There are many varieties of cacti, from the tiny potted houseplant to the 40-foot tall giant desert saguaro. The most spectacular areas where the cactus flourish are in the desert areas of northern Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico and southern Texas. In the springtime, usually through the month of May, beautiful displays of cactus flowers cover the desert landscapes with flashes of bright red, yellow, white and orange. The sugary centers of the flowers also serve as a food source for bees, birds and small desert animals.

The ancient city of Jerusalem has been the most beloved, hated and fought-over city since the dawn of history. If it is possible to describe it without taking a biased political stand, it is worth visiting by people of all faiths, historians, tourists and seniors looking for their roots.

Of course, there are many more interesting and historic sites to see other than just a list of five. However, just as an introduction for those planning to visit, here are our vote for the top five:

Why visit Canada this season? First of all, there hasn’t been a big panic north of our border about diseased porkers running around spreading flu. And Canada must be a great place to live, because you don’t see hordes of poverty-stricken Canucks crossing the border illegally to seek a better life in the U.S. Those assessments may be a bit cruel, but as my uncle Nildo the bookie always said, ya gotta go with the odds.

A visit to the Coliseum, also spelled Coloseum or Colosseum, is always interesting. We’ve been there several times during tours of Italy. While we were impressed by the enormity and sophistication of the ancient stadium, we were also intrigued by the tradition of the cats. They were roaming all over inside the arena and outside during our visit.