Well, it was supposed to take 40 nights to celebrate our 40th anniversary although, as in the past, trips like this are actually corporate retreats to determine the company’s course for the upcoming year. But going around the world with the international dateline to contend with, airlines to battle, and our inability to add correctly, we got 38. Of course, with a total of 19 flights to catch, it might just end up being 41 nights.

Things really begin in Iceland in mid-December. With only a few hours a day of sunlight, it is the perfect place to view the northern lights. Or get buried in the snow.

Then on to Munich and Passau Germany where we pick up a Uniworld 10-day Christmas to New Year’s boat trip down the Danube. We’ll visit Vienna, Saltzburg, and Budapest among other places. Great dining, music, museums glowing in holiday lights and decorations.

We debark at Budapest and fly to Istanbul en route to Abu Dhabi, en route to Sydney Australia.  This is what happens when you use miles instead of money to book flights.

We’ve been on the mainland before, so this time, we go to Tasmania for hiking (working off some of that weight from all those dinners on board the boat). Maria Island, Cradle Mountain, and Freycinet national parks are the main sights.

Then, off to the Barossa Valley wine country near Adelaide to sample some of Australia’s best wines and food. We’ve been there before–that’s why we’re going back. It’s like Napa and Sonoma, but with an Aussie accent, and a more generous pour.

Lastly, on our circuitous way home,  we’ll spend a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur, home of the Petronas Twin Towers. It’s actually the sixth most-visited city in the world. We’ll be there to see why.