More new road trip photos…Worried about flying?…A year ago…A procession in the neighborhood…Remedy for keeping flies away…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Map of the close proximity of Madeira, Portugal (“A” on map) to Algeria, where yet another plane was found this morning in Mali. According to news reports causes of the crash are unknown at this point.

During the day when we’re home and busy online, we may have the TV on to international news. We’re able to receive a few US news stations. 

The shoreline is always breathtaking.

In a way, life was less worrisome when we had no TV during most of our travels, as opposed to here in Madeira where there are several English speaking channels. Other than the news and financial information, we don’t watch TV instead, watching movies and shows on my laptop that we’ve downloaded from Graboid.com, a monthly subscription service.

Homes in what appears to be a newer area.
Neither of us actually “watch” the news. Instead, we’re busy with other tasks, reading or busying ourselves with laundry or preparing meals with the sound of the news in the background.
Exiting yet another tunnel.

Perhaps, ignorance is bliss after all.  Watching the varying opinions of world affairs is frightening and frustrating. What’s happening in the world? Oh, yes,  I could get into a lengthy recitation about our opinions of world affairs but, that dear reader is not the intent of our postings.  

There’s been little rain and yet the hillside is lush and green.

We’re all about low-stress living, finding joy in our surroundings coupled with a profound sense of freedom as we wander about the world at our leisure.

In a busy beach area, cars were parked inside this frequently used tunnel.

Last night, I received a worried email from my dear sister Julie about a news story she’d read about a female tourist being fatally shot in the past few days in Mombasa, Kenya. 

Another cloudy day on the road.

Ten months ago we were on the island of Mombasa, taking a ferry across the waterway to the mainland which was packed like sardines with a possible 1000 people on board. We spent 90 days in Diani Beach, Kenya where there have been multiple fatal incidences since we left last December 1st.

On a few hour outing, we’d go through as many as 20 tunnels.

Then, I read US news about a killing at a hospital in Pennsylvania and two deaths from tornados in Virginia and we remind ourselves that nowhere on earth is truly safe. “Drive by” incidences occurred frequently only 30 minutes from where we lived in Minnesota. 

Bathers on a cloudy day in a protected area of which there are many on the island.

With all the recent planes disappearing from the sky including yesterday’s flight to Algeria and planes being shot down, we can’t help but think for a moment of our upcoming flight from Madeira to Lisbon to Paris six days from today. 

A “massage salon” at the beach.

There’s no reason to think that our upcoming flight is particularly high risk. It’s not. However, after days and days of horrifying news, its human nature to let such fearful thoughts waft through our minds a mere six days away from departure. 

An old building along a craggy rock wall.

I don’t like flying in any case. The actual flying time to Paris is actually shorter than the layover in Lisbon but, that provides little comfort. The length of a flight appears to have little bearing on its risks. 

We’ve been amazed by the quality and excellent condition of the roads in Madeira better than we’ve seen anywhere.

Do I allow my brain into a frenzy of fear? I choose not to. I gave it some thought tinged with a touch of angst deciding to let it go. Worry serves no purpose. Tom, of course, doesn’t join the worry train with me for a moment.

As we entered a seaside village this tree reminded us of the flat top trees in the Masai Mara when we were on safari.

Today, I’m fussing over two horsefly bites from a few days ago. The one on my thumb which is swollen to twice its size, kept me awake half the night last night. The other on my upper arm is slightly less annoying. 

Ruins of what appeared to be a factory or commercial building.

In the realm of things, my bites are a trivial matter. Then again, whatever transpires in the world, most of us are caught up in the trivialities of our daily lives, at times to deflect our attention to the deeper more serious matters, over which we have no control. Human nature. It’s rampant.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, July 25, 2013:

While in Tuscany, we’d read online that hanging a plastic bag with pennies inside would keep flies away.  With no screens, no AC, and the heat of summer it was one long summer when this “home remedy” worked to a degree but not entirely. Luckily, it’s been cool here in Madeira and we’ve kept the windows shot most of the time. Somehow, the flies still make their way indoors looking for me for what must be a tasty bite. For detail from the story that day with a video and photos of a procession through the neighborhood, please click here.

New road trip photos…Departure in 7 days…A year ago…Anticipating nine months in Africa…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Purple flowers, blue sea.  Lovely.

Since purchasing the HP laptop in South Africa I’ve had trouble with the keyboard. The letter “i” continues to stick although I’ve learned to press hard in order for it to work. 

There’s a substantial Catholic population on the island. It’s not unusual to spot a shrine of the Virgin Mary in public areas such as this.

A new problem started a few days ago. When I write a word with the letter “P” in it, the “P” moves to another position in the word such as this:  “hpoto” instead of “photo.” Now I have to be conscientious of every word that I type that has a “P” in it. Go figure. 

A small fishing boat anchored to a buoy.

We’ll both need new laptops when we arrive in Boston in September. At that point, my laptop will only be seven months old. It’s frustrating. 

View from a road at a high elevation to the village below showing the boat in the above photo.

