Happy 4th of July to those in the US!…New itinerary for 620 days, posted here today!…

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Yesterday, we entered the longest tunnel we’ve been through in our travels, the “Tunel da Encumeada” as we drove to Sao Vincente. Click here for a short video we found on YouTube, taken at 2x speed through this tunnel. It took us almost four minutes to drive through it.

We both wish all of our family and friends in the US a happy and safe 4th of July. It’s great it fell on a Friday, so all of you still working have a nice long weekend. Enjoy the festivities and fireworks!

Here it is, folks, our itinerary from July 31, 2014, to April 11, 2016, all of which is booked and set for our arrival, except for a few flights and a few one-night hotel stays:

Flight
Madeira, Portugal to Paris, France		 0 7/31/2014
Paris
Hotel 		 15 7/31/2014-8/16/2014
Tunnel
(Chunnel) Paris to London		 0 8/16/2014
London
Hotel 		 15 8/16/2014
-8/31/2014
London to Boston – Cruise 14 8/31/2014
– 9/14/2014
Hotel Boston 3 9/14/2014
– 9/17/2014
Flight Boston
to Vancouver		 0 9/17/2014
Hotel
Vancouver 		 6 9/17/2013
– 9/23/2014
Vancouver to Honolulu – Cruise 12 9/23/2014
– 10/5/2014
Honolulu/Waikiki
Rental 		 11 10/5/2014
– 10/16/2014
Maui Rental 57 10/16/2014
– 12/1/2014
1st house
Pahoe Hawaii Rental 		 46 12/1/2014 – 1/14/2015
2nd house
Pahoe Rental  (family visiting)		 0 12/20/2014  – 1/3/2015
Kauai Hawaii
Rental		 120 1/15/2015 – 5/14/2015
Honolulu/Waikiki
Hotel		 9 5/15/2015 – 5/24/2015
Honolulu to
Sydney – Cruise		 18 5/24/2015  – 6/11/2015
Trinity
Beach, Australia		 89 6/11/2015 – 9/8/2015
Fiji Rental
-Savusavu Island		 89 9/8/2015 – 12/6/2015
Fiji Rental
#2 – Fiji Main Island		 29 12/6/2015 – 1/4/2016
Sydney Hotel 1 1/4/2016 – 1/5/2016
Sydney to
Aukland – Cruise 		 14 1/5/2016 – 1/19/2016
New Plymouth,
New Zealand Alpaca Farm		 83 1/19/2016 – 4/11/2016
Total Days
Booked into Future		 620 7/31/2014 – 4/11/2016

Please note: Not all flights are posted here since we’ve yet to book them this far in advance. Flights cannot be booked more than 330 days in advance. In most cases, we don’t book flights any sooner than 90 days prior to travel. Also, in the next few days, we’ll be adding a few cruises, not shown here.

These sparse trees lined this hill.

The time and effort we put into booking the last 10 months of this itinerary was more work than we’d ever expected. It wasn’t easy planning this leg of our ongoing journey with higher prices than we’ve ever seen and many properties booked well in advance.

The low lying clouds impeded the clarity of our photos, which often occurs.

We’re satisfied with the end result and look forward to every step of the way (except for “flying days” which are always tiring and stressful). Beyond April 11, 2016? We don’t have a clue where we’ll go next other than the few above mentioned yet-to-be-booked cruises. A year ago, we didn’t know we’d be going to Australia. The decisions all come in time as a natural evolution. 

The hillsides everywhere on the island are filled with beautiful gardens.

We often look at the world map wondering where we’ll go after the final booking. We’ve yet to visit South America, the Orient, Antarctica, the countries in the former Soviet Union. At some point, we’ll cruise to Alaska and tour the US and Canada, most likely not for years to come. 

In reality, we’re not trying to visit every part of the world. We’re traveling to places we find most interesting.  We’ve yet to even count how many countries we’ve visited thus far. With over 200 countries in the world, we still have a long way to go. But, this isn’t a contest, a race, or an attempt to break some arbitrary record.

Stopping at an overlook, we spotted this unusual tree.

This is just us, two senior citizens, in-love, enjoying time together in different environments, trying to live life to the fullest for as long as we can. We feel no pressure to do anything differently than we’re doing. If we screw up, it’s on us.
 
Yes, we miss our loved ones and yes, we’ll see them from time to time. But, staying in touch is easy these days, making them seem less far away. We hope and pray that they understand and accept the “why” to our lives.  

We noticed a tour bus when we spotted this group of tourists crossing this footbridge. Most likely they are touring from a cruise ship that had arrived in Funchal, a popular port of call.

We know being away may seem selfish to them. But, we hope we taught our children to live their dreams to the fullest and that also included us.  We hope this message is also conveyed to our grandchildren. Make a dream…make it happen.

This morning, I awoke at 5:45 deciding to get up. It’s now 8:15 am and Tom’s still sleeping, a rarity for him. As soon as I bathed and dressed for the day, I came downstairs, turned on the hot water for my tea, immediately I opened the heavy glass door to the veranda, and stepped outside. 

The tourists were heading down to this park.

The sun had yet to come up and the reflection of the billowy clouds always present, cast a colorful image on the sea. As I stood there in awe of the beauty it dawned on me that in 27 days we’ll leave this island and in time it will become a distant memory.

Unusual vine-covered narrow trees.

Yesterday, as we drove to the village of Sao Vincente taking photos, some of which are shown here today, with more shown tomorrow, we spoke of leaving this island and about how grateful we are that we’ve documented every step of our travels in words and photos. 

We were disappointed that there was a cloud cover when we arrived in Sao Vincente. It had been sunny when we left Campanario.  Rapidly changing weather is typical for this island. 

When and if the time comes, that we can no longer travel, we’ll always be able to look online to recall a date, a place, or an event; to laugh, to cry, and to know that through sheer determination and a bit of “safari luck” we somehow managed to live this dream. 

Photo from one year ago today, July 4, 2013:

This is the only photo we posted a year ago today when it was a rainy day keeping us indoors in Boveglio Italy. This photo was taken in May 2013 (one month earlier) when we visited Petra, Jordan which we hadn’t posted at the time of posting Petra photos. But, we posted it last July 4, 2013, when we had no new photos available to post. For details of the story from one year ago today, please click here.

