After listing their Evansville home and selling most of their possessions in order to begin living abroad in October 2024, Darrell and Penelope Pennington visited 44 cities in 14 countries across Europe before returning home for a visit in December 2025. They embarked on Year Two of their global adventure in January, a trek that started in Mexico and now has taken them into South America. Penelope — who quips she’s “a broad abroad” — shares missives from the road. Read the inaugural column here.
One of the most common questions we get about our travels is, “What has been your favorite place to visit so far?” Choosing is not only an impossible task but also tends to highlight more touristy-type locations and physical attractions, which have been a small part of our travels overall. But since we do often get that question, here are our favorite destinations and why.
As of mid-April, we have visited 17 countries and 58 cities in total. Certainly, we have enjoyed more places than others for a variety of reasons, and in many cases, a lot of people would have no interest in the places we have chosen to travel to. For the purposes of this article, Darrell and I decided to each make a Top 5 list of places we would consider taking friends and family to see. Physical activities were excluded, which knocks out riding camels in Morocco and snowmobiling in Norway. When comparing our completed lists, there was a little overlap, so we finished with seven unique places. Here they are, in no particular order.
The Mosque-Cathedral, Córdoba, Spain
There is so much history associated with this structure that I encourage you to go read up on it yourself. It was built in 768 and, as part of the Crusades, it was converted to a cathedral in the 1200s. A mass has been performed here every single day since that conversion — staff has managed to provide daily access through world wars, pandemics, and all sorts of physical and political calamities. The structure is literally breathtaking.
Oxford University campus, Oxford, England
One of the most prestigious universities in the world, Oxford’s access to information and documents unavailable anywhere else is astounding. The physical beauty is something to behold, but the “vibe” of the campus is drenched in history and the presence of academic excellence. If you are a fan of the “Harry Potter” movies, you will recognize many of the structures from filming, and you can go have a beer and sit in the seat a pre-President Bill Clinton used at the local watering hole, The Turf Tavern, when attending the university in the late 1960s as a Rhodes Scholar.
El Tajo Gorge, Ronda, Spain
A direct suggestion from Evansville Living‘s esteemed editor, Kristen K. Tucker, she nailed this as a must-see formation if in the South of Spain. We actually went out of our way to go to Ronda for three days and are so glad we did. The scope, magnificence, and natural beauty of the gorge — “el tajo” translates as “steep cliff” in Spanish — is on the same level as the Grand Canyon but in a much more intimate and physically varied location.
“Dracula’s” Castle, Bran, Romania
Horror and Dracula lovers shouldn’t miss this location. The irony of the spooky legend being made up as it relates to Bram Stoker’s novel is completely irrelevant once you are standing in front of the Medieval castle and then touring it. The area as a whole is such a uniquely beautiful spot, and the eerie vibes the castle contributes to Bran only make it even more worthwhile of a destination.
The Heart of Santorini, Megalochori, Greece
This was a two-and-a-half hour walk along unsafe highway terrain for us, but once we got there, it was so worth it. We crossed with several people, including a couple taking engagement pictures in a beautiful spot overlooking the Aegean Sea from the island of Santorini.
Northern Lights, Tromso, Norway
Experiencing the aurora borealis at midnight on New Year’s Eve will be an event I recall every Dec. 31 going forward. Standing on top of our hotel with a handful of people we’d only just met as that celestial glow materialized is a memory of a lifetime.
Sunsets, Bar, Montenegro
We had heard that some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world are seen across the Adriatic Sea from Bar. We heard right. They remain some of the most serene, peaceful nights we have experienced on our trip.
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