I know that many think that a tablet will work for us but unless there’s a new model with a large enough monitor to satisfy us both, we’ll end up buying two more laptops. Tom’s two-year-old laptop has a broken monitor he’s been dealing with for months. There goes another US $2000, EU $1485.26.

These old stone tunnels are common throughout Madeira.

This morning I had an awful time logging on when I ended up having to use the on-screen keyboard to enter my password. I’m totally convinced that a quality laptop suitable for travel is yet to be designed. I’ve seen a few “rugged” styles but they are very heavy. Oxymoron.

Many areas neighborhoods consist of large homes, often owned by foreigners and ex-pats.

Today, when Judite arrives for the final time, we’re heading out for our last grocery shopping trip needing only a few items to get us through the next six dinners. Today, we didn’t buy produce from the truck when we heard it drive past when all we need is lettuce, cabbage, and carrots which we’ll buy at the supermarket.

As we drove through a village, this bell tower warranted a stop.

In the past several days, I’ve done some clearing and cleaning of items in my smaller of the two bags, which contains medical supplies, a few camera supplies, toiletries, and cosmetic items, lightening the load by a few pounds. Tom is down to bare bones unable to lighten his large bag. The second smaller bag holds our heavy boots and all of our shoes. 

There are a few sandy beaches on the island. Most are rocky such as this.

I’m considering getting rid of my large handbag which I only use on travel days. The bag itself is heavy. If I’m able to fit the vital items to the carry on duffel bag, we’d be down to the following carry on: one duffel, one laptop bag, and the cloth bag of prescriptions (in case our luggage is lost). We shall see if I can pull this off once we start packing.

Tom got a kick out of this sign for an Irish Sports Bar with a photo of a camel on the sign. We couldn’t quite grasp the significance of the camel and Irish.  There aren’t any camels in Ireland, are there?

Today, we’re sharing photos from another road trip. Driving around this magical island always offers us new and interesting scenery that we’re always anxious to share with our readers.

This village was decorated for the upcoming banana festival which occurred over this past weekend.

We both have a tendency to temper our enthusiasm as the time to leave nears, knowing that we have a full travel day ahead of us. We’ll be especially relieved when this upcoming travel day is over with all of the political unrest in the world.

Have a wonderful day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, July 24, 2013:

A borrowed photo of Diani Beach, Kenya as we wrote about our fears and apprehension of living in Africa for nine months which at that point one year ago today, was only six weeks away. Now, looking back some of our fears were warranted such as cobras on the veranda, horrifying insects, and living with only an outdoor living room. In any case, worrying certainly provided little insight into that which we experienced. For details of that date, please click here.

How much will we spend dining out in Paris and London… A year ago…Link to photos with step by step instructions for making a gluten free, low carb bread free sandwich…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Midday clouds create a pretty sky.

With only eight days remaining in Madeira we realized that we won’t be cooking another meal until October 16th when we arrive in Maui, Hawaii for our six week stay. 

From July 31st, our departure date until arriving in Maui when we’ll make our way to a grocery store, it will be no less than 77 days without cooking a single meal. This is even longer than the 75 days we spent in Morocco when we either dined out or dined at home with lovely Madame Zahra making our meals.


Clouds rolling in at the end of the day.

First, we’ll be arriving in Honolulu on October 5th by way of cruise ship when we’ll spend 11 nights in Waikiki in a vacation rental fully equipped with cooking facilities.  However, as we mentioned earlier, we’ve decided to mostly dine out while in Waikiki rather than purchase an the required inventory of basic cooking items in order to prepare our meals.

As a result, currently, we’re making some of our favorite meals, knowing full well, it will be a long time until we can do so again.  Each time we move to a new location, its at this point before departure that we take stock of all the  remaining food stuffs, making our meals utilizing everything we have on hand.


Some flowers continue to bloom over the summer months.

Here’s our menu for the next eight dinners: all low carb, gluten, starch and sugar free:
7/23  Taco salad (no shell), side of roasted vegetables
7/24  Pork chops with sautéed mushrooms, side of roasted vegetables, steamed green beans, small side of tuna salad on a bed of lettuce, green salad
7/25  Same as above in order to finish off pork chops in freezer
7/26  Filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms and onions, steamed green beans, side of roasted vegetables, side of coleslaw
7/27  Italian meatballs in sugar free pasta sauce, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, side of green beans (only veggie Tom will eat), side of roasted vegetables, side salad
7/28 Portuguese sausage omelet (using remaining fresh eggs) with onions, mushrooms and leftover cheeses, side salad using all leftover vegetables
7/29  Dine out
7/30  Dine out
7/31  Fly from Madeira to Paris, leaving in the morning


These low clouds have wafted in over the last few days.

By following this menu, we’ll use all of the remaining foods except for some basic inventory items (olive oil, butter, seasonings, etc.) which we always leave behind for the next occupants.

While in Madeira, we’ve dined out only a total of five times, mainly due to the cost.  As we booked more and more vacation rentals far into the future, all requiring deposits (some as much as 50% of the rent) and, with our upcoming “Family Vacation” in Hawaii in December and, with the necessity of dining out over the upcoming 77 days, we decided to tighten our belts.


