggiore, nestled on the Italian coast. Journey here during the summer time and eat all the gelato and espresso you desire while taking in great panamoric views and exploring landmarks like the Church of San Giovanni Battista of Riomaggiore, Castelo di Riomaggiore, and Riomaggiore Beach.

The smallest inhabited island of Comino is a short ferry ride away from the main island of Malta. Take a day trip here to explore St. Mary's Tower, the Santa Maria Caves, Crystal Lagoon, Lantern Point, Cominotto Reef, and relax the rest of the day at the picturesque Blue Lagoon. You have a choice in returning to Malta or going further to Gozo, but you should not miss Comino on your visit here.

The island of Gozo is easily reached from Malta's main island by taking a ferry from Cirkewwa to Mġarr. Take a day trip here and spend your time exploring places like Wied Il-Mielaħ, the Azure Window, Fungus Rock, Sopu Tower, Ramla Beach, Calypso Cave, Blue Hole, Reqqa Point, Dahla ta' Bemberin, and Ġgantija. The churches at Mġarr and Ta' Pinu are also spectacular to see!

So many things come to mind when you think of Sweden: ABBA, Skiing, IKEA, Volvo, High Taxes, Vikings, the Swedish Chef, etc. Sweden is also more than just its capital of Stockholm. If you have the time, be sure to check out other Swedish cities like Gothenburg (the 2nd largest), Malmö (the 3rd largest), Uppsala and Lund (both university towns), Helsingborg in the South of Sweden, Kalmar in Småland County, and the islands of Öland and Marstrand off the Swedish coast.

The island of Marstrand sits about an hour north of Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden. The archipelago of Gothenburg is a sight to see but if you're feeling more ambitious, find your way to Marstrand where you can hike around the whole island, enjoy swedish dishes like skagenröra and kardemummabulle, while taking in views of Carlstens Fästning and Strandverket.

You can make your way to Sweden’s 3rd largest city by train from anywhere in the country, even from Copenhagen airport in Denmark (by taking a train across the Øresund Bridge). You'll likely need a whole weekend here to see sights like the Turning Torso, Malmö Castle and Konsthall, the Malmö City Library, Lomma Beach, Gamla Väster, Möllevången, Steinstrand, and Lilla torg (among others!).

The Swedish University town of Lund is a favorite among students. Its close proximity to Malmö (and Copenhagen) make it a very accessible city that still possesses a charming, small town feel. Be sure to check out Lund University, Kulturen, Stadsparken, Lundagård, the All Saints Church, and Lund Cathedral on your visit to this city in Skåne county in the South of Sweden.

You can’t go see Kalmar without seeing the island of Öland next to it. Origins of this island date back to 8000 BC so the amount of history here is enormous. Rent a car and see places like Borgholm Castle, Solliden Palace, Långe Erik, Långe Jan, Lerkaka, Ismantorp Fortress, Eketorps Borg, Mysinge Hög, Köpingsvik Beach, and countless Rune stones (Runsten) from old Swedish lore.

This small Swedish town on the Southeast Coast is perfect for a weekend getaway. Take the train or rent a car to see Kalmar Castle, Kalmar Konstmuseum, Tripp Trapp Trull, Klapphuset, Laboritorieholmen, Svinö, and Kalmar Domkyrka. If you have even more time, take a day trip to the island of Öland just nearby.

Al-'Ula is a city in Northwest Saudi Arabia, known for Saudi's FIRST UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site, known as Hegra, was another dwelling place for the ancient arab Nabataean people, the same who settled in Petra, in Jordan. You can easily take a bus, hire a car, or fly to Al-'Ula and embark on numerous excursions while there including ziplining and cycling or helicopter riding in the area.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is an 83 island archipelago off the East coast of Saudi Arabia. Its economy is more dependent on tourism and banking, than on oil. Taking a trip around the country will only take a weekend! Some sights not to miss include the Bahrain Fort, World Trade Center, Tree of Life, Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Fort (RIffa Fort), Jazaer Beach, and the Salman bin Hamad Mosque.

Malta as a destination is the perfect combination of plentiful sunny beaches and lagoons, mixed with countless historical entities and gorgeous natural features. Take a few days and check out awesome places like the capital Valletta, Blue Grotto, Selmun Palace, Red Tower, Fort Manoel, Fort St. Angelo, Golden Bay, Mdina, Rabat, Marsamxett and Grand Harbours, the Dingli Cliffs and Fisherman's Cave.

Graz is the capital city of Styria, the heavy forest region on the Eastern edge of the Alps in Austria. A weekend break here was perfect to walk around the old town, and see places like the Kunsthaus, Eggenberg Palace, Schlossberg, the Graz Cathedral, and the Glockenspiel. I found Austrians to also be very warm and friendly during my stay and because of that, I would LOVE to return.

The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is small with a population of just above a quarter million. But the city boasts a plethora of sights which include Ljubljana Castle and Cathedral, Triple Bridge, Metelkova Art Center, Republic and Congress Square, Cerkev Marijinega Oznanjenja, and Saints Cyril and Methodius Church, as well as plentiful green spaces like Tivoli Park!

Vilnius is rich in historical and cultural entities that serves as the capital of the Baltic State of Lithuania. My trip here took me to great places like St. Anne's Church, Vilnius Cathedral, the Three Crosses, Gediminas Castle Tower, Bastion Hill, Cathedral and Town Hall Squares, Pilies and Literatai Streets, and Missionary Gardens, just to name a few. This was my FAVORITE Baltic Capital!

The German capital of Berlin is great every time of year, but not time is better than during Christmas. Aside from some of the great landmarks of the city like Berliner Dom, Brandenburg, Gate, the Reichstag, East Side Gallery and Checkpoint Charlie, the many Christmas Markets (Christkindlmarkt) are in full swing during the month of December. Pack a coat and enjoy this great German city!

Kiev (or Kyiv), Ukraine surprised me in many ways. So many churches to see: St. Andrew's Church, St. Michael's Gold-domed Monastery, St. Sophia's Cathedral, and Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Great historical monuments like the Motherland Monument. And awesome neighborhoods like Vozdvyzhenka Barrio, Andriivs'kyi descent, and Park Landscape Alley. If you have the time, a day trip to Chernobyl is a must!

Sofia in Bulgaria possesses a treasure trove of churches, cultural monuments, and even ruins of the ancient Roman city of Serdica. Take a weekend break to check out places like Vitosha Blvd, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, St. Sofia Church, Church of Sveti Sedmochislenitsi, The Largo, Sofia History Museum, and St. Kyriaki Cathedral Church (among other places).