TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING

Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is the seat of tremendous cultural renaissance which inspired an entire city to devote itself to artistic expression. Picasso, Dali, Miro, Gaudi - the sons of Barcelona, have made Catalunya's capital a vibrant symbol of cultural re-awakening. Visit the ParqueGruell, wander the Gothic Quarter, wonder at the Sagrada Familia, climb Montjuic, stroll down the Ramblas and listen to the soulful strains of the bewitching Sardana. Barcelona is a celebration of which you will never tire.

Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain
Ibiza is a place where people hang out because they can let it all hang out. With a wildly mixed population of trendy artists, aging hippies, laid-back ex-pats, and dedicated club goers, Ibiza has a well-earned reputation for the bizarre and outrageous. Except for the medieval walls, you could almost think it was the Med's version of Key West. But away from the hustle of town, some lovely beaches await.

Pollença, Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Just a few miles inland from the beautiful beaches of Badia de Pollença, in the Serra de Tramuntana hills overlooking Majorca's rugged northeast coast, the town of Pollença dreams in slumber like Rip Van Winkle, virtually untouched for a hundred or more years. Walk the worn stairs of Via Crucis and take in the view from the ancient Benedictine Monastery, Ermita de Nostra Senora del Puig.

Formentera, Balearic Islands, Spain
The least developed of the Balearics, Formentera is an unhurried little island with a lot of charm. With hills blanketed in pines and sweet-smelling rosemary and hundreds of crescent-shaped beaches cradled between tall cliffs, it's an idyllic place to relax for a day. The Faro de la Mola lighthouse near Es Pilar is where Jules Verne wrote Journey Round the Solar System.

Mahon, Menorca
You can see why Lord Nelson choose this spot as the base for the British Mediterranean fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. Imagine dozens of ships of the line, being fitted out for battle in this historic harbor. Reminders of those times can still be seen in the gracious Georgian buildings that climb the steep hills backing the Moll Ponent. Mahon's heritage also includes the invention of mayonnaise and the first distillation of gin from juniper berries.

Palma, Majorca
Towering over the harbor, Palma's enormous Gothic cathedral is a powerful symbol of the religious fervor which gripped all of Spain shortly after the defeat of the Moors. Built by Jaumé I, its vast open nave and soaring Gothic columns have been added to over the centuries. Behind the Cathedral, a maze of twisting streets leads to designer boutiques and open-air markets.

Malaga, Spain
When the Moors crossed over from Africa to Andalucía in 714, they were to establish a kingdom that would become the glory of the Middle Ages. Malaga's fortress palace of the Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfaro are splendid examples of Moorish architecture. But it is in Granada that you can see the most romantic and magnificent expression of the Arabesque style in the glorious Alhambra Palace. Ferdinand and Isabella lived here for a while, as did Washington Irving, author or Tales of the Alhambra.

Casablanca, Morocco
Long before Ingrid Bergman and Bogie made Casablanca a symbol for romance, the city was famous for intrigue and mystery. Veiled by overlapping mantles of French, Arabian and African culture, Casablanca reveals new faces at every turn. The enormous Hassan II Mosque (holding 70,000 worshippers) is the new Morocco, while the fanciful Mauresque buildings in the Medina impart visions of pre-war Casablanca.

Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
The Garden of Hesperides, the Elysian Fields, the Fortunate Isles. From the time of Homer and Pliny the Canary Islands have inspired myths about a lost island kingdom where springtime was ever present. Each of the seven main Canary Islands has a different eco-system, based on the island's elevation. Lanzarote, the easternmost island, is dominated by the flame-breathing Montaña de Fuego (Mountain of Fire). In some restaurants in Timanfaya, you can have your steak grilled over a fumarole.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
The island of Tenerife is bisected by steep volcanic mountains cut by garden-like valleys lush with flowers and vegetation. In the capital of Santa Cruz' anthropological museum, learn about the original inhabitants of Tenerife, the stone age Guanche people, who eked out an existence as shepherds. Not to be missed is a spectacular drive into the mountains, where 3,718-metre Mount Teide, Spain's tallest mountain, is covered in snow much of the year.

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
The British have a soft spot in their hearts for Madeira. Since colonial times, the redolent wines of this spring-like island have been a favorite on English tables. And since before the Napoleonic Wars, Funchal has been a favorite R & R stop for British vacationers. Madeira's terrain is impossibly steep, interrupted frequently by cascading waterfalls, but every terraced inch is covered in lush greenery and flowers. And everyone who visits Madeira has to take the careening sled ride from Monte to Funchal.

INDIAN OCEAN CROSSING

Safaga, Egypt
From Safaga on the Red Sea coast, take an optional journey back in time to Luxor and the unforgettable Valley of the King's, where the Pharaohs created their gargantuan mausoleums on the banks of the Nile. Explore 3,000 years of history in the stupendous tombs of Ramses and Tuthankhamen, Luxor's Theban Temple of Karnak and the Colossus of Memnon.

Port Said, Egypt
From Port Said at the entrance to the Suez Canal, an optional tour takes you to Egypt's capital of Cairo and the ancient monuments of Giza and the Pyramids. More than 18 million people are jammed into the teeming city split by the River Nile. In Cairo's famed Egyptian Museum, be dazzled by the multi-colored sarcophagus and golden mask of King Tut. At the desert's edge in Giza, the Great Pyramids of Cheops and the staring face of the Sphinx offer up a whole new perspective on eternity.

Salalah, Oman
With crescents of white sands stretching as far as you can see, it's no wonder the Sultan chose Salalah as Oman's summer capital. The other reason is Salalah's wondrous climate. Watered copiously by summer monsoons, coastal Dhofar is green and inviting, while just beyond the hills lies the arid desert. See the Tomb of the Prophet Job and follow the Frankincense Trail to Mughsail, where you can walk through ancient groves of gnarled frankincense trees older than Job himself!

Colombo, Sri Lanka
A teardrop sliding off the nose of the Indian sub-continent, Sri Lanka was once known as Serendib (from whence serendipity came), and then Ceylon, the resplendent land. Colombo is a graceful city dominated by sprawling colonial buildings and its often-photographed clock tower. Explore the Pettah bazaar, stroll through Cinnamon Gardens, or visit the ancient hill capital of Kandy, home of the sacred tooth of Buddha.

Goa, India
The port city of Goa is a lovely throwback to earlier era, retaining a faded elegance from the time when it was the pearl of Portugal's spice trade empire. The Manueline architecture and imposing structures of Goa's several 16th century cathe drals attest to the colony's importance. See the remains of St. Francis Xavier in the Basilica de Bom Jesus. Goa's world famous beaches are a haven for hippies and partygoers alike.

Cochin, India
India's seductive Malabar Coast entices visitors to enter an exotic and languorous world. Chinese fishing nets with wings spread to the sun and the old Portuguese fort greet you to Cochin's harbor. Take a backwater cruise through winding canals. Visit the tomb of Vasco da Gama. Marvel at the splendor of the Dutch palace of Mattancherry or the treasures of the ancient Jewish synagogue and catch a riveting performance of Kathakali dancers.