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This was a perfect day in Rome, Italy — assuming you like abundant amounts of sunshine and heat! I walked all over the city (at least it felt like all over), and saw many of its famous sites. A great thing about Rome is how walkable it is — so many sites are within walking distance, it’s incredible!

The Spanish Steps are one of the most famous locations in Rome. On this hot, sunny day in July, people were dangling their feet in the fountain, and umbrellas were popular items for the street vendors.

Visitors always want to sit on the famous Spanish Steps, but today, everyone was crowded together, in the one little spot on the steps. Today, nobody wanted the sunny side of the street (or the sunny side of the steps)!

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I’m in Italy now, checking things out for a future version of our Italy tour for women. Rome is one of my favorite cities on earth. There’s so much history here, and so much art, and so much life… it’s fascinating, awe-inspiring, and so much fun!

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On the Greek island of Mykonos, the main town is full of tiny winding streets like this. Well, kind of like this, except that they’re often full of shops and people!

As you wander through the streets, it feels a lot like you’re walking through a labyrinth. It’s most fun if you’re wandering without a fixed destination, just taking in the sights (and perhaps a few of those shops)!

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I’m in Greece now, visiting a few islands in conjunction with plans for a new women’s trip to Greece. It’s so gorgeous in the islands — it gives me fantasies of moving here, just like Shirley Valentine.

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Our last night in Ireland, we stayed at Ballyseedy Castle. The grounds are beautiful, and the imposing entryway flanked by lions. Just as you’d expect from a castle!

Rather than looking ferocious, this lion looks a bit forlorn to me. It’s like he’s saying “everybody just walks right by, and nobody wants to play with me”.

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This was the final stop on our annual Ireland women’s tour. It’s fun to stay in a castle with lions at the door, and suits of armor standing in the hallways!

Friday adventure photo - this one from the British Virgin Islands:

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One thing about sailing is that most of my photos end up being taken FROM the boat, not OF the boat. And the pictures I do get that are OF the boat are generally while it’s “on the hook” at some anchorage.

Some smart person realized there was a business opportunity here. We were sailing along one day (just another glorious day in the British Virgin Islands!), when an inflatable dinghy zoomed up alongside, and started snapping pictures of us on our boat. They sell them to you later on the internet, and it’s a cool way to get pictures of you under sail.

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Our BVI sailing vacations for women are our most popular trips, with some people going back year after year. It’s the most beautiful, relaxing vacation possible. As a sailing enthusiast myself, I figure every day on the water is a great one!

Friday photo - this one from Costa Rica:

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One creature you’re bound to see in Costa Rica is an iguana. They look so primitive - surely they’re related to the creature from the black lagoon. Iguanas are big, too - up to 6 feet long!

The thing that most surprised me was seeing iguanas high up in the canopy of the Costa Rica rainforest, sunning themselves on upper branches. I’m not sure why I expected them to be earthbound — I guess I was used to lizards here in the desert. The claws in the photo look good for tree climbing, and indeed iguanas love to be 40 or 50 feet up in a tree. They’re reported to survive a fall to the ground from that height, or they can jump into the water and swim away.

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We do Costa Rica wildlife tours every year, and they’re always a big hit! Our adventurous wenches see iguanas, monkeys, sloths, macaws, toucans, and much more. Costa Rica is an amazing place!

Friday photo - this one from Napa Valley.

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Beaulieu Vineyards is a historic and well-known winery in Napa Valley. It’s located in Rutherford, right next to the Rutherford Grill (a great restaurant — you can park once, and take advantage of both of them!). When I saw this building in October, covered in the fall-colored vines, I couldn’t resist snapping some shots. How perfect!

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Our next San Francisco and Napa Valley tour will be this October. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, and when you can combine that with harvest season in Napa, a coastal hike, and a sail on the bay — well, what could be better?

Friday photo - from Chimayo, near Santa Fe, New Mexico:

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The tiny town of Chimayo, not far from Santa Fe, is home to a shrine known for its miraculous healing powers. The Santuario has been healing people’s ailments for centuries, and thousands of pilgrims visit each year seeking a cure. Many believe the secret is in the healing dirt. (I’ve got my bag of dirt at home!)

Whether you’re one of the blessed who can leave your crutches behind here or not, it’s a beautiful place to visit. The photo gives you an idea of its serene charm.

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We do women’s trips to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. I love the southwestern feel, the wide open spaces, the spectacular hiking, and the rich multicultural history and ambience. And then there’s the food — mmmm.

Friday photo — this one from the San Juan Islands:

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The San Juan Islands are an archipelago of hundreds of islands near Seattle. It’s a gorgeous area, and full of wildlife — “the land of orcas and eagles”. Ferries ply the waters, and are the most common method of inter-island travel. This ferry is arriving at Orcas Island, the largest island of the chain.

Orcas is also home to Mt. Constitution, a “must-climb”. You climb to the top (OK, some people drive instead!), and catch the view out over the top of all the other islands. Simply spectacular! Guess that’s another photo I’ll have to publish…

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We do a San Juan Islands tour for women each summer, and have two lined up this August. It’s a peaceful place, with a slower pace, and I quite adore it. August is a wonderful time of year there (as well as an ideal time to escape from Phoenix!)