Portugal

Lisbon's Praça do Comércio, its waterfront city square and home to the Royal Palace until it was destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake

Time Out Market Lisboa, home of one of the most delicious treats I've had anywhere in the world

Pastel de nata (Portuguese egg tarts) from Manteigaria inside Time Out Market Lisboa

The steep streets of Alfama, one of Lisbon's oldest neighborhoods

View of the red rooftops of Alfama from the Portas do Sol terrace

Excited to take the train from Lisbon to Sintra

Palácio da Pena in Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal

Palácio da Pena in Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal

Palácio da Pena in Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal

Palácio da Pena in Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal

The village of Sintra at the base of the mountain where Palácio da Pena is located

Cabo da Roca outside of Sintra, the westernmost point of mainland Portugal and continental Europe

Belém Tower, a 16th century fortification located on Lisbon's waterfront

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Belém Tower is often portrayed as a symbol of Europe's Age of Discoveries

Lisbon's Monument to the Discoveries - Padrão dos Descobrimentos

More Portuguese egg tarts, this time from Pastéis de Belém next to the Jerónimos Monastery where they were first invented

Lisbon's streetcars have been climbing up and down its hills since 1873

Lisbon's Pink Street - Rua Nova do Carvalho

Spain

So much Iberian ham on display at Barcelona's Mercado de La Boqueria public market along Las Ramblas

Enjoying some afternoon tapas of pan con tomate and jamón ibérico near Las Ramblas

The Sagrada Família, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Antoni Gaudí in the 1880s and still under construction today

The intricate design of the Nativity facade on the eastern side of the Sagrada Família

Afternoon sunlight pouring in through the western windows of the Sagrada Família

Stained glass windows inside the Sagrada Família

Stained glass windows inside the Sagrada Família

The austere design of the Passion Facade on the western side of the Sagrada Família

Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera (the stone quarry), the last private residence designed by Gaudí

The rooftop of Casa Milà has been called "the garden of warriors" because of the design of the chimneys and staircases

Chocolate con churros from Xurreria Laietana in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter

A Christmas market set up in the plaza outside of Barcelona Cathedral

A procession through the streets of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a national holiday

The Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum in Barcelona with full-scale buildings replicated from across Spain

The Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum in Barcelona with full-scale buildings replicated from across Spain

The Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum in Barcelona with full-scale buildings replicated from across Spain

The Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum in Barcelona with full-scale buildings replicated from across Spain

The Arenas de Barcelona, a shopping mall housed in a former bullfighting arena

Sweden

Stockholm's Stortorget (Swedish for Grand Square) in the heart of Gamla Stan, the original Medieval section of Stockholm

Walking through the narrow cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan, the original Medieval section of Stockholm

Walking through the narrow cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan, the original Medieval section of Stockholm

Hotel Kungsträdgården, the historic home turned boutique hotel where I stayed in Sweden

Morning view overlooking the Kungsträdgården, Stockholm's central park located near Stockholm Palace

The study inside Hotel Kungsträdgården

The champagne bar inside Hotel Kungsträdgården, home to an enormous crystal chandelier weighing over 400 kilos with more thna 11,000 hand-bound prisms

A smorgasbord of Swedish delicacies, including pickled herring and smoked sturgeon with trout roe, at the Grand Hotel Stockholm

Leaving Stockholm behind as I journey by boat up Lake Malaren to Drottningholm Palace

Approaching Drottningholm Palace, the permanent residence of the Swedish royal family

The beautiful library inside Drottningholm Palace

Viewing the top of the staircase at Drottningholm Palace

Looking out towards the back gardens at Drottningholm Palace

A view of Drottningholm Palace from the back gardens

The 64-gun warship Vasa on display at the Vasa Museum

Built between 1626 and 1628 to be one of the world's most powerful warships, the Vasa was so large that she sank only a few minutes into her maiden voyage

The cold waters at the bottom of Stockholm harbor preserved the Vasa's intricate wooden design for centuries until she was salvaged in 1961

Afternoon light along Stockholm's waterways. The City of Stockholm stretches across 14 islands.

The statue of King Charles XIV John outside of Stockholm Palace

Early morning view of Gamla Stan and Stockholm Palace from across the water

Early morning view of Stockholm Palace, the official residence of the Swedish royal family

A guard on duty in front of Stockholm Palace

The Silver Throne of Queen Christina inside Stockholm Palace's Hall of State

The Council Chamber inside Stockholm Palace, where the Swedish monarch meets with government representatives a few times each year