Madeira is a volcanic island located about 1000 km from Portugal. Portuguese sailors discovered the archipelago in 1419 and settled there shortly afterwards. It is often referred to as the “Hawaii of Europe” because of its mountainous landscapes, volcanic features, crystal blue water, dramatic coastlines and lush green hills. Flying to Madeira is quite affordable…Continue reading Portugal – Madeira
Category: Europe
Portugal – The Algarve
The Algarve is Portugal’s most southerly region stretching across 100 miles of coastline. It is famous for sandy beaches framed by jagged cliffs, rugged rock formations, sumptuous seafood and picturesque villages. Our 8 day visit was during the off-season and we really enjoyed the lack of crowds and temperate winter weather. From Lisbon, we took…Continue reading Portugal – The Algarve
Norway – Tromsø & Oslo
We were originally scheduled to snorkel with orcas in the Norwegian fjords back in November 2020 but Covid restrictions made that all but impossible. Fast forward a year later and US citizens were still not allowed into Norway. Luckily, everything came together in November 2022 and we finally got to swim with these magnificent apex…Continue reading Norway – Tromsø & Oslo
Bulgaria – Enina, Veliko Tarnovo, Koprivshtitsa, Belogradchik & Sofia
As we were leaving Varna, we stopped by to visit the Monument of Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship which was built on Crane Hill in the northernmost part of Varna. At a height of 23 meters and a width of more than double that, it dominated the skyline. From Varna, we drove to the Wonderful Rocks (Chudnite Skali),…Continue reading Bulgaria – Enina, Veliko Tarnovo, Koprivshtitsa, Belogradchik & Sofia
Bulgaria – Rila, Bansko, Melnik, Plovdiv, Nesebar & Varna
Bulgaria was the last country of our European adventure and luckily, we had reserved a rental car way in advance of the peak tourism season. Our car was waiting for us as soon as we landed, and all the paperwork was on hand so a quick signature and we were off. After grabbing a local…Continue reading Bulgaria – Rila, Bansko, Melnik, Plovdiv, Nesebar & Varna