This is one of the kids that have grown over the summer.  They’re fairly far into the yard next door which with our camera, we can’t get a clearer shot.  The markings on her head are amazing with the white ears and black markings on her face.  When I yell out “baah” to her while I’m standing at the railing, she looks up at me and “baahs” back.  It’s not quite as fun as talking to a warthog but, is fun none the less.

As a result of our frugality, we’ll have saved over US $1200, EU $891, on the food budget for our 75 days in Madeira.  This savings will offset some of the high cost of dining out in Paris for the 16 days we’ll be living in a hotel. We budgeted US $1600, EU $1188 for those meals a relatively small amount for Paris. 


Tom is always spotting interesting cloud formations.  In this case at dusk, he spotted a seahorse in these clouds.  Do you see it?

With the savings we’ll have incurred in Madeira which we’ll split between Paris and London (budgeted US $1500, EU $1114, for 15 days) our combined total dining budget total for Paris and London is US $3100, EU $2302. 

By splitting the above budgetary savings in Madeira of US $1200, EU $891 between the two cities over 31 days we’re left with a total of US $138.71, EU $103 per day. 


Ominous looking cloud at dusk from our veranda.

Although this amount won’t get us into the finest of restaurants every night, if we choose casual dining every other night, spending under US $50, EU $37 we’ll be left with US $227.42, EU $169 to spend on the alternate night’s dinner in nicer restaurants.


Gladiolas growing in a pot on our veranda.

Since I don’t drink alcohol and Tom doesn’t drink wine, usually ordering only a few cocktails and, we don’t order desserts, we’ll have enough to otherwise spend on a menu.  Of course, there are restaurants in Paris where a couple can easily spend US $800, EU $594 for dinner in a fine dining restaurant.  That won’t be us. 

A dog looking down at us as we stood on the road.

Traveling the world as we do requires careful and diligent budgeting and planning.  Both of us have learned to avoid a “laissez faire” attitude when researching our options as to what appeals to us.  We have learned to utilize a strong sense of self control which is necessary for us to continue on, enjoying our lives without worrying about finances.

There are plenty of other aspects of travel one can worry about, if they so choose.
_______________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, July 23, 2013:

One year ago to the date we shared the making of our bread-free gluten free, low carb sandwich including step-by-step instructions with photos.  For the remaining details, please click here.

The morphology of the banana plant…Observed and photographed on walks up the steep hill…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This was our first photo taken over two months ago on our first walk up the steep hill. We were fascinated by this peculiar looking pod which is called the inflorescence.

Please excuse formatting issues on this page due to the slow WiFi signal at the time of posting.

In a perfect world, I would have learned all of the intrinsic factors on the growth of banana trees in Madeira, Portugal, and also in many other countries where we’ve observed banana plants/trees flourishing.

When we first spotted the tree, these bananas already growing referred to as the bunch. This photo was taken in May 2014.

A commonly exported crop we’d often observed growing in Africa and Belize, we were fascinated by the massive banana plantations on this island where the weather is cooler than in most countries where they’re typically grown as a vital part of the agricultural economy.

The “inflorescence” continued to grow to change before our eyes.

Shortly after we arrived and settled in our home in Campanario, Madeira over the past almost two and a half months, I began walking up the extremely steep hill outside our door. My intent was first, for the exercise, and secondly, to take photos of flowers, vegetation, and local scenery.

“The inflorescence is a complex structure that includes the flowers that will develop into fruits.” The hanging pink and yellowish protrusions are the flowers.

Please click here for the scientific explanation of the morphology of the banana tree, described in beautiful detail.

As days turned into weeks, the inflorescence changed dramatically.

On the first walk which Tom shared with me, we were immediately taken aback by a peculiar pod-like structure hanging from a banana tree in the yard of the house next door.

“The rachis is the stalk of the inflorescence from the first fruit to the male bud. It can be bare or covered with persistent bracts. The scars on the rachis indicate where the bracts were attached. They are called nodes.”

Immediately, I started taking photos mesmerized by the odd hanging pod, especially as it progressed over a period of time as I continued the walks on my own.

When driving on the island we spotted another banana tree that had a much different looking progression of the inflorescence, perhaps at an earlier point that we’d missed occurring before our arrival in May.

As the pod morphed, the bananas grew to a hearty bunch and Antonio, Gina’s dad, cut them down. We saw him driving away with the huge bunch of bananas in the trunk of his car.

Back to our inflorescence, morphing as days passed.

In a way, I was sad to see them go. Where he took them, we’ll never know. He speaks no English. Perhaps, there is a place where property owners bring their bananas to sell for a Euro or two. Or, he may take them to a relative or friend that uses them to make banana bread. Who knows? 

It rained for a few days and I didn’t walk.  When  I began walking again on the next sunny day, more flowers appeared as the leaf lifts to bring in the sunlight.

The steep walk up the hill became a frequent activity for me as I watched a smaller unripe batch as it continued to grow. First thing this morning, I bolted out the door camera in hand, knowing my last banana tree photo was imminent to be posted here today.

