Located in Central Europe at the crossroads of where east meets west, the Balkan nation of Slovenia (pop: 2,007,711) was once part of the former Yugoslavia and now a member of the European Union. Bordering Italy, the Adriatic Sea, Croatia, Hungary and Austria, this little nation half the size of Switzerland seemingly offers the best of each of the surrounding countries. Three major geographic regions also meet in Slovenia --- you can go hiking on forested alpine mountain trails, swimming in the warm Adriatic Sea or go vineyard hopping in the central plateau --- all in one day. Of the seven nations of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia has the highest income economy and feels more Germanic than Slavic, yet its citizens are stylish, easy going and proponents of Italian la dolce vita.

They left in droves for the new worlds, some to North America, others to Australia and New Zealand. They were the Irish poor, fleeing from famine-ridden Ireland where only the English had enough to eat.

I flew into Santiago, Chile in early March for the wine harvest in one of the world’s great wine producing regions. The day I arrived was also the night of the total lunar eclipse.

I’ve just returned after several weeks in Scotland with my daughter. We were impressed with several castles we visited. Officially, there are 1,103 castles protected by Historic Environment Scotland. About 750 are still standing, the remainder are low ruins. We only visited 5 which was all time allowed.

The first thing you notice is the fragrance. The intoxicating perfume of the tiare flower announces to your senses that you are in a magical place, overflowing with tropical vegetation and soothing trade winds. It is the same fragrance that the English seamen on the HMS Bounty also first encountered; but they came, not for flowers, but for breadfruit, intended as a new food staple for their slaves in the West Indies. But that was another time and another emotional place. Today, Papeete, located on Tahiti Nui (“Big”), is Tahiti’s vibrant capital city and gateway to her islands. Roughly one-half of all of the Tahitian islands’ population lives in this city. Papeete bustles with world-class resorts, restaurants, nightclubs and endless shopping. If it’s a pearl you want or a hand-painted pareu (sarongs) - worn by women and men alike - this is the place for it

Unique plants abound, like the high altitude orange-rust paper bark trees. One can be viewing tropical plants and then lift one’s gaze to some of the park’s 27 snow-capped peaks above 6,000 meters, and perhaps an Andean Condor. Among the peaks is the highest mountain in Peru, Huascarán, 6,768 meters. The Llanganuco lagoon in the photos, one of hundreds of lakes in the park fed by over 660 tropical glaciers, is 3,860 meters high. If you’re coming from low altitudes and haven’t acclimated, take it slow and easy, as even that height, well over twice as high as Denver, can feel taxing on a slope. For those acclimated and up for it, there are multiple hiking journeys, from several days to ten or more.

There are few sights more uplifting than a field of girasoli (sunflowers) in full bloom. Across the countryside of northeastern Italy, vast carpets of golden blossoms stretch to the horizon, their radiant faces following the arc of the summer sun as if performing nature’s oldest dance. It is a spectacle that lasts only a few precious weeks, yet leaves an enduring impression on all who encounter it.

I was in New South Wales in the land down under and flora, fauna, time and season were out of joint. Lying on the southeast coast of Australia, the state enjoys a Mediterranean climate (ranging between 40 and 75 degrees in winter), the country’s largest population (7 million of a total 30 million) and fosters sophisticated and alternative lifestyles.

Millions of years ago these salt waters covered the peninsula, layering in shell that would become limestone. When the tectonic plates rose and forced the waters back they cracked the granite that lined the earth's crust into boulders, which later mixed with the illuvial soils of clay, sand, and other minerals to form the land that would so influence the vineyards.

The invitation came by post. I thought it was junk at first and stacked it with the rest of the mail until my wife Anne came home for lunch from her dental office. A handsome brochure touting the attractions of Peru is included along with a letter describing the dedication of a group sponsoring a conference on art and disability. I cannot determine how my name came to their attention but recognize this invitation as the chance of a lifetime and speculate for a couple days on how we might manage to afford the trip.