Iceland is a nature lover’s paradise with majestic beauty everywhere. Reykjavik is charming with a very warm and inviting hospitality. However, the real magic of this country lies outside the city among the black sand beaches, volcanic landscape, lush greenery and thundering waterfalls.

We hung with Puffins and saw lots of cows, horses and sheep roaming the countryside. We hiked waterfalls and glaciers, cruised around a glacier lagoon, descended into a volcano and soaked in the waters of the Blue Lagoon. The weather, however, can be a beast with pelting rain, gusty winds and a chill that gets in your bones, but it didn’t deter us from braving the elements and experiencing all that Iceland has to offer.

When the sun did come out, it highlighted the many vivid colors of greenery from the moss-covered lava to the volcanic hillsides. It was all incredibly stunning!

Having traveled much of Europe, I was excited when my friend, who is from Bangkok, invited me to join her on her annual trip to Thailand. Being my first visit to Asia, she prepared me for the unrelenting heat, torrential rains and the insane traffic. But what is lasting is my experience with the richness of the culture, history and traditions of the country with its unique sights, sounds and tastes.

The city of Bangkok held many delights from the popular and historic landmarks to receiving massages and eating incredibly flavorful food. Our days also were enriched with countless ice tea’s because not only did they help cool us off, but they were just sooo good! We traveled by train, taxi, tuk tuk, and boat navigating the city sights, along with walking miles upon miles.

To get another view of Thailand we visited the northern part of the country in Kanchanaburi and hiked the amazing 7-tiered waterfalls at Erawan National Park and explored Phratat Cave with all of its stunning formations, slithering snakes and unusual oversized bugs! We had our first experience staying at a floating resort where the highlight of the evening was having dinner served on a floating raft while being pulled around the lake watching a spectacular sunset.

Then we headed south and visited the famous islands and beaches of southern Thailand. We went paddle boarding around the exquisite rock formations jutting out of the ocean, snorkeled along the Phi Phi Islands, and were entertained watching the mischievous monkeys stealing food out of the hotel rooms! We ended our stay with another wonderful Thai massage…ahhhh the life!

Austria exudes culture, riches, history, art and tradition. We were struck by the grandeur of the palaces and museums. In Vienna we watched the famous Lipizzaner Horses perform at Hofburg Palace, listened to the Vienna Boys Choir which literally brought tears to my eyes, attended Rigoletto at their stunning Opera House, saw Klimt’s famous painting The Kiss at Belvedere Palace and enjoyed an intimate Mozart concert in his actual apartment! We cruised down the Danube River to visit the Melk Abbey which is still a home and school for Monks. Lastly, we took an exhilarating ride on the Prater Ferris Wheel which was built in 1897 and is a landmark of this city…definitely a must to do at night to see the city twinkle!

Klagenfurt, the city where Rafael completed his 10th Ironman, is a beautiful lakeside resort town which has a population of just under 100,000 during most of the year which swells to over 500,000 in the summer! It was bustling with energy as over 2,000 athletes descended upon the town with their families and friends! A unique highlight to visiting this area is cruising across Lake Worthersee, the largest of over 1000 lakes in this area, to Pyramidenkogel Tower. This observation tower is a wooden structure atop a mountain that has 441 stairs to three levels of outdoor viewing platforms and an enclosed slide that spirals down from the top to the bottom in 20 seconds…woohooo…dizzying fun!

Salzburg was another beautifully charming city with picturesque views and cobblestone streets packed with cafes and stores. Art Hotel Blaue Gans, the oldest inn in the city and declared a world cultural heritage site, was our home for the next few days and was exceptional in every way! Again, more palaces, churches and museums and a few very cool tours. Our first tour was of Glockenspiel Carillon Tower which still rings 35 bells every night playing either Mozart or Haydn. The second tour was of Festspielhaus, home to the annual Salzburg Festival of opera, plays and concerts. During the six weeks of this festival, Salzburg’s population grows from 150,000 to over 7 million people! Two trips outside of the city were to the Lakes District and the Bavarian Alps to tour the 490-year-old Salt Mines where we got to slide down the wooden slides inside the mines that the workers used to get down to any of the six levels! It is so huge there is even a lake inside!

Prague has a bit more grit and diversity than we saw in Austria. It is a huge city with some profound history especially in the Jewish Quarter. In the Spanish Synagogue, we enjoyed another incredible concert of classic songs including my favorite, Bolero! We walked from one end of the city to the other exploring the different neighborhoods often getting lost and discovering little gems along the way. We climbed tower after tower taking in astounding views of Prague Castle and the city. One of our favorite tours here was of the Old Town Hall Medieval Underground and Astronomical Clock Tower. On the hour bells ring and small figurines dance around the clock with hundreds of tourists gathered below to watch! A must mention was our lunch at Lehka Hlava where I had the best vegetarian food I have ever eaten! This city overall, is a vegetarian’s delight with plenty of options! We ended our visit in this city paddle boating down the Vltava River for a unique perspective. Another amazing European adventure completed!

My adventures in Portugal were special because I had my very own personal tour guide, a dear friend whom I met in college who grew up and lives in Lisbon. We stayed with his family for most of our time there adding an extra element of authenticity.

He showed us around all the major sites in and around Lisbon, including the many palaces and parks of Sintra. We toured the ruins and unique Chapel of Bones in Evora, drove along the picturesque countryside south to Lagos where we cruised the grottos, and ended our trip in the historic and quaint town of Obidos.

Having someone who can share personal thoughts and experiences from growing up there, explain the history and culture from a native’s perspective, speak the language, and take us to “hidden gems” to experience traditional local cuisine offered a unique insider’s view. What an incredible way to see a country!

I started speaking Spanish as a child in a bilingual pre-school which started my love for Spanish culture. Being a dream of mine to visit Spain for decades, I kept a folder of magazine articles and reviews, so when I finally got to go, it was magical! I have never felt more at home in any country, besides America of course. The people were warm, inviting and encouraged me to speak what little Spanish I could remember. The sites were magnificent with a variety of art and beauty, the coastline spectacular, and of course the food, delicious…even for a vegetarian!

Since I was so eager to see the Guggenheim, we started our trip in Bilbao. One of my magazine articles from so long ago was about the architecture of this museum. It did not disappoint! Even the rain did not deter the nearly one hundred pictures I took in awe of the titanium-clad building documenting that I was finally visiting! We continued by train to San Sebastian and fell in love with the charm and stunning coastline that offered great hiking up two mountains which flank the picturesque beach revealing breathtaking views.

Our tour of northern Spain ended in Barcelona where it was everything I had imagined and more. Art, culture and beauty merge into one here. It felt like a big celebration of life! The astounding architecture by Gaudi throughout the city, live music, flamenco dance, mouthwatering tapas, steaming hot churros, fabulous shopping, afternoon siestas…I fell in love. I will be back!

An Ironman adventure took us to Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa. The volcanic landscape offers dramatic views that are constantly changing with the light. The colors and terrain are varied with enormous reddish brown volcanic cones in some parts and lush greenery, blue teal waters and white sandy beaches in other areas.

The first part of our trip was all business as Rafael prepared for the race. Then it was the big day! Rafael had his toughest race to date, with some of the most difficult climbs and winds he has encountered but he was rewarded with a beautiful marathon finish along the coastline and crossed the finish line with a big smile! Now it was time to relax and enjoy the island life!

We explored caves formed by the lava tubes that now have theaters inside for concerts. We drove to the top of Mirador del Rio to take in breathtaking views of the entire island. We lounged along the coasts of Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen. Lastly, we took a ferry to Graciosa Island and biked around the entire island taking in more spectacular views of this unique landscape.