The bunch continued to flourish. And then, one day, the bulk of them were gone, riding away in Antonio’s car, leaving a smaller unripe bunch behind.

In a funny way, I feel a sense of loss, the same loss I’ve felt when the roses ceased to bloom in their regal manner as the many other flowers of spring and early summer no longer presented their exquisite buds stretching for the sun and occasional droplets of water. 

 
And then, a few more days passed and there were flowers again.
This morning I noticed that the stalk, the rachis, had dropped partially out of view behind a withering leaf.
The small bunch remains as it’s nourished from the remainder of the tree and its amazing elements. Not a horticulturist or biologist, I don’t understand it all. But, it’s easy to revel in how complex and interesting Life is all around us.

Life. In any form, it’s magical. How blessed we are to live on a planet rich in life forms from the most infinitesimal microbe in a petri dish, to the plankton in the sea for the sustenance for many oceanic life forms, to an animal in the wild, to the human on two legs walking the earth and to the banana tree in Madeira, Portugal where we have lived these past months, enjoying Life.

Photo from one year ago today, July 22, 2013:
No photos were posted on this date one year ago. Instead, we wrote about the problems we’re experiencing with biting flies and insects. With no screens on any of the windows, no AC in the heat of summer in Italy, we had no choice but to leave the windows open, inviting many flying and biting insects indoors. For details of the story from that date, please click here.

New photos from road trips…Annoying flight changes….Why?… A year ago…Sport cars driving up the hills…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments
We stopped along a beach to enjoy the views.

So far we’ve booked 12 round trip flights from Minneapolis to Hawaii for our family members while waiting for dates that work for eldest son Richard in Las Vegas/Henderson, Nevada. He’s a successful real estate agent experiencing the busiest time in his 20+ year career. Getting away is not so easy for him. We’re confident, he’ll figure it out soon.

Close up of flower in the above beach photo.

After booking the remaining 12 tickets, we sat back comfortably knowing that the booking aspect of our upcoming family vacation in December was almost complete. How foolish we were to make such assumptions when dealing with the airlines!

Most beaches are rocky in Madeira. Wooden planks are provided for sunbathers to avoid sitting on the rocks. On many beaches, these thatched umbrellas are also provided. 

Speaking of airlines, a week ago, we mentioned the possibility of going to Malaysia in between our two stays in Bali in 2016.  After the tragic downing of yet another Malaysian Airline plane, we’ve rethought our decision to visit Malaysia and will find another country in the South Pacific to visit for the 60 days we’ve yet to fill.

This morning, as I sat down at my computer to begin writing today’s post, I noticed an email from Expedia.com informing us that there have been changes from our flight from Boston to Vancouver on September 17th. Not huge changes, but changes nonetheless. In this case, there was nothing required of us.

There were many roads along the steep cliffs that were wet from water running down the mountains.

Over the past few there have been no less than four notifications of flight changes for son TJ and his family of four with changes on departure times, layovers, and arrival times. In their most recent notification, it required selecting new seats when the actual plane was changed. 

When the airline toll-free number was blocked to Skype, we were unable to speak to a rep to make the new seating arrangement. (This was the first time that we experienced the blocking of a toll-free number via Skype). At the airline website, it stated that one couldn’t change the seats online and would be required to call. 

From what we could determine, this small one-lane rock tunnel was very old.

We contacted TJ explaining that they’d have to book their seats for that leg of the flight, especially important when traveling with two grandsons, Jayden and Nik.

Also, in the past few months, we received another two flight changes for daughter-in-law Camille and granddaughter Madighan who are flying on different dates than son Greg, granddaughter Maisie, and grandson Miles. As in the past, we forward these notifications to our kids, reminding them of the importance of noting these changes.

A bridge over a ravine.

Fortunately, the airlines haven’t changed any departure and arrival dates, only the times. In most cases, the time changes aren’t substantial. What’s the deal? We have to book early to ensure we secure the flights and yet, they keep changing the times.

With many flights in our future travel plans, this is annoying. However, once we fly to Paris in 10 days, and then fly from Boston to Vancouver in September our only flights will be from island to island in Hawaii when we’ll be living on four different islands over a period of months.

A fast-running small creek in the ravine.

Travel days?  We don’t like them. It’s the only part of our travels that give us a sense of angst and uncertainty.  Will we be charged for overweight baggage? Will our flights change or be canceled at the last minute? Will our bags get lost or the contents stolen? Will we have problems with immigration? And most importantly, will we arrive safely?

As for long layovers, we’ve learned to accept this as a reality of our world travels. If the airport has WiFi and a recharging center, we’re at ease. More and more airports are providing these services, which we surprisingly found available in some airports in Africa. 

A natural rock formation.

We’re content to read books during layovers on our phones as we do each day. Our older smartphones don’t have the extended battery life as some of the newer phones. If no recharging stations are available we may be out of luck during a long layover. Why not read a hard copy book? Simple answer. We can’t carry any extra weight reading hard copies of books.

Corn grows wild in many areas of Madeira.