Patience and persistent…A necessary aspect of traveling the world…

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An outdoor lawn ornament store in Campanario.

We still haven’t pinned down a booking in New Zealand, although we may be close. We don’t post details about a possible booking until it is confirmed and the deposit has been received.

Whether this flower was wilted or grows this way, we’ll never know.

In a way, I’m getting worried that as we continue to inquire, many owners or managers either don’t respond or don’t like our long term rental of 89 days.

The hillside scenery is always captivating.

When we first started looking we were hopeful when we noticed many affordable possibilities, but our hopes were soon dashed when we continued to be unable to pin something down.

Lilies, perhaps?

We wait for a final response on one on which that I’m trying to hold my enthusiasm at bay. We agreed on price and terms, but we had to drop six days from 89 to 83 when we found a possible cruise we’ll take after living in New Zealand. 

The purest shade of blue, the sea.

We wrote back late yesterday when it was the middle of the night in New Zealand. With the 11 hour time difference, it’s tricky trying to communicate. By the time I went to bed at 10 pm here, it was 9 am there. I assumed I’d find an email in my inbox this morning when I awoke early this morning dashing downstairs to check my computer. Alas, there was none.

Thank you ocean, for providing such views!

Disappointed, I wrote back once more verifying that my prior message was received. I know I’m persistent.  Some would let it lie and patiently await a response. Not I. I dig and I dig deep. It’s my nature, always has been, always will be.

We find a certain charm in laundry hanging off the railings of houses. We do the same when we hang our sheets and use the rack for the smaller items.

In reality, it takes at least one of us to be persistent and somewhat pushy when traveling the world. Í will admit that my pushiness always includes a high level of diplomacy and kindness. Tom, on the other hand, is either too nice or gets frustrated deferring to me to handle uncomfortable situations.

The effort that homeowners make in preparing a picturesque garden astounds us.

When it comes to our safety or well being, Tom is as persistent and pushy as anyone can be. Perhaps, it may be stereotyping male and female roles.

After spending three months in South Africa observing animal behavior, I’ve come to accept that the female and male of any species have specific roles ingrained in their DNA and, strengths and weaknesses that should be treasured for their uniqueness and contribution in a working relationship. 

Some blooming flowers remain as the season winds down as in the case of this pretty hibiscus.

As a result, I wait, albeit not patiently, to hear back from the property owner or if not by tonight, we’ll go back to the drawing board to return to the search once again. We have the remainder of this month to get this accomplished and off of our minds. 

This branch was in the way of my shot, but I took it anyway.

By the time that we’ll be situated in our next vacation rental with time for searching, it will be October in Hawaii. For some goofy reason, I don’t think we’ll want to be sitting inside staring at our computers looking for a place in New Zealand when we arrive in Hawaii. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Photo from one year ago, July 2, 2013:

The long, narrow roads between the houses in Boveglio, Italy were too narrow for cars On occasion, we’d see a tiny car manage to squeeze through. The roads were very steep and a walk was a huge feat of endurance, as is the case in Madeira. For details from that day, please click here.

Human error…It’s rampant…Self included…

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Although views on the hills seem redundant, each one has its own unique appeal.

It’s hard to believe that today is July 1st. How the time flies. Today, is the day to pay the balance on our upcoming cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii in the amount of  US $3216.02, EU $2349.44, that sails in 84 days.  Our earlier cruise from London to Boston sails in 61 days is already paid in full.

Vacations to Go has a credit card number on file which they’ll bill today. Later in the day, I’ll look up the credit card online to verify that it’s been paid. One must never assume such payments are always handled properly.

We’re not quite sure why cactus grow freely on the island of Madeira with its temperate climate. Our perception has always been that cactus grow in hot dry climates. 

At times, we find errors when verifying financial matters online. We’ve become diligent in verifying every transaction in which we partake. Human error is rampant.

I see it in myself.  I make mistakes regularly.  With all of our checking and rechecking, errors are made. When I look back at prior posts when “fact-checking” a date or comment, invariably I find a typo, a wrong date, or an editing error. Many of our errors are caused by me after having also been checked by Tom each day. We continue to find errors.

Even a cloudy day has a certain amount of appeal.

Once again, I rationalize my online errors for this blog due to the fact that we post every day. Doing so is comparable to writing an essay for a class, correcting and editing it before turning it in for a grade. It takes a lot more time than we can easily spend each day.

Of course, when I hit the “publish” button every day around noon, I make the assumption after rereading each word, that it’s error-free. Once Tom reads it online after publication, he finds anywhere from zero to six or seven errors that I missed when proofing it. I go back to the editing page making the corrections immediately.

There are some areas where flowers continue to bloom. Although, we’ve noticed a decline in the number of summertime blooms.

Later, when I reread a particular post by chance, I find errors, often several that we both missed. The biggest problem we detect is spacing errors. When we’ve had a poor connection, I’ve had no control over editing these issues. When we do have a good connection, I may go back to correct them as I did today on the “one year ago” post for July 1, 2013, as shown below.

To go back in and correct almost 700 posts would take more time than I’m willing to spend. Don’t get me wrong, in a perfect world there wouldn’t be errors. But, I must admit I’ve become less obsessed with attempting perfection since we began traveling so long ago. It’s not worth the stress.

Views of the sea are ever-changing.

In my old life, like many other Type A personalities, I strived for perfection, never really achieving it, never feeling quite satisfied that I’d done all that I could possibly do.

In time, I learned that “Life’s true perfection” is actually based on one’s contentment and happiness, not in trying to make life perfect in the accomplishment of one’s tasks, whether it’s a dinner party, a family get together or a work-related project.

Today, we’ve included a few new photos from our outing last Thursday. 

In part, striving for perfection revolves around trying to “please others.” The reality is, that no matter how hard we try we’ll never please everyone, nor will we ever totally please ourselves.

When I think back to the fancy dinner parties we held over the years, the days of work and preparation, I now realize that all our guests really wanted was to spend time with us. Sure, the food and the ambiance were nice. 

The rose blooming season is almost over.  Yet, I continue to find a few new blooms when I walk in the neighborhood.

