A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Laurissilva Forest includes a section on Madeira Island called the Fanal Forest. A variety of plant and animal species can be found in this subtropical forest, which is about 15,000 hectares in size. Some…
Today we decided to get a closer look at our home away from home. Located on a large slope facing the Atlantic and shaped like a natural amphitheatre, Funchal is Madeira’s largest tourist, commercial and cultural centre. Elevated to city…
We did not post a blog yesterday. We totally chilled and went from reading on the patio, to doing and hanging laundry in the sun to dry (haven’t seen a dryer yet) on the patio, to napping on the patio…
Today we set out to drive the coast road and take a dip in the natural pools of the Atlantic Ocean in Porto Muniz. Madeira is a relatively small island but the terrain leaves us in total awe. The mountains…
Beat the crowds by getting on the gondola when it first opens & no lines is always welcome. The lush vegetation of the garden of Monte Palace Madeira surrounds enormous ponds, filled with Koi fish, which provide a pleasant spectacle…
Hmmm… there’s seems to be something a little odd about that door. Actually, you know what, there’s something a bit different about the next one as well. In fact, as I walk along the street, it seems every door is…
Haven’t found the right words to describe this island. We’re fascinated with its history, its beauty and amazing housing. How did they squeeze all of these homes in, all the way to the top of Funchal, the capitol city. We…
Madeira (/məˈdɪərə/mə-DEER-ə or/məˈdɛərə/mə-DAIR-ə;[6][7][8]European Portuguese: [mɐˈðɐjɾɐ]), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Portuguese: Região Autónoma da Madeira), is an autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands, Spain, 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Morocco and 805…
The Flix bus took us away from the Algarve 😢 back to Lisboa for a quick sleep and morning departure. Sally to Italy and us to Madeira. It’s been amazing.
At the far southwestern tip of the Algarve is the town of Sagres. This is where the western Algarve is at its wildest. For lovers of traditional towns and winding streets, Sagres might not be for you. Compared to other towns and…
Perfect way to start the day is to jump on a Blue Fleet boat tour along the incredible coast line of the Algarve. We woke up to cloudy skies and the water was a little choppy. The kayakers were struggling…
Lagos is the perfect place to relax, chill and recharge. We took a little trip to Luz to meet some new friends and have a nice conversation about their move to Portugal 🇵🇹 My sister Sally’s here for a few…
Saturday morning farmers markets here are beyond amazing. The sights, colors, varieties, smells and freshness are incredible. If you stop at a stand and look at the watermelon because you can’t decide, the man pulls out a knife and slices…
Traffic jam at the marina while the tall masts go out to sea On the other side is coffee & a treat at Studio Coffee. Some great sardine wall art End the day with a walk into town when the…
Lagos is one of the Algarve’s top destination cities. Boasting a historic oldtown, modern marina, cultural attractions, with some incredible beaches and scenery it really combines much of what the Algarve is famous for. Today was a long bus ride…
We have arrived in our 10th Country and it feels sooooo good. The Flix bus was late picking us up and the couple in our reserved seats wouldn’t give them up and the honey badger was too hot to argue.…
Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugueseborder, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The population is 151,565. We took a morning walk before the temps rise to 40+ and our…
Long travel day. So, how about we start the day with a nice breakfast in our Cafe Casino with the best coffee. Hop a train from Salamanca to Madrid Chamartín train station. The station is under a massive renovation. Nowhere…
Originally we had a plan. We rebooked yesterday to get to Salamanca earlier. It meant an extra train ride. On the train from Bilbao we realized we were running late and if we stayed on Plan A we’d miss the…
We’re in Spain, our 9th country. Our ‘rest’ day in Toulouse yesterday I think was just a combination of the realization that we were on our way out of France, and that we really don’t have anything picked out between…
A train to Bayonne and a FLIX bus took us into Bilbao Spain. Last time I was here I flew in from Madrid and the turbulence was one of my worst flights EVER. Even the lil lady next to me…
Laundry, breakfast, and a short walk around the neighborhood. After over 2 months going non-stop, we decided we could use a bit of a down day. There are some Japanese gardens in a quaint section of a park around the…
We’re making our way to a very happy place, Portugal. We’ve discovered so many amazing places on JEllens Adventures. We’re on day 67 and just WOW!! Our plan is to be in Lagos at the end of July. So there…
Lyon has an architectural feature unique to this city: Traboules. Traboules, which means ‘to walk through’, are narrow passageways usually linked to the courtyard of a residential building, a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the city. The…
What a surprisingly cool city. You just never know until you start the adventure. Sticking with Jeff’s theme of ‘just winging it’, we hadn’t done any research into the history of the city because we didn’t have a route picked…
Our wonderful (not!) Google Maps was telling us the train station was only about 6 miles away, but that it would take about 40min! ??? So, for our 11:24 departure, we had an Uber pick us up at 9:00. Well,…
Yesterday we relied on our GPS to get us around the Grund which is the lowest part of the city of Luxembourg. You know when you follow the blue line & dot and then they move on you. Start again,…
Historical treasures, breathtaking views, a rich cultural and architectural life, large parks where you can enjoy life, this is a summary of Luxembourg City. Nothing better than starting the day with a farmers market. Fresh veggies, fruit, pastries, breads, cheese…
We met a group of adorable young men & boys are off to the mountains in Belgium for 2 weeks. These Boy Scouts get to sleep under the stars and forage for their own food. They mentioned fishing for trout…
We left our lovely cottage early this morning. If you ever go to the Loire Valley you must stay in Amboise. Bruno and Gislle were the perfect hosts. The manor has a bunch of rooms and there are 4 cottages.…