With the new rules in the US that all digital equipment be charged enough to turn on when going through security, this presents a whole new problem for travelers. When we depart on a flight, all of our equipment is fully charged. But, in the case of a layover, we may run out of juice. We’ll worry about this later, definitely keeping it in mind. 

A fountain in the center of a round-about.

Oh, enough whining about flying. I’m sure our regular readers have heard all of this many times in past posts.  I apologize for the redundancy. Please comment if you’ve had similar experiences. We love hearing from our readers.

Photo from one year ago today, July 21, 2013:

We stood outside of the 300-year-old stone house in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy while a parade of old sports cars drove past perhaps on their way to a car show. For more car photos, please click here for the link from that day.

A road trip turning into an unexpected adventure…A year ago…A neighborhood party…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
It was on the return drive that Tom prompted me to make a video of driving under the waterfall, a necessary feat in order to continue on the road. Excuse my verbal flubs on the video. We were having so much fun I could hardly speak coherently.
Once again on Thursday at noon, we decided on a road trip with the intent of getting out the way of Judite as she cleaned our house. There are plenty of places to drive on this island. If one so chose, they could drive the perimeter of the island to the east or west (right or left) on the highway or into the core of the island.
As we approached the waterfall we were astounded as we watched this van drive under it.

Since we’d already made a long drive to Sao Vincente a few weeks ago by driving through the core of the island to the opposite side and, we’d driven to the airport on a few occasions, our logical choice was to head west to an area we hadn’t seen.

The van stopped as we’d also done, to enjoy the downpour on the vehicle.  Fun!

There’s nowhere on this island, whether by following the shoreline or driving through villages, where one doesn’t drive on narrow winding roads with hairpin turns. The major highway around the island often veers into the villages for part of the way to create the challenge of finding one’s way back to the highway. On the map it looks as if it’s a clear shot. Driving it is another matter.

Of course, its hard to see running water in a photo, so please check out the above video for the full experience.

As we worked our way past the familiar Ribeira Brava, the closest larger village where we shop for groceries, we knew we were on new terrain, as unfamiliar scenery came into view. 

Our windshield as we drove under the waterfall. There was no other way to continue on the road than to drive directly under the flow of water.

We had no fear of getting lost when all we’d need to do is look for the ocean which seems to magically appear regardless of the direction we travel. After all, the island of Madeira is only 309 square miles, 801 km, 35 miles, 57 km long from east to west, 14 miles, 22 km from north to south.

We traveled through many tunnels, long and short, the longest on Thursday was the Ponta do Sol.  See this link for details. It’s the third on the list at 8858 feet, 2700 meters long.

Driving the 35 mile, 57 km length of the island is a day-long outing based on the winding hilly roads.

A quaint village along the shore.

On Thursday, our goal was not unlike other outings, not a competition to see if we could drive around the entire island but, instead an opportunity to seek out interesting scenery we’d yet to see. Madeira is a wealth of such scenery, never to disappoint, as was the case on Thursday as shown in our photos.

We’d stopped the car to check out where this set of step led to. As we got closer, we noticed that the steps were small, rocky, not level and “rounded” creating a possible “tripping hazard” making it not worth the risk of a fall.

We’d have stayed out longer than we did but, decided to return when droplets of rain fell on the windshield.  It was another cloudy day of which there have been many in the past 30 days. Gina recently explained that the sun usually shines most days in the summer. Other than clouds impeding the quality of our photos, the clouds didn’t bother us.

A restaurant overlooking the sea on a craggy cliff.

However, it makes no sense to be driving on these roads in the rain if we didn’t have to. We’d returned home by 4:00 pm, satisfied that we’d have another worthwhile outing as we whittle down our time on the lush island of Madeira.

Almost every home or hotel on the island takes advantage of the exquisite views of the ocean.

Of course, the highlight of our day was the waterfall that we drove under. We had no idea we’d encounter this although we’d heard about such a waterfall on the island. We experienced it both coming and going along our drive making is all the more fun the second time.

Many hotels and condo complexes lined the roads along the shoreline.

Today, we’re staying home for a relatively quiet Sunday except for the sound of the goats baaing, the roosters crowing, the birds singing, the church bells ringing and an occasional horn honking as drivers maneuver their way around a hairpin turn.

We stopped in the villages we past through on our drive, often finding tourists on the rocky beaches sitting on provided wood planks.

We’re cooking a Sunday dinner of low carb, gluten-free coconut chicken tenders, grilled veggies and a giant salad. With 11 days remaining until we’re on our way to Paris, we’re content and grateful as we enjoy every last moment on the beautiful island of Madeira, Portugal.

Photo from one year ago today, July 20, 2013:

Every Friday night, in the village of Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy, there was a gathering of locals at the Bar Ferrari, a bar that had been in the area for generations. For more photos and details of the local history, please click here.

Artwork on the island only steps away…Breathtaking…A year ago…An old fashioned locally shared washtub…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
It’s hard to believe this is needlepoint. This piece was hanging above the sofa, taking up a huge portion of the wall. Gina’s mama is obviously quite skilled, although no longer able to do this work. Gina explained she happily sell any of this work beautifully framed. If interested, contact her at this link. 

