Yellow Backpack Adventures

  Lisbon Portugal. We started our day with matcha and breakfast at the cafe that is under our hostel called Hygge. The matcha came with cold foam and fresh flowers on top. We then walked toward the old town, stopping at thrift and vintage shops along the way. We decided on a whim to go into a random clothing store we seen in the distance in case they had some linen dresses. It had more linen clothes than I had ever seen in one place. We may have came out of that shop with bags full. We stopped at Copenhagen for margarita pizza and more matchas. We continued walking and shopping and looking at the old buildings. I love the style here. There are a lot covered in beautiful painted tiles. We saw where the tram crash happened a couple weeks ago. There are several tram lines left with the original yellow or sometimes red tram cars that run on tracks around the old part of the city. The inside is cute with stained wood trim. A couple weeks ago one derailed and smashed into the building. F...

  We had hoped to do more hiking today but it was pouring rain. We had breakfast at a cafe nearby, then headed for Funchal, the city to see the old town. This side of the island is usually sunny and does not get a lot of rain. We went through a museum with the history of the island. The island was discovered around 1420. By 1490 it was a major manufacturer of cane sugar. Most of the work of the roads, terraces, farming, etc was done by slave labor. It was a very well to do island with lots of mansions and very rich traders. They were known far and wide for their sugar, and it was known to be better than any other place. We went to some shops and talked via translate app with the sweetest Czech lady who had a pottery studio. I got the cutest mug from her. We had delicious seafood for lunch and also took the tram up and down the mountain over the city. We grabbed yummy coffees and met the sweetest couple from Denmark. They were so friendly and we chatted about our travels. They asked...

  We flew from Sevilla to Lisbon, then to the Island of Madeira. With the wind currents it is not uncommon for the pilots to have to attempt the landing more than once. It used to be infamous because the ocean is on one side and the island on the other with the runway being very short and ending in the ocean. It’s the 9th most dangerous airport in the world and the pilots undergo special training to land here. However the flight and landing went smoothly even though Lluvia was hoping something more exciting would happen. We got our car and drove to the far end of the island to the natural pools. Along the way we went through at least 20 tunnels. Also the roads here are soooo nice. Not a pothole to be found. The main roads are wide. The back roads and city roads are extremely narrow though with places only 1 care can fit through at a time. They have kept the pools as natural as possible with a sea wall to keep the waves from crashing in. The black volcanic rocks stand out of the wat...

  Sevilla, Spain. We arrived by train to Sevilla. We took a bus down to the historic part of town and found our Airbnb. We got our keys from a little lock box outside 2 heavy large wooden doors. A big key opens these doors, but it also is the back entrance to a shop so it stays open during the day. Up 2 flights of worn marble stairs with black wrought iron railings. We made our way across a roof top terrace to our studio apartment. It was perfect. And it has a washer which is fancy and we don’t have to wash laundry in the sink. We made our way down the winding cobblestone streets and found a place serving tapas. Pesto pasta and carbonara with grilled pork and fried potatoes was amazing. We bought tickets to go up the Setas de Sevilla to see the city lights at night. It is a large wooden art structure that covers over a block. There are pathways to walk on top and see the city below. It was dark and the city lights twinkled below. Everywhere you looked you could see several lighted ...