The Great Travel List, Part II: Western Europe

Europe has far too many sites to see to simply confine them all to one post. I am doing Western Europe today, and tomorrow I will post Eastern Europe and Russia together. So here we go:

• A scenic drive through Britain, London, and the Isle of Man - London = awesome. 'Nuff said. Britain is a beautiful island with nice pretty landscapes, so we feel like a nice scenic driving tour, maybe up through Scotland, would be most excellent. The Isle of Man is located in the Irish Sea in between Britain and Ireland, and it simply has the greatest name of any island ever. The Isle also produces fascinating coins - I suggest you take a look.
• France - Paris and the Mediterranean Coast - We have both visited Paris once before, but I was only there for one short day. It wasn't even enough time to get through the Louvre, much less the entire city. We both agreed we need to head back to the City of Lights and explore it in its entirety, including the non-touristy areas. The Mediterranean Coast, including Monaco, is also an essential - the beautiful coastlines and great food can't be beat, plus there are chateaux down there to explore.
• Germanic Nations - Austria, Germany, and Switzerland - So much to see! People, places, museums, food, where to start. I am especially curious to see Ludwig II's crazy castles in Bavaria. Austria is beautiful and Vienna is quite underrated, while the Swiss have constantly amazed me by inhabiting one of the world's harshest climates and creating an incredibly prosperous economy. Maybe we will learn to ski when we go - I can already kind of ski, I just don't know how to stop.
• Iceland - Oh sure, you laugh now, but Iceland is one of the world's most underrated toursit destinations. The island has far more green than ice (whereas Greenland has far more ice than green) and the great landscapes, fjords, and natural volcanic activity create great vistas that most European travelers would never think of. Look at the pictures - you'll thank me when you book your ticket to Reykjavik.
• Italy and Environs - Shewara and I are both Italian, and as such we love Italian culture, food, and language. I went to Rome way back in 1997 and she has never been, so we both need to return to our ancestral homeland and do a very extensive food/culture tour. Additionally, some of the Italian islands might be worthwhile to visit; especially Sicily, since we both think their language is fascinating (It's related to North African dialects, and not related to Italian that much if at all).
• The Netherlands and Belgium - One of our favorite European countries, the Netherlands has friendly people, great food, a brilliantly-run government, and relatively underrated attractions when compared to tourist powerhouses like France and Italy. We have considered living there, not just visiting. How can you argue against a country whose seat of government is in a city called The Hague? Their neightbor to the south, Belgium has awesome chocolate, in addition to the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Tervuren, a place I have wanted to visit for some time.
• Spain and its Islands - Spain is another one of those nations with a fascinating cultural history. Its many regions all have their own distinct languages and cultures; from Catalunya and its capital of Barcelona in the northeast, to Arab-influenced Andalucia in the south, to the Basque Country in the north, near France (the Basques have their own language which is completely unrelated to any Indo-European dialect. Awesome!). Additionally, tourist countries' islands tend to go underappreciated, so we feel like we should appease the Canary Islanders and give them a visit.

Next time on the Great Travel List: Eastern Europe and Russia!