Netherlands

In lovely Amsterdam prior to cruise, 1992

Amsterdam is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Have visited twice and I absolutely love this place! You should visit Amsterdam for its beautiful canals, architecture and explosive night life. Visitors also enjoy the natural beauty of the country featured in the Hogue Veluwe National Park, the flower fields of Keukenhof, and the windmills in the village of Kinderdijk.

Temperate Netherlands is also known as Holland! The capital city is Amsterdam. There are approximately 18 million people living here. The official language of the country is Dutch, with Frisian as the official language of the Fryslan province, and English as the official language in Amsterdam. Dutch people practice both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.  

One fun fact is that the Dutch are the largest beer exporters in the world!

São Tomé and Príncipe

Typical streetscape in São Tomé Country Information: São Tomé and Príncipe is a volcanic chain close to the equator off the coast of western Africa.. The capital is São Tomé and the country’s population is about 250,000 people. The primary language is Portuguese, and...

Iran

A week prior to leaving for Iran (in '16) I still did not have my visa and I was getting a bit nervous. This is a country that has had US sanctions imposed on it since the 70s and gets few visa requests from Americans. I’m sure that my request was thoroughly vetted by...

Burundi

Jim with Juliet, a Nile Croc in Burundi ... loves her tail rubbed! Country Information:  The capital of Burundi is Bujumbura. There are approximately 12 million living here. The official languages of Burundi are Kirundi and French. The majority of Burundians practice...