The Great Wall of Los Angeles at half a mile is considered the longest mural in the world. Designed and executed by Judith Baca along with 400 volunteers and artists it depicts the history of California as seen through the eyes of women and minorities. Far from the usual tourist attractions of Disneyland, Universal Studios and Hollywood it is definitely off the beaten path but so worth a visit.

Visiting the equator is definitely one of the major attractions of journeying to Ecuador. Besides it’s fame for the Middle of the World Monument and visitor site, Quito is the capital of Ecuador, at the highest elevation of any country’s capital and has one the largest and best reserved historical center in Latin America.

From the highlands to the Amazon rainforest, lets continue to explore beautiful Ecuador.

Starting from the coastal lowlands of Guayaquil let’s make our way through the cloud forests and lush vegetation to the Andes Mountains and the Andean Highlands.

Beautiful Santa Barbara, California perfect for a day of wandering off the beaten path and finishing up at a beach resort.

Auld Lang Syne! May this New Year take you to places you’ve never been before. Wishing you a year of good health, love, hope and joy.

Norway, a country I fell in love with over the 10 days or so. It might not be the first choice of country for many of you but do put it on your traveling map.

The natural beauty of Norway reached out and stole a piece of my heart. I hope I can share a bit of what I felt, saw and heard on this trip.

Sigtuna, Upssala, Falun are a walking encyclopedia of Sweden’s history and cultural roots.

Stockholm, the cultural, media, political and economic center of Sweden. Host to the Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet it is a city that’s fun to explore and get lost in.

Back in Copenhagen for a couple of days for the start of my Spectacular Scandanavia tour. I skipped a few must dos but as always found new things to enjoy before heading onward to Gothenburg.

I’ve been traveling outside of Southern California, so it was wonderful to be back at the Huntington Library and Gardens on this perfect cool sunny winter afternoon. I couldn’t help contrasting this visit with my last one which was back in Spring where I met this delightful lady all pretty in period.

For our grand finale, let’s make our way through the English countryside enjoying and appreciating all that it has to offer.

Leaving Ireland behind we arrived in Wales and spent a couple of days exploring the fortified castles and keeps along the Welsh Marches. These might have been military outposts at one point but now they’re thriving towns with a lot to offer.

Dublin, one of the top 30 cities in the world epitomizes all that is Ireland, crowded, colorful bustling.

Let’s travel onwards, stopping to kiss the Blarney Stone and onto Cork, Cobh (the Queensland Story), Kilkenny to arrive in Dublin for our Irish finale.

Join wandering Veena in seeing the beautiful vistas around every twist and turn along the Ring of Kerry. It is definitely a feast for the eyes and a trip that I would love to repeat at a much slower pace.

Let’s join wandering Veena explore the Emerald Isle. Is there a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? do leprechauns wander freely? are we likely to run into the fair folk?

Hmm! What I can assure you is that there’s a lot of pubs, wonderful people and yes you can see forty shades of green.

Let’s cross the Irish Sea and make our way to Derry or Londonderry in Northern Ireland and learn about the troubled history of this volatile part of the United Kingdom. But first, let’s step on to the Giant’s causeway and enjoy a relaxing night at a traditional Irish Pub.

Come visit the Orkney Islands with wandering Veena to see what they have to offer.