Preliminary remark: this won't be your grandfather's trip. Some of these places aren't for recreation at all. Some of them will demand a lot of time to explore and are somewhat driven by scientific curiosity. Now don't think that I have seen them all: most of them are completely unknown to me but they are definitely on my wish list!

The sad thing is, that some of them won't survive this century.

We're starting at home (since I don't know where you are living, I just take my own). This is Düsseldorf Market Square with the Jan Wellem statue where we will begin our journey. Sounds familiar to you? Well, we already did start here in December for our last world trip.

It's a good idea to start at Rome. We will at least stay for about two weeks, so we've got plenty of time. After exploring the Forum Romanum, we'll be walking down the Corso and visiting the magnificent churches there. Nearby is Santa Maria Maddalena, don't miss San Pantaleo, Ss Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso, S Ignacio, and S Andrea della Valle!

The forests around Trondheim are part of Norway's cold rainforests. Though Scandinavia's Fauna was completely rebuilt after the last glacial period, its rainforests are providing accomodation for numerous species of lichens, mosses, and ferns. Unfortunately, protection of these forests doesn't seem to be Norway's main concern, so we're maybe the last generation that will witness these forests. We'll stay for two weeks as well.

Talking about nature: Lord Howe Island is our next destination. Vegetation of this remarkable island is halfway through endemic, so we're going to meet a lot of interesting plants. You might already have a small part of them at home: the ubiquitous Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) is coming from there. This island is so lovely, we'll spend a month here (okay, the weekends are reserved for Sydney and Brisbane!).

Suisun Bay: this time we're less interested in nature and landscape but in American war history. This bay hosts a part of the American Mothball Fleet. Our chance to see legendary ships as the USS Iowa! At least a week.

Tucumcari, New Mexico: a nice desert town at the former Route 66. Why? Because it has a heartbreaking founding myth, a dinosaur museum and because the desert is the right place to get your mind sober. Ten days or so should be fine.

Once being in the U.S., we're visiting Eureka, CA to marvel at its fabulous Victorian houses. A lovely town in California's North, you might even grow palms here! This is a cool little town with nice hinterland - two weeks.

Architecture! The other day I learned that the city of Buffalo, NY, is a whole architectural museum. Its treasure of 19th century buildings is indeed amazing! At least a week.

Now we're heading to Madagascar, as long as it's not too late! Though Malagasy government tries the best to protect the rainforests, slash-and-burn and deforestation are common practice. We're going to ty repeating this tour of a palm lover some years before. Perhaps we'll be discovering new specimen of Tahina spectabilis, an endemic palm species that immediately joined the list of endangered species when it has been discovered some weeks before. We're going to spend two months here.

How could I almost forget India? Two years, because we have to see it all.

Our last station (so far) is Yucatán Peninsula, where we will hunt for some interesting plants, again, following this fascinating tour. We'll need at least a month for this.

Have enough? Well, since we're flat broke now, we'll have to stay in Mexico. Aaah, Mexico!