Our Nomadic Experience
Living simply in order to travel the world full-time
We had pretty good luck with the weather today. Although our visibility on our 12 km hike was pretty foggy, we did get a good workout.
The most interesting thing we did was trespass, I mean explore, the abandoned Monte Palace Hotel. The luxury hotel was only open for 18 months before closing in 1990 due to bankruptcy. For twenty years there was a guard with a dog protected the property, but then they stopped paying the guard and the hotel was looted and vandalized over the years. It was interesting and kind of eerie to walk around the hotel.
We were fortunate to have incredibly clear skies for the afternoon. The nearby viewpoint offered spectacular views, but there were even better views from the abandoned hotel.
... See MoreSee Less
- Likes: 16
- Shares: 0
- Comments: 2
That hotel would make a perfect location for various post-apocalyptic type of shows
Philip wants to know if you’re going to Lajes on the Terceira Island? He liked it there
We have arrived in Ponta Delgata, the largest city on São Miguel, the largest island of the Azores. We have two weeks here and plan to visit five of the nine inhabited islands in the archipelago staying two to four nights on each island.
The Azores are known for sudden changes in weather. Wind and rain can pick up in a short period of time. We experienced a bit of that today. Rain was forecasted all day, but we had a pleasant evening surprise of clear skies.
We got to visit a few places today. The wind and rain came a few times, but we had a pleasant day.
... See MoreSee Less
Hiking was a major focus of our time in Madeira, but we did do other things while we here.
The flower festival is a huge annual event and we got to enjoy that as well.
I have also posted a few miscellaneous photos from our time here.
... See MoreSee Less
Very colorful!! Love it!
Our time in Madeira is winding down but we are managing to get some hiking in every day. A couple of days ago we did two short hikes from Ribeiro Frio: Balcões viewpoint and Levada Furado. Total of 12 km (7.5 miles) but only 600 meters (2200 feet) elevation gain.
Today we did a seaside hike at São Lourenço. Eight kms (5 miles) and 406 meters (1300 feet) elevation gain.
There are so many other hikes we would like to do. We definitely need to come back.
... See MoreSee Less
Wonderful pics!
I wish I had time to stop there when Im in Portugal this summer - next time! Looks amazing !🤩
Beautiful pictures
Beautiful!!
We hiked to the highest point in Madeira, Pico Ruivo, 1861 meters (6100 feet). The route was from Pico do Areeiro (third highest point).
We had spectacular weather! We had originally planned to go yesterday, but the weather forecast was cloudy and rainy, so we went today. The 12 km route (7.5 miles) was very crowded, but still very enjoyable. Our hike took 14 km since we had to park on the side of the road over 1 km from the start due to the complete filling of the parking lots before sunrise.
... See MoreSee Less
Beautiful, hopefully one day i can travel the world like you two, Jesus bless 🙏❤️
Great photos!!
Beautiful 😍
Today’s hike was fairly tame. Seven km (4.5 miles) with very little elevation gain. It was a levada hike. A levada is a ditch carrying water. In Madeira, there are over 3000 kms (1850 miles) of them. Pretty impressive when you consider that the whole island is only 740 sq kms (285 sq miles). The levadas of Madeira are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Due to the rugged nature of the island, storing and transporting water is a big issue. The construction of the levada system began in the 1400’s when the island was first occupied. At first, the main purpose was irrigation. However, over time, gathering water for hydroelectric power generation became quite important. The levadas are still used for this purpose today, but have also become popular places for hiking.
... See MoreSee Less
Terrific pics, Carey. And helpful and informative write-ups 👍 👌
Looks quite magical ❤️
Looks great!
Beautiful hike!
Beautiful!
Madeira is an archipelago autonomous region of Portugal. Known by many as “The Hawaii of Europe” it is known for its lush vegetation and volcanically formed landscape. We are spending a week here.
Daily hiking is definitely in our plans. We did a 12 km (7.5 mile) hike with 1000 meters (3200 feet) of elevation gain yesterday. The hike started in the Fanal Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and ended with views of the ocean and the city of Seixal.
... See MoreSee Less
I read about the laurel forests of Madeira a couple of years ago. I thought our Garry Oaks were similar in that were endemic to one, small region - like the laurel forests... but I was wrong. Going through their enchanted forest... Very romantic! 😍 have fun, kids 😀
Absolutely gorgeous!
Enjoy your time there. I will message you a place or town that it’s great to visit. The Merritts are appointed to be missionaries to Portugal. Love you all❤️🙏
Absolutely beautiful
Oh my! Love it all!! So amazing.
Great photos! They all appealed to me.
Very nice!!
Very cool indeed!!!
Incredible!
Only forty-eight hours left in Morocco. We are finishing up our seventy-six day visit in this country in the seaside resort city of Agadir. It is the capital of Amazigh culture. Amazigh people prefer this title rather than “Berber”. About half of the people here speak Tamazight, the main Amazigh language.
We are splurging on a 1000 square foot apartment for our last few days in Morocco. It is still a relative bargain at less than $70 USD per night.
We are talking it pretty easy here and mostly just walking around and enjoying the nearby beach.
... See MoreSee Less
I have enjoyed your posts. We plan to be in Agadir later this year but will be on the boat. Where are you headed next? We would love to see you if we find ourselves in the same area.
We are spending four nights in Essaouira, Morocco. This is a popular seaside destination. We spent the day walking around and exploring the area. It has a calm, peaceful vibe. ... See MoreSee Less
It is all so amazing! Great photos of course. Look what the Lord has done!
Love the door photos! 🙂
Last full day in Marrakech. We visited the Jardin Majorelle complex which includes the garden, Berber Arts Museum, and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Loads of tourists!
We walked back to the hotel through the medina and Jemma el-Fna, the well known large square filled with snake charmers, musicians, and shops.
One advantage of having a friend who travels nomadically like us is that we can give each other tips about the places we visit. Beverly suggested a short cut back to the hotel through the mosque grounds and park.
... See MoreSee Less
Beautiful photos!!! Except for the COBRA!! 😬