But, knowing how hard we worked “to please everyone” was lost in translation often making our guests feel guilty for enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Now, almost two years later, I can hardly think of having a dinner party for four, let alone for eight or twelve at a fancy table setting with days of preparation in making scrumptious food and creating a breathtaking ambiance. 

Rock formations often illustrate areas where water flows from the mountain tops.

Our kids are in for a big pleasant surprise when they come to Hawaii for Christmas when they realize that I won’t be spending the day in the kitchen trying to appease everyone’s particular tastes. 

Those days are long gone. Easy meals will be prepared with the same love as in the long-ago past with more time left for the things that really matter, such as being together.

These low lying clouds appear every few days.

As I write here today, later than usual when I went back to sleep after an unwelcome 6:00 am wake up, finally awakening at almost 9:00 am. I feel no sense of urgency or stress as my fingers happily fly across the keyboard, albeit requiring that I push the letter “i” extra hard which therein lies many of my errors of late.

I write “itinerary” as “ntnerary” later laughing at the irony of an error that I didn’t willfully incite. I do correct those errors when we catch them not as a result of perfection but as a sense of responsibility to our readers for them to be able to decipher our message of the day.

With the necessity of spending time wrapping up future bookings, hopefully, our time will be freed up over the upcoming months of August and September when we’ll be “on the move” in Paris, London, Vancouver, and sailing on two cruises. 

The terrains is not as green as it had been with little rain this past month.

Surely, during that period, we won’t be spending hours online other than posting daily and dealing with zillions of photos during a month at sea (WiFi is pricey aboard ship) or sitting in a hotel room when we’d rather be out exploring our surroundings.

Perfect or not, we joyfully continue to share our photos from our remaining time in Madeira, Portugal, writing each day sharing our thoughts and photos. Hopefully, many of our readers enjoy our lighthearted ramblings, or not. We can’t please everyone nor do we expect that it’s possible. 

Corn is growing in many areas on the island both for personal use and as a farming crop.

By the way, we’re close to wrapping up a booking in New Zealand. We’ll be back soon with details.

Happy day!
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Photo from one year ago today, July 1, 2013:

We were so far from civilization that we spent considerable time exploring the area of Boveglio, coming to knowing it well. This was the cemetery at the church across from our 300-year-old stone house. For details, please click here.

Further exploration on the island of Madeira!…Photos!…

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It was surprising how much cactus there is on Miradouro referred to as a promontory.

Yesterday, while Judite was cleaning the house, we decided to get out of her way. We’ve never liked hanging around when the cleaning person is there when it feels that we’re in the way. Needing to purchase more meat from the little market with the expert butcher, we decided to tour the more remote areas of the island we’d yet to see, finishing up our day at the market.

When we first saw this jutting promontory, we knew we had to make our way to the top.

We left cash for Judite’s services, US $27.23, EU $20 for four hours of housecleaning, explaining with hand signals that she locks the door when she was done. Off we went on our way, not to return until she’d be long gone.

When we saw this sign, we knew we for in for a treat.

As time marches on, Tom’s become a less jerky stick shift driver on these steep hills and I’ve acclimated to the remaining jerkiness, no longer feeling queasy. As a result, driving on these steep, winding roads with frequent hairpin turns and cliffs with no guardrail has become easy, rarely feeling fearful or anxious.

Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy.  We hope to return on a clear day.

It’s funny how it was only a year ago in Italy when I cringed every time we drove anywhere. I think back to my pointless angst over the four hour road in Belize, flying in the little plane to and from the Maasai Mara while going on safari and the steep roads in Italy. I chuckle to myself over how much I’ve changed!

Miradouro is a promontory, a piece of high elevation land that juts out into the sea.

Finding one’s way around the island, as I’ve mentioned is challenging when  searching for a specific address.  Driving for pleasure with no destination in mind is easy. If we can see the ocean, we’re never too far from the main motorway that surrounds the island.

We walked out to the end of the promontory.

Each time we take such a drive, we choose a new road to follow. Tom’s great sense of direction and our combined good sense of remembering where we’ve already traveled, enables us to make new discoveries each time we’re exploring.

This is the end of the point of Miradouro. There was no guard rail and the terrain was uneven and rocky. We stayed as far away as we could from the edges but did move in closer a few times for photos.

Whether it’s scenery, goats, chickens, birds or dogs, our eyes are always peeled for the next photo worthy scene. It’s ironic how our desire to post interesting (we hope) and appealing photos here each day, has made both of us more in tune with checking out our surroundings with an intense eagle eye.

This was the view from the right side of Miradouro. We laughed when we realized after all the time we’d been driving, that below us was the village in Riberira Brava where we go to dinner and  shop at the supermarket. 

With both of us constantly on the visual prowl for fodder, we revel in each other’s discoveries, stopping when possible to take photos. At times, stopping is impossible, although Tom always offers to either back up or return on the same road. Often, I’ve taken advantage of his offers, never wanting to miss what we perceive as interesting and noteworthy.

The view from the left side of Miradouro.

Of course, each person’s perspective of what is interesting is different. As we walked a popular tourist spot we stumbled upon yesterday, I mentioned to Tom how ironic it is that he expresses considerable interest in vegetation, which he ignored in our old lives. 

I didn’t intend to include this cactus paddle in this photo.

Over these past 20 months since leaving Minnesota, the acuity with which we observe our surroundings has changed dramatically. In a large part, we credit writing here each day. Its a huge motivator. If we were traveling with the same intent as most tourists, we’d take our zillions of photos and leave it at that, hoping one day to bore our family and friends with our thousands of photos.

The above flowers were growing on this tree.

Instead, we can bore our family, friends, and readers from all over the world, one day at a time, or for some, we can brighten their day in a small way as we share the treasures of this magical world in which all of us live, in photos and stories.

These unusual flowers hung from the above short tree.

Once again, dear readers, we say thank you for sharing this journey with us, for your willingness in reading our frequent mindless drivel of the mundane aspects of daily life and for making us feel that you are always at our side.

At the moment, the excitement escalates for as we continue with bookings in the South Pacific, aka Oceania, all the way to May 16, 2016. Photos coming out this weekend.

