Barcelona in Spain: Because: Lively street life, swimming along the rambla and along the sea promenade. Proximity to the ocean, so that a city vacation can be balanced with swimming or a romantic walk on the beach in the moonlight. Exciting architecture (Gaudi-mecca).

Montpellier in France was very nice, but a favorite? Exciting city that has both old parts of town with cozy, narrow labyrinthine streets and modern architectural displays like Antigua.

Adelboden in Switzerland. Because: It sits so nicely amidst the alps. The classic Swiss style extends throughout the whole city. Not overflowing with tourists, even though it's well organized with extensive signs and both pedestrian and bicycle paths, and the ski lifts run up the mountain year round. But maybe mostly because the people were so pleasant here. Friendly and accomodating.

"The little, white village in Spain" .... most of them are in Andalucia, but we didn't bike there. Otherwise it Tamariu was nice on the touristy Costa Brava. Obidos in Portugal was beautiful, but mostly resembles a display for tourists. The buses outside also supported this impression. Along Extremadura there were many small, deserted white villages where nothing at all was happening and sometimes that's just how you want it.

Cebreiro, Spain. The little mountain village (1109 m. above sea level) has about 10-15 houses that are all built with local stone. No tourists and a great view. Wonderful to feel the cool air on your skin.

Toledo in Spain. Because: The romantic winner! With a network of labyrinthine streets you can walk and walk and constantly discover cozy new places. But not in June! (hot-hot-hot) Peniche in Portugal. Because: It was once on an island before the land shifted. Now it's a peninsula that plunges with fascinating cliffs into the sea. The city is nothing special, but the natural setting is great.

Bern in Switzerland. A very positive experience. A really wonderful city with a laid back atmosphere and great architecture. The city that housed Albert Einstein and many other famous personalities is also the home of Toblerone chocolate. It's smaller than Genève, Zürich and Lausanne, but as the capital is nevertheless the heart of Switzerland.

Augsburg, Ingolstadt and Regensburg. The Bavarian cities in Southern Germany distinguish themselves from the rest of Germany with their relaxed lifestyles and charm.

Riga in Latvia. Similar to Prague with its old and extremely well preserved and beautiful district, but more authentic and natural than Prague. You can feel the rustle of history in the streets. Almost all the Soviet influences are gone now. High mafia factor.

Stockholm. A delightful city that hasn't let itself be affected by Scandinavian influences. Stands out as an impressive and European city. There's almost no back street or part of town that isn't nice, even the metro stations are a sight to behold. A lot of attractions, culture and events. In comparison, Oslo is a lifeless heap of concrete, asphault and exhaust.