14 Nights Europe, Mediterranean

Trieste is the capital city of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. A port city, it occupies a thin strip of land between the Adriatic coast and Slovenia's border on the limestone-dominated Karst Plateau. Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Slovenian influences are all evident in its layout, which encompasses a medieval old city and a neoclassical Austrian quarter

Enjoy Sorrento's history of ancient city walls and its landscape of sea, mountain, deep valleys and citrus groves. Take a boat excursion to explore inlets, grottoes or archaeological finds. Shop Via S. Cesareo for handicrafts, corals and cameos, or silver jewels. Do a walking tour on ancient Greek-Roman paths to admire picturesque villages and terraced olive groves. Tour nearby resorts in Naples, Pompei, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.

The city of Palma is located on the southern side of Mallorca, the largest the Spanish Balearic islands. Though it has its fair share of cultural attractions, Mallorca's predominant crowd-pullers are the Serra de Tramuntana mountains range and the sun-splashed beaches.

One of Spain's liveliest cities is known for its oranges, paella (a rice dish with chicken or seafood), and the fallas festival in March. More than just sun and sea, it features great museums and remains of Phoenicians, Greeks, Iberians and Romans.

The capital of Catalonia boasts the bustle of the world's busiest seaport, the medieval romance of its Gothic Quarter, and a feast of Catalan Art Nouveau buildings - including the great creations of Antonio Gaudí. The "Great Enchantress" remains one of the most exhilarating cities in Europe, decorated with the grandeur of Picasso, Miró and Dalí.