Tropea is a small town located on the east coast of Calabria, 64 km from Lamezia. It’s known for its white beaches which run right up to Capo Vaticano, its clifftop historic centre, and prized red onions. The town itself is quite picturesque and romantic with winding streets and beautiful small piazzas. Noteworthy is the 12th-century Tropea Cathedral, which was built in distinctive yellow lava rock by the Normans during the 12th century and houses an interesting black crucifix, two unexploded World War II bombs, and a painting of the dark-skinned Madonna of Romania. Due to a number of wonders, the citizens of Tropea have proclaimed the Virgin Mary of Romania the patron of the village.

For a closer look at Namibia's historic path to late independence in 1990, visit the Independence Memorial Museum housed inside an imposing modernist building in Windhoek's former colonial heart. The museum was designed by a North Korean construction company, involved in multiple construction projects across Africa, hence the socialist aesthetic. The top floor panoramic restaurant is worth a pit stop.

For a brush with spectacular nature and wildlife within a half hour drive from the Namibian capital, Daan Viljoen Game Reserve is hard to beat. Its vast expanses are inhabited by native animals such as zebra and antelope, along with a couple hundred indigenous bird species. The park is an excellent getaway for picnics and hiking.

Basilica Minore del Santo Niño was the first Asian basilica, built in 1740. It teems with devotees clambering to catch a glimpse of the oldest and most celebrated religious icon in the Philippines, the Santo Niño statue, presented to Queen Juana of Cebu by Magellan.