Be well. Be happy. 
__________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, June 27, 2013:

This was the road that we walked in our neighborhood in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy in order to go to the popular local bar, Bar Ferrari. Not quite as steep as the hills in Madeira but it certainly was good exercise as our the streets in Madeira, steep, steep, steep. For details of that day, please click here.

The US vs Portugal, Soccer World Cup…The town was hopping..Today’s our Madeira halfway point….A year ago…history of a village…

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Shortly after 11:00 pm, I took this photo of the TV during the World Cup game between Portugal and the US.

Yesterday, while on my walk up the torturous steep hill I could sense the enthusiasm over the upcoming night’s soccer/football game, Portugal verses the US.

One of many flags of Portugal on display in our neighborhood.

With the Portugal flags displayed and waving from homes in the area, the excitement was palpable. From time to time, cars zoomed along the steep road, honking their horns.

The strong winds over the weekend made it hard to see some of the flags.

It was ironic that we are in Portugal when this World Cup game was being played against the US. Tom stayed up to watch the game on TV, broadcast in Portuguese from Brazil, which didn’t start until 11:00 pm. 

While on my walk I was close enough to see this flag hanging out the window of this house in Campanario.

Shortly after 1:00 am, he came to bed explaining to me in my somewhat of a sleepy stupor that the two teams tied at the end.  In a way I was glad.  At least with a tie as opposed to a loss for Portugal, as US citizens, we won’t be fodder for ridicule when the locals detect our clearly American accents, at times oddly mistaken for British.  (I guess it’s the “English” we speak).

As we stood on the veranda, we spotted this flag at quite a distance. It was so windy I had a difficult time holding the camera steady for the shot.  Thus, the blurry image.

The day was spent in a determined effort to find a place to live in the northern part of Australia a year from now with little luck.  Prices are twice as high as we’ve seen in other countries/continents, getting so little for the money.

We’ve seldom seen children in the neighborhood until yesterday during a birthday party a few doors down. There were several children playing in this blow-up structure but I made an effort to keep them out of the photo.

It’s been the toughest search we’ve experienced in all of our travels. We inquired to no less than a dozen properties to no avail. The prime cooler season of June through September provides little, if any, room for negotiation. 

More Christmas holly growing in the neighborhood.

In the next few weeks, we’ll either decide to bite the bullet and pay more than we’ve budgeted or, go to a different less popular location than that of Cairns, Darwin, and all the surrounding beach towns.

At this point, we’re trying for ocean views. That may be the next criteria we are forced to forgo. Perhaps, “walking distance to the beach” will be an alternative. Neither of us can see the charm of living on the interior of Australia in a condo overlooking nothing of particular interest.  

The season for roses is rapidly fading away.  Only a few remain much to my disappointment.

We’re not looking for a “place to crash.” We need a view, something to watch nature surrounding us. 

Later today, after a much-needed trip to the supermarket in Ribeira Brava, a few household and financial tasks, we’ll be back at it…on the search once again.  Sure, if we lightened our requirements, settled for less, accepted a less appealing property, this wouldn’t be such a daunting task. 

I posted this solitary photo on my Facebook page a few days ago receiving a number of “likes.”  So perfect and beautiful.

We never fail to remember why we’re doing this. It’s not for a “place to live.” It’s for a “place to love.” We’re especially reminded of that particular “feeling” as we spend this special time overlooking the sea in Madeira.

The view, the persona of this enchanting village, the bells ringing, the goats baaing, the rooster crowing, the flowers and greenery, the farms, the musical food trucks, the complexity of the terrain and of course, the people…we love it all. We need this sense of wonder and awe in order to fulfill our dreams of traveling the world. 

Another rose, whose beauty is fading with time. Isn’t that how it goes?  We all wither in time. But, who we really are, our hearts, our souls remain with us long after the petals have fallen. 

The search continues on until we accomplish our goal. It may not have a view of the majestic sea. However, whatever we ultimately choose must make us happy and excited. That, dear readers, we know for sure. 

And we promise whatever it may be, we’ll share it here with you the next morning when we grab our coffee, position ourselves on this comfy sofa with the view of the ocean a mere glance to the floor to ceiling glass walls. Get it? We do. We will.
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Photo from one year ago today, June 23, 2013:

Getting used to the steep winding roads in Boveglio, Italy was challenging. Plus, we had problems with the internet signal at our house resulting in difficulty in posting, often with editing impossible. The story we wrote that day may be of interest to history buffs. Please click here for details.

Facebook…Photo editing…How much do we do?…A year ago, a favorite video posted below…

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A drive into the hills offers appealing scenery.

This morning, Tom sent me a video that he received in an email which I promptly posted on Facebook. After posting it, I thought I’d share it here with our readers. Please click on this link to see this amazing video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PnSQiMTo4I

Nothing like a clear sunny morning in Madeira.

Speaking of Facebook, please feel free to friend me on Facebook, if you are a user and would like to see some photos that we may not post here. Also, we’d love to see the photos that our readers post on Facebook. 

You can find me on Facebook by searching my name as follows: “Jessica Lyman, Campanario, Madeira, Portugal.” (Each time we move I update our location on Facebook. If you send a friend request I will accept it promptly.

When we smelled smoke, we ran to the veranda and found a neighboring garden burning.

Mostly, I post photos from our travels. I don’t post political views or negative comments, that I prefer not to see. Overall, for me, Facebook is a happy place. 

Occasionally, I may re-post comments about dangerous products and chemicals in the environment. Other than that, my Facebook page is cheerful. I post a lot of wildlife, scenery, and vegetation photos.

The smoke billowed all over the neighborhood and soon the fire went out.

Recently I joined two Facebook photo groups: Flower Photography-Just for Fun and Weekly Photo Challenge.  You are free to join these also. Many of the photographers do some fancy editing and/or have professional skills but simple everyday photos, such as ours, are certainly worthy of posting. Expert skills are not required.

With little time to edit photos or interest in fancy editing, I simply submit my raw photos exactly as I’ve taken them. The exception is that on occasion I may use an app, INPAINT, for which I paid US $20, EU $14.68. 

The owner and architect of our house, Carlos, lives next door with his family. I took this photo from the door in my bathroom into their backyard.

I use the INPAINT app to remove the smudge on my lens that only appears in some photos in the sky or the background. (Friends and readers, Bob and Vikki, sent us the link to the app, illustrating how suggestions from our readers are welcomed and appreciated).