As we walked up the steep hill with Gina on Thursday, she was babbling on in her adorable attempt at speaking English, as she was excited to show us the house she and her husband Carlos own after he designed and built it a few years ago.

A smaller sidewall held this stunning piece.

She and Carlos were busy working all morning preparing the house for the next round of tourists. Carlos was involved in maintenance while Gina cleaned. They are quite a hard-working couple, obviously happy working together and in love. 

This piece was huge, filling a substantial wall space. See the photo below for more detail.

As we gingerly climbed the few steep slippery flights of steps (no railings) that were still wet from their cleaning the veranda and patio, we entered yet another beautiful house Carlos had built with the utmost of comfort and thoughtful design in mind. 

I zoomed in for more detail in the above photo.

Although my mind was spinning as I checked out the multiple levels, common in these homes built into the hills, my eyes were drawn to the exquisite artwork adorning almost every wall in the main living areas. 

We can only imagine the effort that went into the preparation for the design and colors.

Moving closer for a better look both Tom and I were entranced by the intricate detail and quality of the various pieces each perfectly framed and hung to highlight it’s finite integrity.

The detail in the art is breathtaking.

Gina’s eyes followed us as we moved from item to item finally saying, with pride, “My mama makes that!”

She went on to show us and explain that each of the works of art had been handmade by her mother with a few made by her mother’s sister. The quality of the work was astounding.

Typically, we see patterns such as this in needlepoint.

In the realm of things, the generous display was a plethora of fine needlepoint. For us, as it was displayed, it became fine works of art with intrinsic detail drawing our eyes to savor. Surprisingly, Tom was equally impressed. (Yes, he will love The Louvre in Paris!)

Here again, a more typical design yet created in exquisite detail.

As Carlos enthusiastically yet humbly awaited our response to his design and construction of the house which we genuinely provided, we were stuck with our focus on the art.

It’s ironic how the human mind has an innate ability to appreciate beauty in any form that appeals to their general likes and taste. It was as difficult to look away as it would have been to take our eyes off a kudu or a lion, or a pristine beach at sunset.

Most often, we see needlepoint on throw pillows as was the case on some of these pieces.

After moments of perusing, Tom looked at me saying, “I’ll go get the camera.”

I stopped for a moment considering the difficult steep walk back to our house, albeit short, and if I should go instead. 

But, he knew I was busy looking and didn’t want to step away for a moment.  Off he went to return only minutes later camera in hand, huffing, and puffing. I asked if he was OK. The smile on his face told me he was as his breathing returned to normal under my careful supervision, distracted by his state of being over the art for the moment. (Oh, it’s hell to get old!)

As we walked away, we spotted an array of late-blooming flowers in the flower boxes. 

For those of our readers that have watched any of our videos, I tend to get excited at certain times when taking videos and photos, that I end up sacrificing quality over-enthusiasm as evidenced in my voice-over or in the lack of steadiness of the camera.

Such was the case of Thursday. In taking the photos, never once did I hold the camera straight which resulted in the necessity of later cropping the artwork frames out of the photos to avoid displaying my lopsided camera angle. 

Orchids growing in the yard of Gina and Carlos’ property. They are also growing at our house. We’ll share close up photos soon.

Finally satisfied that we’d taken enough photos and had nodded repeatedly in appreciation of Carlos’s and Gina’s lovely vacation rental, we took off heading downhill to return home. 

Once back home, wanting to get out of Judite’s way as she cleaned our house, we took off on a road trip for the afternoon during which we encountered one of the most exciting natural wonders we’ve seen during our time on the island.

We’ll be back tomorrow to share those photos.  Please check back!

Photo from one year ago today, July 19, 2013:

This is an authentic washtub we stumbled across when walking in Boveglio, Italy last year on this day, still used by some of the locals.  For details of the story from that date, please click here.

More new photos today…New artistry photos tomorrow from a visit to a neighboring home…Cramming it all in!

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Beautiful steeples dot the scenery at the tops of hills in Madeira.  It was cloudy on the day of our boat trip.

Yesterday, when we were buying produce from the produce guy, Gina hollered down to us from the house above the wall, which she and her husband Carlos own among others. She had new guests coming to stay and was busy cleaning.

At the marina in Funchal as we waited to board the catamaran.

We’d yet to see that house which Carlos had designed and built. She invited us up to see it. We dropped off our veggies and headed over-anxious to see the gorgeous home. Once inside, we were enthralled by the unbelievable artwork on the walls that we’ll share in tomorrow’s post with photos. 

We never tire of the terraced farms and gardens on the hillsides in Madeira.

It’s funny how we continue to stumble on new story and photo ideas as we make our way through each day, doing a bit of this and that.

There’s a long bridge over a gorge in the background of this refinery.

When we returned home, Judite was busy cleaning the house so we decided to get out of her way, taking off on a several hour drive long along the shoreline. We were able to get a number of photos of unexpected scenery we’re excited to share on Sunday. Please check back over the weekend for two refreshing topics with photos.

