Setting The Stage

Before we left for Southeast Asia last year, my employer granted me a six month leave of absence, on the understanding I would go back to my job upon my return to Ottawa. The Government of Canada was less understanding and Brenda was obliged to retire from the public service last Fall.

After spending six fabulous months in Thailand, Brenda and I felt we'd had just about enough of the daily grind and I decided I would join her in retirement in the Fall of 2015.

We'd begun planning our next winter getaway before we left Thailand and chose to spend six months cycling on our folding bikes through Portugal and Spain with only the clothing we can fit into our 40 liter backpacks. As we thought the bulk of our time would be in Spain, we began learning Spanish in earnest.

Since the formation of the European Union, the majority of the countries in Europe form the 'Schengen Zone'. As a tourist, you cannot spend more than 90 days within the zone in any 180 day period, unless you have a Schengen Visa, which would grant you up to a year.

In mid-August Brenda and I went to the Spanish embassy in Ottawa armed with our visa applications and all the documentation required to obtain a Schengen Visa. All was good until the clerk told us it takes three to four months to process the Schengen application at a cost of $750 per person. Since our plane for Porto leaves on September 26, we were suddenly forced to explore our options.

We could go into the UK or Switzerland for three months, but that would be too darn cold. Gibraltor is out of our budget range. Morocco would work. It's a short ferry ride from the South of Spain and the weather is great, not to mention all the wonderful fresh fruits and dates we can get there.

Of course, we'd have to re-think what we're carrying in our backpacks as Brenda will have to respect Muslim dress codes and we probably won't need as much warm clothing.

Then Brenda began looking for cruises to Turkey or Cyprus as an alternative. That's when she came across a re-positioning cruise that sails from Malaga to the Canary Islands over 3 days and then leaves the Canary Islands on November 18th for an 8 day cruise to Salvador, Brazil, all for only $299.00 per person plus taxes! In March we get back onto the same ship for 13 days and get dropped off in Barcelona for about the same price. What more can you ask for? Perhaps another item crossed off the bucket list? Like Carnival in Rio, maybe?

So, another re-think of our backpack contents, a scramble to learn as much Portuguese as possible and we're good to go. Our Brazilian visa applications are being processed and there were no surprises at their embassy.

Now we're just counting down the days.Read more