Plus, on a few occasions I’ve used INPAINT to remove utility lines. Here in Madeira, utility lines are everywhere.  How else would they get the huge quality of services to property owners in these mountains?

Wow! The flowers will soon be gone but for now, I’m still searching for shots.

In many cases, I’ve looked at Facebook friend’s beautifully enhanced flower photos and feel a tinge of interest in learning these skills. Alas, I already spend half of each day posting here and the other half looking for photo ops in order to post here. 

I have little interest in spending more time on my computer than I have to, especially now that we’re on a mission to find places to live in the South Pacific in 2015, a daunting task with the high prices in Australia.

I found this rose in a neighbor’s yard.  Not wanting to disturb the neighbor’s garden I shot this without moving the vine in front of what appears to be an almost perfect rose.

Once we arrive on US soil or if we’re lucky at a duty-free shop in our upcoming travels, we’ll be purchasing a new camera. This camera has taken over 10,000 photos in its one year life under some tough weather conditions and is actually wearing out as well as having the spot on the lens.

As for the beautiful skilled photos posted on Facebook, I enjoy seeing them almost as much as if I took them myself. There’s so much beauty in the world to share and through amazing technology and the commitment of others, we are gifted with the opportunity to see what others have been fortunate to see through the eyes of their lenses.

This flower shot was taken when we drove past Gina’s aunt’s home when we drove up the mountain a few days ago.

I must admit that I do repost some of my own favorite photos. Each time I do, new FB friends “like” them who may have missed them in the past. I try not to be redundant but there are some favorites that make me smile and laugh giving me a rush from the memory. It is this “rush” that’s my drug of choice. 

Ah, would that such a rush could fill the hearts of those with sorrow and angst. That is why the power of everlasting photos means so much as we age. We find great comfort in seeing the faces of those we’ve lost, remembering their love.

Can you spot the smudge from our camera lens in the upper left quarter of this photo?

Also, the photos we see on Facebook of our grandchildren, our kids, and their significant others, their pets, and our friends give us a glimpse of their lives which is rewarding and precious. Good grief, they certainly get a huge dose of our lives through this site and Facebook!

Many people are opposed to using Facebook. I understand this. For some, it may end up taking too much time.  On most days, I spend no more than 30 minutes excitedly checking out photos and videos from family, friends, and FB friends old and new. I suppose with us being far from those we love certainly contributes to our interest in it. What an easy way to stay in touch.

Overlooking rooftops from high above our area. Clothes dryers are unheard of in Madeira with the temperature climate. 

For personal matters, we either private message or chat on FB, Skype, or email, all of which are free and easy to do. The power of the Internet has made our travels possible. 

I doubt that we’d have been able to travel for so long 40 years ago without having the tools at our fingertips to aid us in planning and communication. Also, not staying in hotels more than necessary has made our travels affordable.

An interesting cloud cover at dusk.

That’s it for today, dear readers. Can I thank you all, one more time, for reading our daily posts?  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We never feel alone with all of you at our side.  

In essence, you are traveling with us, seeing the world through our eyes, through the lens of our camera, through our words. Knowing this gives us both the “rush” of sheer joy in knowing others share in this journey with us. Obrigado! 
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Photo and video from one year ago, June 20, 2013:

View from the veranda of the 300-year-old vacation rental in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. The bell tower in the church rang to the most beautiful sounds as indicated in this video below. For details from the story and more photos of this date, please click here.
This is the video of the church bells ringing in Boveglio, Italy, sounds from another area that we loved hearing. This was the first video I posted which clearly illustrates my lack of expertise.

Peacefulness and tranquility…A small price to pay for inconsistencies…One year ago…Traffic jam on the canals of Venice

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Another gorgeous day.

Not everyone needs peace and tranquility. As we’ve traveled we’ve discovered how important it really is for us.  Soon, when we’ll spend two weeks in Paris and two more weeks in London, we realize that for those four weeks we’ll relinquish the peace and tranquility that we usually desire for the experience of visiting these two big cities.

Vegetables growing in our yard.

How could we possibly have traveled the world and not seen Paris and London? As for London, our cruise on August 31st sails out of Harwich, a two and a half-hour drive to the pier. It was necessary to travel to London anyway with no airport in Harwich.

Not much of a gardener, I believe this is cabbage. That will work!

If one does visit London, Paris offers a great starting point with relatively easy access via the Eurostar (formerly known as the Chunnel), another interesting experience. How exciting it will be to take a train in a tunnel under the English Channel from Paris to London!  How could we not?

The hills of Madeira produce a wide array of colors.

Throwing peace and tranquility out the window, we brace ourselves for the hustle and bustle of the upcoming two months from the time we leave Madeira on July 31st until we arrive in Hawaii on October 5th, where again in Oahu and Maui we’ll be among crowds when out and about, less so when we live on the Big Island and Kauai.

Cabbage, up close?

But here, in Madeira, we find ourselves entrenched in the peace and tranquility of a low-stress life in a sleepy little village, mostly occupied by homeowners, generations deep. It’s easy to lose oneself in the easy pace of tranquil living, caught up in the “small things” that bring us a sense of belonging, coupled with a profound sense of comfort.

Wildflowers growing in our side yard.

This morning, both of us up and dressed early, we’ve left the sliding glass door ajar letting in the chilly morning air, again waiting to hear the loud music of the vegetable guy whom we very much desire to see this morning, on Tuesday, his occasional day in our neighborhood.  His arrival is not consistent.

Every time I walk, I find something new.

This life of tranquility is not always consistent. That’s part of the magic of tranquility. No rush. No urgency. No stress. The local markets have a particular product one week but not the next, or the next. One doesn’t complain to the manager.

At dusk, the look of the ocean changes.

I recall in my old life that the local Cub Foods usually carried a favorite organic butter that I used. One week, they were out of stock. Rousting up the dairy manager, I kindly asked when it would be in. Nervously, he said, “Oh, I’ll get it here for you tomorrow.” The next day, I returned and it was there. 

Lots of steps with no handrail, common throughout these steep hills.