A better view of the long bridge.

With only 13 days remaining in Madeira, we’re hoping to spend as much time as possible savoring in that which we loved so much about living in Campanario; walks up the steep hills, trips to the local market, spending time on the veranda simply relishing in the scenery, explorations to other villages, and a fine sense of appreciation for the often unique (to us) vegetation and flowers.

This restaurant may have formerly been a lighthouse based on its design.

When we look back over countries and homes in which we’ve lived I think we both would say we’ve loved Belize at Laru Beya only a few steps from the sea, two of the homes in which we lived in Marloth Park, South Africa with the wildlife roaming free and here in Madeira with an exquisite view of the sea. 

This house has been perfect for us. Click here for the link to Gina’s listing on Homeaway if you’re interested in a fabulous Madeira holiday/vacation sometime in the future. 

The low lying mist and clouds are ever-present in the hills of Madeira, even on otherwise sunny days.

Yesterday while on our drive, we discussed how Madeira is an ideal vacation or holiday location. The people are friendly, the scenery is beyond belief, there’s plenty of activities for those that prefer to constantly be on the go and, then there’s the weather, a temperate climate, never uncomfortably hot. 

Passengers were less interested in the scenery than possible marine life sightings.

If one is seeking a “baking in the sun” type of experience, such as can be derived from a trip to Mexico, Madeira may not be the best choice. At times, the cool temps may deter a visitor from sunbathing. 

Although the catamaran had only 54 passengers on board out of a possible 98, it still was crowded, making photo taking a challenge when everyone stood during the marine life sightings.

Another factor we’ve loved is how safe we’ve felt everywhere we go. We’ve yet to see any run-down areas or areas of high crimes. Of course, one can never be too careful, locking doors when leaving, keeping money and documents in secure places, and driving with the utmost of caution.

Oceanview vantage points are the location of many resorts and hotels.

As for the hills, they may not be for everyone or those prone to carsickness. Luckily, other than the first week of our arrival when I had a sinus infection, I’ve had no problem, even with Tom’s occasional jerky driving when he was first driving up the steep hills in the rental cars with manual transmissions.

Funchal, the capital of Madeira, is a busy harbor with many barges, fishing and pleasure boats.

The sounds, as well as the sights in Madeira, have been a source of great pleasure; the goats next door baaing all day; the musical food trucks driving through the hills; the church bells and clock towers ringing; the roosters crowing and often the sounds of chatter and laughter wafting through the hills. We’ve loved it all. 

This could have been a condo or apartment complex or a hotel, designed to maximize the ocean views.

With 13 days remaining, we’re cherishing each moment, trying to avoid projecting too far into the future, making an effort to remain present at the moment as the time quickly withers away. 

As we approached the airport to swap rental cars, we drove under the runway. Madeira’s runway at the Funchal Airport has won awards for its design but, is still considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world.

Today, we share the final photos from Tuesday’s outing and look forward to sharing more stories and photos.

It’s an experience in itself, driving under this sophisticated artfully designed runway structure.

Have a glorious weekend. Stop back when you can.

Photo from one year ago today, July 18, 2013:

The vegetable truck arrived once a week in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy as it does here every Thursday morning around 10 am with fresh organic produce. We can count on the arrival time here in Madeira but it Boveglio, it played no music, arriving at inconsistent times. Thus, in Italy, we made purchased infrequently. Here in Campanario, we’ve purchased produce every Thursday morning since we arrived. For details of the story from that date, please click here.

More marine life photos from Tuesday’s boat outing…A year ago…a video of a wild ride in Tuscany…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Ah!  Now we’re talking! Safari luck! A Tropical Whale commonly seen in these waters, photo by Claudio, really got all the passengers “oohing” and “aahing.”

Today, we’re sharing more of our photos from our catamaran marine life tour. We’ll continue to identify which photos were taken by our kindly onboard photographer, Claudio Martin, and which we took. Tomorrow, we’ll share the final batch.

Two weeks from today we’ll be on our way to Paris. I know. Visiting Paris is far removed from the more laid back lifestyle we prefer in serene locals with the ocean, wildlife, and nature surrounding us.

Claudio got this excellent shot of this 16-ton Tropical Whale while I struggled as shown below.

I remember the day Tom asked how I’d feel about visiting Normandy, France to see the historical sites from World War II, one of his favorite topics. We were living in Kenya at the time sitting in our outdoor living room, batting off the bugs.

Another view of the Tropical Whale by Claudio.

He explained that our ship, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, will be spending a day docked at the pier in Le Havre, France on September 1, 2014. 

A couple on the Cruise Critic website was looking for participants for a small tour group who had asked if we wanted to join them on a private tour of Normandy. Tom knows I’m not a World War II history enthusiast as he is and this could be a long day for me. 

Tom on the pier after the boat trip.

As soon as he mentioned it, I knew I’d say “yes.” How could I not? I could be the tag-along photographer, preoccupied with taking photos for an easy distraction.

Me, on the pier after the boat trip.

