Equivalent to the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific are the Azores in the European Atlantic. You’re looking at Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lagoon of the Seven Cities), an example of the Azores’ astounding beauty. As Hawaii is a part of the US, the Azores are a part of Portugal – since the 1430s first discovered uninhabited.

Everything grows here, cedar forest to giant tropical tree ferns, fruit from citrus to tropical, plants from corn to taro. Flowers are riotously everywhere. The sea swarms with fish being on the main Atlantic migration route for whales and dolphins. The islands are immaculately cared for by Azoreans, no pollution, air sparkling clear, weather in the 60s in winter, 70s in summer, so peaceful they are virtually crime-free.

Azoreans love drinking parties, cheerful festivals, and bright colors – with their charming homes painted the color of key lime pie, raspberry mousse, or oceanic blue. They love liberty so much they’ve had this motto emblazoned on their coat of arms for centuries: “Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos”—" Rather die free than live in peaceful subjugation.”

This is one of our planet’s truly magical places. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #11 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

Copernicus Science Center, Warsaw, Poland.  If you’re Northern European, you’re related.  This is the reconstruction of a Neanderthal man who lived in Poland some 40,000 years ago.  Just about everyone from Northern Europe has between 1 to 2% Neanderthal DNA –  I have 1.8%.  So that’s what my cousin 2,000 times removed looked like!

One reason they all went extinct is they never had something we, Cro-Magnon Homo sapiens, invented: the needle. Made of bone splinters and using tendon threads, we sewed coats and pants together from pelts of animals – while Neanderthals could use pelts only as capes draped over them.

This allowed us to hunt big animals out in the Ice Age tundra, with Neanderthals confined to warmer valleys with far less game. By 28,000 years ago, they were no more while we thrived.

Warsaw’s Copernicus Science Center is a fascinating place to learn so much – and for kids to have so much fun learning with special exhibits for them.  (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #315 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

This is where is started in 722, the Holy Cave of Covadonga, where the Virgin Mary told Christian Knights to reconquer their country stolen from them by Moslem invaders.

This is where it ended in 1492, where the last remaining Moslem ruler, Boabdil of Granada, surrendered to King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile.

It took 780 years for generation upon generation of Christian Knights to fulfill their pledge to Holy Mary.  This October, Rebel and I with your fellow TTPers will retrace and relive from start to finish this epic triumph of Christian heroism known as The Reconquista.

To entice you to join us, just for this week – as we have to secure airline flights within Spain for everyone – we offer $500 off if you place your deposit by Friday (4/17).

To avail of the $500 off.. You just enter the code: 4SPAINSPECIAL

All the details, descriptions, and photos are here:  Triumph of Christianity: The Reconquista of Spain - October 9-19, 2026 .

Afghanistan, 1984. Yes, that’s me with the legendary Qari Baba, Commander of the Harakat Mujahaddin waging a war of liberation against the Red Army of the Soviet Union – and my dear friend. I told him he looked like a combination of Genghiz Khan and Buddha, and he couldn’t stop laughing. We had so many extraordinary experiences together – like blowing up the Soviet High Command of Bala Hissar in Ghazni.

After the war was won with the final Soviet retreat in February, 1989, Qari Baba became the Governor of Ghazi Province. Then Pakistani Intelligence (ISI) created the Taliban to seize control of the country. Qari Baba had to take up arms anew against them. In March of 2006, he was assassinated by a Taliban hit team on orders from the ISI. I will never ever forget him. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #111 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

For miles and miles, the roads in the Azores Islands are lined with flowers on both sides. Even the foot paths and trails are strewn with flowers.

As you know, I’ve been to every country in the world. I know of no place on earth more beautiful, more flower strewn, more peaceful, serene, and safe than Portugal’s island paradises of Madeira and the Azores in the Atlantic. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #196 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

A cliff-top fishing village on the Italian Riviera? Nope, Azenhas do Mar – Watermills of the Sea – is on the Portuguese Riviera. This is a magic place of fairy tale castles, thousand year-old fortresses, luxury boutique hotels, fabulous food, great wine, gorgeous beaches, and postcard-perfect scenery everywhere.

The Portuguese people are among the kindest in Europe, while Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world. Of all the planet’s First World countries, it’s hard to find one more friendly, calm, and welcoming than here.

Who’s the pretty girl? Lucky me – she’s my wife Rebel, mother of our two grown sons, my business partner, and my best friend. We’ve had a home here for many years. Rebel loves Portugal so much she taught herself to be fluent in Portuguese. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #123 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

I’m at 17,500 feet with the Khumbu Ice Fall behind me.  To the left in the photo is the West Shoulder of Everest, to the right is a flank of Nuptse.  Climbers begin from where I am to ascend the Icefall, thousands of gigantic ice blocks all shifting and moving, reaching Camp I at the top, up a steep glacier-filled valley called the Western Cwm to Camp II, up the even steeper face of Lhotse that adjoins Everest to Camp III, then on to the saddle between Lhotse and Everest called the South Col at Camp IV.  To summit, they start at night up the Southeast Ridge hoping to beat the crowd standing in line at the summit ridge.

The irony of being at “EBC” where I am is that you never see Everest itself – it’s hidden behind the West Shoulder.  Unless you’re a climber doing all the above, the only way to see the world’s highest mountain is on one our Himalaya Helicopter Expeditions (HHE). We fly over the Khumbu Ice Fall and into the Western Cwm where we see the entire Southwest Face of Everest from summit (29,028 feet) to base and the entire face of Lhotse as well.  There are no words adequate to describe the experience. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #267 photo ©Jack Wheeler)