I remember thinking to myself that the poor guy was stressed when he was out of a product that a regular customer such as I, was unable to purchase. For those of us who have worked with the public, we recall the angst we’ve felt when we couldn’t quickly fulfill the expectations of a customer. I don’t miss those days…on either end.

When I was growing up in California, we called these “shrimp” trees.

The little market here in Campanario and the bigger supermarket in Ribeira Brava have unsweetened full-fat Greek yogurt one week but not the next. I don’t mention it. It’s all a part of life here. Peacefulness breeds inconsistency. It’s a small price to pay.

Overlooking the road while on my walk.

The produce guy may not show today. And when he does on another day, we may have already gone to the little market to buy the farm-fresh produce we needed. But, neither he nor us gives it a second thought when he drives by on another day and we aren’t waiting for him on the side of the road.

In Minnesota, these were called begonias, a flower that grew well in shady areas.

One thing we do know for sure. We’ll love Paris and London. We’ll see the sites, take endless photos, and dine in fabulous restaurants. Perhaps, at times, we’ll even be in awe of the crowds, their passion, and enthusiasm for these big cities and their treasures.

The temperate climate is ideal for flowers.

In our hearts, wherever we may travel, we’ll always recall the tranquility of Campanario, Madeira; Marloth Park, South Africa; the Maasai Mara, Kenya; Boveglo, Italy and Placencia, Belize where the simplicity of daily life and its curious inconsistencies, ultimately have brought us the most joy.
                                              ______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, June 17, 2013:

We’d hoped to ride in a gondola but when there were lined up like this, bumper to bumper hardly moving in the canals, we opted against getting into this “traffic jam.” Instead, we walked for several hours. For details from that date, please click here.

Reflections on this pair of vagabonds…One year ago…Istanbul, Turkey…Political unrest…

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Christmas holly grows wild on a hillside.

On many occasions, deep in thought, our eyes locked, knowing that we’re thinking the same thoughts. How did we get here? How were we able to leave our family to live this dream that we didn’t know we had until 11 months before Tom retired?

At the end of this month it will be 20 months since we left Minnesota; for Tom, a lifelong resident; for me, 42 years. For both of us, we loved our state with it’s long frozen snowy winters and fleeting stormy summers. 

It’s not easy to explain. We grasp for answers from time to time; the cold winters, the growing traffic rates, the unstable politics (where isn’t that an issue?), high state taxes zapping our retirement income. These seem to be logical answers. 

Two baby goats that live next door. Look at those cute white ears! 

Many retired Minnesotans leave for warmer climates heading to Florida, Arizona or Texas, buying a condo in a retirement community, making new friends and finding a degree of contentment that fulfills their goals for their golden years. We appreciate this perspective.  It just couldn’t have been us.

Perhaps, this wanderlust has something to do with the fact that we each had our first child when we were still children ourselves, Tom at 17, me at 19. Our 20’s zoomed past us with rampant responsibility. I was divorced at 26.  Tom, at 36. 

Mom of the two above kids.

When we met in 1991, Tom was 38, I was 43. Where did the years go? Four years later we were married, so happy that we rarely took a vacation over the next 22 years, with only a desire for the “staycation” to be close to family and friends when we had time off. 

We loved our home, our neighbors, our friends and visits from our kids, grandkids and other family members.  And then, in January 2012, as we sat in our comfy chairs on a crisp sunny Sunday morning drinking coffee, I asked Tom, who’s retirement was 11 months away at that point, “What do you want us to do when you retire?”

A vine covered wall near our house.

He paused thinking of an answer, suddenly blurting out, “Let’s travel the world!”

I laughed. “You don’t mean that,” I replied looking at him quizzically, wondering what had gotten into him. Did he, who seldom drinks alcohol at home, spike his morning coffee with Courvoisier?

At dusk the lights illuminate the island.

“I do,” he replied. “Let’s do it!”

“Let me research this for a week. Do the math. See if we can make it work.” I responded tempering my enthusiasm, thinking it was more of a whim than a possibility. I’d retired a few years earlier. I had all the time in the world.

Tom got excited about this 1947 Chevy parked at the local market.

The following weekend my well prepared spreadsheet was completed with the assumption that if we sold and unloaded everything that we owned; house, cars, furnishings and all household goods leaving no monthly storage bill behind, we could do it. We decided that day. For how long? We didn’t know.

The remaining months of putting our plan into action is now a blur of the sorrowful letting go of those we love and of all the “things” we so treasured and held close to our hearts. (If you’re interested in reading about the disposition of all of our world goods during that painful process, you can go the “PREVIOUS POSTS” and scroll down and click on 2012 to begin reading there).

What a view!

Our grown kids and their families had built their own traditions and lifestyles. They would do fine without us. With face time on Skype, daily photos and interactions on Facebook it wouldn’t feel as if we were so far away. And yes, of course we would miss them all. 

But, somehow, we wanted to do this, we needed to do this for ourselves, whom we’d pampered so little over the years while wrapped around the concept of “doing for others” as opposed to ourselves. The time had come.

Although we can’t see the sun when its setting, we always get a glimpse of the colors over the ocean.

Selfish? Sure. Could a lifetime of responsibility beginning at such an early age, have contributed to our decision? Sure. Is selfishness dishonorable when the clock seems to be ticking faster than ever and one merely want to “live life to its fullest?” 

We bear no guilt or regret. In a mere six months, our children and grandchildren will be in Hawaii with us. It will have been 26 months since we’ve seen them but only a few days since we’ve been in touch. 

Tom’s photos as dusk.

It will be all be OK. In fact, we expect it will be wonderful as it always was when we were all together, our blended family, all laughing and talking at the same time with fun kid noises wafting through the air.

And for us, we’re happy. A few nights ago, my sister asked if we were lonely with no English speaking people with whom to interact. We’re not. Not at all. We laugh, we talk, we tease and we’re playful. We finish each others thoughts and statements as long time couples often do.

Unusual plant we found while driving in the hills.

At times, we’re even romantic, standing on the veranda arms wrapped around each other, gazing at the sea, the colors in the sky at sunset, the developing moon and the breathtaking beauty surrounding us. 

Most of all, wherever we may be, on this journey with no end in mind, we are home. And that, dear readers, is exactly where we want to be.