In order to give him a hard time, I paused before answering hoping to make him squirm a little, knowing how much this meant to him. Before I had a chance to answer, he blurted out, “How about this idea? We  spend one day in Normandy and then we’ll spend two weeks in Paris for you!”

Good thing I didn’t answer so quickly. I literally jumped out of my chair in excitement. “Really?” I retorted.

“Yes, really!” he replied.

Beautiful scenery we shot along the coast.

Immediately, we went to work planning on how we could end up in Paris from our previously arranged plans.  Luckily, we had a four week opening before our cruise from the UK on August 31, 2014. 

We decided after careful consideration and planning to spend two weeks in Paris and the next two weeks in London taking the Eurostar (tickets purchased already), formerly the Chunnel, under the English Channel from Paris to London.

My pilot whale photo.

I certainly lucked out on that deal. Having studied French for four years in high school learning about many of the points of interest, I’ve always longed to see Paris. Who hasn’t dreamed of romantic days and nights in Paris? Perhaps, not Tom Lyman. Paris, here we come.

My not-so-good shot of the Tropical Whale.

As much as Tom and I have in common our interests in the arts are diametrically opposed. Although we both love the theatre, having seen many productions together over the years. Art for him? Not so much.

Another one of my less than perfect tropical whale shots. It was hard to maneuver between the other passengers when this Whale appeared on the opposite side of where we were sitting.

However, history buff that he is, I have no doubt he’ll be fascinated in Paris. In any case, he’ll support my interest in every aspect of Paris and I have no doubt that we’ll both love it.

My spotted dolphin shot.

As for London, how could we not spend time in London when our ship sails from the port of Harwich, England (a two-hour drive from London for which we’ve already arranged transportation).

We shot this pirate ship as it cruised past us.  We’d seen this boat when we were here in April 2013.

Two weeks from today when our travel day is behind us, we can relax and begin to enjoy our time in Paris staying at the Eiffel Seine Hotel, rated 4.5 stars on Trip Advisor and Expedia, from which we’ll be able to see the Eiffel Tower and have easy access to many of the sights.  

These are pilot whales, as shown in Claudio’s photo.

Of course, we’ll spend each morning as we have since the beginning of our travels almost two years ago. We’ll write here, posting photos from the prior day’s exploration, sharing our experiences in detail that we hope all of our readers will find interesting.

Happy day to all.

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

Rather than post photos a year ago, we posted a video we’d found on Youtube of a motorcyclist driving the narrow winding road in our neighborhood in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. To see that video from that day, please click this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8qEI5ehTzg

For the story from that day, please click here.

Boating today…Hoping to see wildlife at sea!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Bananas are grown everywhere on the island, many farmed for resale while others for personal use.

This morning at 9 am, we’re taking off to go on a sightseeing tour out to sea on a giant catamaran through Madeira Seekers. We booked this tour a while ago with our only apprehension in finding the location of the pier where we’ll board the boat.

When I contacted the company asking for directions when none were available online, they sent this photo:

Usually, a photo doesn’t help find a location. But, in this case, we managed to figure out where we’re we’ll board the boat, a giant catamaran. It was this pier where the cruise ships are shown in this photo on which we met Gina on April 28, 2013, when our ship, the Norwegian Epic (big storm at sea), docked for the day. We recall how much we looked forward to finally staying here when Gina took us to see the house, at that time over a year later. Now, here we are, preparing to leave.  Here’s the link from the date when Gina met us at the pier.

The cost for the three-hour outing was US $40.87, EU $30 per person which we thought was reasonable. What to wear during this outing is challenging. Having lost our tan base when it’s been too cool outside for our former hour-a-day-tan session, we don’t want to get sunburned. Luckily, the boat has a canopy top. We didn’t bother to wear swimsuits when it has been so cool.

Some flowers are continuing to bloom through the summer season as is the case in this Alstroemeria.

We’re hoping to see wildlife, our primary motivation for this outing. With two cameras with us we’ll be set for any possible sightings. Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll be back with a few exciting photos.

Sunday, my worrywart husband, decided we should drive to the location of the pier and get our bearings. As far as I was concerned we could wing it. Once again, Tom was right as we did the “old people” thing, check it out in advance.

What are these red things growing on a tree in our yard?  We’ll keep an eye out to see how they mature.

Good thing we’d done the trial run or we may have missed the 10:30 am departure time. Parking near the marina is impossible requiring we park in a ramp in downtown Funchal and walk the 15 minutes to the pier.  Now, we can head out with peace of mind, feeling stress-free. 

As I’ve mentioned many times over these past few months, finding one’s way around Madeira is not for the faint of heart. Navigation doesn’t work and online maps are of little help when many streets aren’t clearly marked.

These berries are growing off of a palm type tree in our yard.

Off we go for our boat trip, after which we’ll head to the Funchal airport to swap out rental cars (and agencies) and then back home in time for leftovers, locally grown free-range whole roasted chicken, salad, and veggies.  He eats the white. I eat dark. A match made in heaven.

Photo from one year ago today, July 15, 2013:
No photos were posted on this date a year ago. For the story we posted that day, as to how we’re all “creatures of habit,” please click here.