                                                       __________________________

Photo from one year ago today, June 11, 2013:

Our ship docked in Istanbul ,Turkey for the day. At that time there were riots and political unrest in Istanbul so we decided to stay on the ship, taking photo from afar. The next day we were headed to Izmir, Turkey for an excursion to Ephasus leaving us content to stay onboard for the day, as many other cruisers chose to do as well.  For details of that date, please click here.

Venturing out to another village on the steep and winding roads…A year ago…A photo from Mykonos, Greece…

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This fenced garden we passed on a steep road.

Yesterday, we drove up to a few other villages to gain perspective of the views from another vantage point. At times, we were within a foot, .3 meters, of an unprotected edge that a slight wrong move could result in falling off a steep cliff.

We drove the steep, winding roads to Barreiro yesterday.

Luckily, I stayed preoccupied taking photos and not looking over the edge. There was a haze of fog in the air preventing a clear view in some of our photos, although the sky was blue and clear. We’re constantly looking for changes in the weather that can occur in a matter of minutes.

Cactus growing out of a stone wall.  With the temperate weather in Madeira, it’s surprising to see cactus growing wild. One expects cactus to grow in desert climates.

As we drove through the steep winding roads, we realized that the roads that appear risky to us is everyday driving to the locals. They zip around the curves, hairpin turns, and up and down steep inclines at full speed, never giving it a thought.

Looking out at this view, we notice the point in the upper left.

There aren’t any police cars in Campanario and few in other areas. The locals don’t worry about getting a ticket, only about getting around quickly and hopefully safely.

Zooming in we got a better view of the craggy point.

Without a doubt, Madeira feels like the safest place in which we’ve lived in our travels. Of course, we’re still cautious in locking doors at night and when leaving, more out of habit than fear.  t’s a far cry from living in Kenya with gun-toting guards everywhere. How far we’ve come.

Homeowners often have to walk up or down elaborate stairways to get to or from their homes that are built on the steep hills.

Speaking of Kenya, last night we went through many of our photos from our travels that are stored in Google+.  So far, since January 3, 2013, we have almost 10,000 photos stored. Considering that we seldom took photos in our old lives, we sure have made up for the lost time.

I have an app that allows me to remove wires such as these shown here.  But, Madeira has wires everywhere in an effort to provide great service to its residents. We have the best WiFi connection here included in the rental, that we’ve had since we were in Minnesota, 20 months ago. Who’s to complain?

Looking back, had we known we’d be traveling, I wish I’d have learned to take photos on a decent camera instead of my phone. As a person with reasonable digital skills, the camera alluded me, intimidated me and I struggled along. Now, the ease and enjoyment of taking photos remind me of how many magic moments we missed that could have been documented in photos.

There we are in the sunshine one minute and then the fluffy clouds roll in. The wonders of this gorgeous island continue to astound us.

Oh, well. One can only go forward as to wasting time with what “could have” or “should have” been. Although I love taking photos, I don’t take it seriously enough to want to let it turn into an obsession or to try to present more professional-looking photos with editing and enhancements. Most often, we take only one shot of each sighting unless it’s a classic shot of a special location or moving target. If it comes out, great. If not, we delete it.

View over the rooftops.

The only editing I ever do on a photo we present here is to remove the spots that appear in some of the photos from dirt or lint located on the lens of our camera. I haven’t removed those spots today, as we hope to head out the door soon.

Whatever the angle or the view, the beauty of the ocean is worthy of a shot.

When we arrive in Boston in three months, we’ll purchase a new camera or will pick one out online and have it shipped to Boston. Our Sony Cyber-shot is showing signs of wear and tear after 10,000 photos especially when held in my sweaty palms over many miles with hot and humid climates. 

The car was moving when we took this blurry shot. We were on a dangerous curve and couldn’t stop.

Today, we’re waiting for the produce guy’s musical truck to appear before we head to the supermarket to shop for the week. We’d rather buy produce from him as opposed to the grocery store. 

The dedication to farming and gardening is evident everywhere on the island.

He doesn’t always have everything we need making it tricky to go to the grocery store without buying produce, hoping to catch up with him later. We’ll wait for him until noon and then we’re off, having no choice but to purchase some of the items we need, filling in with him later in the week.

The blue sky makes for a blue sea.

Oh, we love the mindless drivel in our lives at times, the simple decisions, the time spent observing a flower, a passing bird, or a wafting cloud. Then, when the hard parts are imminent we know that soon they too will pass and we’re back to the joyful ease of living this pleasing life we’ve chosen.

Few homeowners miss the opportunity to grow gardens on the hills.

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Photo from one year ago, June 9, 2013:

The island of Mykonos, Greece was beyond our expectations. So beautiful. Due to a poor WiFi connection, we were unable to post photos from the ship. The next day, the 10th, we were in Mykonos Greece where we took many photos of the exquisite island. Here is a photo from the 10th. For more please check back tomorrow for more. For the link to the post on the 9th, please click here.

A crazy, funny, busy day…A new lesson learned…A year ago, Naples, Italy…

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These are the roses Gina picked for us last night from the massive rose bushes growing outside her aunt’s house.
Yesterday, was a fun day, unplanned and unexpected.  In essence, those are often the most memorable occasions, laced with humor and warm feelings.


I must preface this by starting with my terrible faux pas…twice in one day, I left the house without the camera, something I hope never to do again.  On both occasions I was distracted by the events on hand.



All over the mountains there are long steep steps as such as shown in photo, most without handrails.

Although, there are other unrelated photos I’ve saved for today, we’ll kindly ask our readers to use their imagination for these few stories.

In the morning, I reminded Tom that we are in need of fresh vegetables.  We always keep a few bags of frozen veggies in case of such an emergency but, fresh is our preference. 


Another steep set of steps without handrails.

Most nights, I roast a pan of fresh, cut-into-chunks veggies in the oven tossed with olive oil and seasonings, cooking them on high heat for 35 minutes tossing them a few times.  They tend to caramelize and are nothing short of amazing.

With enough veggies left for last night, I was more concerned about Sunday’s dinner.  The obvious solution was to listen for the produce guy’s musical truck.  There’s a trick to catching him when usually he and the other trucks seem to zoom past our house not giving us ample time to get out the door.  We wear our shoes in the house with Tom’s wallet nearby so we can dash outside on a dime.


This old unoccupied house is buried under vines and vegetation.

At around 10:00 am, we heard the music.  Quickly, we jumped up going though our little routine of getting out the door, Tom grabbing the wallet, me dashing to the street.

Alas, the musical truck had already passed us.  Tom said, “Let’s drive after him!”  I agree as he grabbed the car keys and off we went.  Luckily, we can see up the steep road that winds from our house and we saw the truck had stopped for another customer a half mile up the hill.


This photo does no justice to how steep this road actually is. 

Quickly maneuvering the winding road, we made our way to the truck in no time, excited to know we’d be able to restock our vegetable supply.  I was the first to jump out of the car and run to the open back of the truck.  The driver was engaged in a conversation with another man on the side of the road, paying no attention to us.

Approaching the open back of the truck, a sinking feeling came over me when I realized there were no vegetables.  As I looked further, I gasped, as Tom approached the truck.  “It’s not vegetables,”  I said as I began to laugh, “It’s live chickens!”


These are mailboxes in our neighborhood.

Peering into the back of the truck, we saw a cage filled with live chickens ready for purchase by an ambitious cook.  My first thought was that I didn’t have the camera.  My second thought was that I’m definitely not that ambitious a cook. Tom agreed that neither was he.  We giggled, waved to the chicken truck guy and returned home, hoping the vegetable truck guy would soon appear. 

He never did.  The fish truck guy drove passed once again but, we had no room in the freezer for more fish after our recent purchase of the “catch of the day.”


This old run down house is out of place in the charming area.

It was a windy day and we’d decided to stay in.  I was cooking two different dinners; grilled tuna for me (the second night) and meatballs with sauce and grated cheese for Tom, salad and the remaining roasted vegetables.  Plus, I had a few loads of laundry to do which we’d have to dry indoors in the high winds.

The remainder of the day was relatively quiet.  I spent time posting for the day.  Tom worked on our future travels.  We paid the final payment on the upcoming cruise from London to Boston leaving on August 31st, a mere 74 days from today.


The colors of flowers on the island is breathtaking.

Dinner was delightful as always. We watched an episode of “Last Comic Standing” laughing all the while, content to be healthy, together and loving our home in Madeira, now three weeks into our stay.

After dinner, we heard a knock at the door, jumping up wondering who it may be.  Of course, it was none other than our dear friend Gina, stopping by to see if we needed anything.  I had wanted to give her some of the “atum,” (tuna) anyway so her timing was perfect.  She was especially thrilled when she told us that the fish truck doesn’t come to Funchal, where she, her husband and daughter live.


Are these gardenias?  The smell was lovely!

The only request we had was for her to describe where we could find the two local restaurants here in Campanario.  Immediately, her eyes lit up and she announced, “Come, let’s go. I show you!”

We all jumped into the blue rental car and took off up the hill as Gina directed us.  As soon as we were on our way, once again, I realized I’d forgotten the camera.  It was getting dark and it wouldn’t matter anyway, I justified to myself.  How sorry I was. 


A yellow rose we found on a walk.

Gina’s bubbly enthusiasm is contagious. We love being with her.  She directed us to her aunt’s house first so she could pick roses for me.  The sprawling house was charming surrounded by flowers in full bloom.  Oh, camera.  Her aunt who has been ill for some time, waved to us from the rooftop.  Her uncle bantered on cheerfully in Portuguese and we were instantly charmed.

Roses picked and in my hands, we were back on the hilly, curvy roads to the restaurants. Three times I asked Tom, “Are you sure you’ll remember how to find these?”  Three times he smiled assuring me he would.  He’s so patient with me when I ask the same question several times, getting the same answer each time.

As darkness fell, we arrived at the restaurants, close to one another by no more than a few long blocks on winding roads.  Over the next few weeks we’ll try them both.  One of them has a very unusual theme which we’ll go to first and share here with photos and details.  We can hardly wait!

Tourists walking on the “levada” the path above our house.

Gina had Tom return over a different route showing us the “levada” a long walking path in the mountains which we’ll soon explore.  As we returned to our street, we let her off at her sister’s house, another gorgeous vacation rental she insisted we come inside and see. 


It was beautiful. Her husband had designed and built the house as he has many of the houses in the area. Gina had been busy cleaning getting ready for the next arriving guests.  As it turns out most of the homeowners in this area are Gina’s relatives, as she pointed out one house after another on the beautiful street.

She asked if we liked “our” house more than the sister’s and if we’d have preferred it.  We confirmed that we love our house as she smiled from ear to ear, happy that we’re happy.  She’s asked this question several times in the past three weeks and each time we’ve assured her that we are very happy.  (Perhaps, Gina has the same question asking syndrome that I do).


These tangled vines are at the base of a palm type tree.

After the house tour, now fully dark, we decided to head home.  It was 10:00 pm. We hugged Gina and her husband goodbye and made the drive down the hill to our house. 

Tom couldn’t find the keys to the house.  He thought he’d brought them with us when we headed out realizing that he’d locked them inside.  Hurriedly, we drove back up the hill hoping Gina would still be there.  Thank goodness, she was still there but, didn’t have an extra set of keys.  She called her father who lives nearby and keeps an extra set of keys. We waited for him to arrive and he appeared a short time later.


Terraced gardens are seen everywhere on the island.

We were thrilled to finally meet Antonio.  We’ve waved at him several times when we’ve seen him working in his massive gardens.  Shaking his hand, calloused from years of hard work, brought back memories of my grandfather who’s large calloused hands never hesitated to hold a hand or gently pat a cheek.

Soon, we were back home after Gina’s daughter insisted on running the keys back to Antonio after we were safely inside. Our keys were on the inside of the door where we’d left them.  Had Gina left, we’d have been in quite the predicament.  Once again, we dodged a bullet or, in other words…safari luck.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more new photos from today’s outing. I  promised I won’t forget to bring the camera! And, Tom won’t forget the keys!
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Here is the photo from one year ago today, June 8, 2013:


Our ship docked in Naples, Italy.  With the few excursions available and at this point, having seen so many historical buildings, we decided against going on a crowded bus tour. For details for this date when we had issues with our rented MiFi which continued for the next three months when we lived in Tuscany, please click here.