Finally getting around to adding older stuff. Here’s one from Christmas 2021.
What a beautiful island! I can only assume that all the islands Portugal has are as beautiful. Pretty overcast for most of our days, but that didn’t slow us down one bit. Temps ranged from 48 to 68 so you know I was in Heaven! We did have a few days where the blue sky popped out to greet us. Lush greenery is everywhere to be seen. Cows are in people’s front yards just hanging out (most are chained which I don’t love) which is kind of weird but hayyyyy, whatever. Cows here are said to be the happiest on Earth. Nothing I saw would make me think otherwise.
Covid… traveling during covid and the holidays always adds hurdles, it’s just a matter of how high you’re willing to jump to clear that hurdle. In our house, that hurdle could be 100m high and we’d find a way to jump over it to go exploring. Example: before we left we had to test to get into the Azores (technically get on the plane). I tested first and the results were negative (woot). Josh arrived as I was finishing my test. 30 min later I get a “we have a problem” text. He popped positive… however, they had just had a positive and it was suspected that maybe the machine wasn’t cleaned well enough. He was then tested twice more. Longest 20 minutes of his life! Buuuut we got that negative result we were looking for. Fast forward to landing in Ponta Delgada… our negative tests weren’t enough for their authorities because it didn’t say how we were tested (nasal or oral). So, we were tested again… thankfully those results were also negative, so, off we went on our adventure. Glad to get that stress out of the way and over with. Side note, I’m happy that this country cares that much about the safety of its citizens and those that visit. Happy, but what a pain in the ass to go through! The Azores are close to 98%+ vaccinated and had very few covid cases in comparison to other countries (I’m looking at you USA). Science is awesome.
We arrived super early on Christmas Eve, like 7am early. After the whole covid debacle, we got our taxi and went to the hotel with hopes they’d let us check in early or at least hold our bags for us. They were so nice! Not only did we get to check in, but after seeing the giant I married, they gave us a larger bed too! A shower and nap were an absolute necessity at this point. 2 hours later, we awoke and set out to see the downtown area. Being Christmas Eve, most places were closed or closed early. Dinner was going to be a challenge. However, many of the larger, nicer hotels had their restaurants open.
Cash money. Let me tell you what I’ve learned in my world travels about currency. Do not rely on countries accepting credit cards (although the entire world runs off of them ). Get local currency asap. I also learned that Chase bank will order currency, but it takes a week to get. Fail on my part for not getting that knocked out. No currency exchange was open when we arrived, nor on Christmas or the day after. This posed some issues with buying food from street vendors, taxis, tips, etc. Note to self, get currency before we leave the USA, then there is no doubt if you’ll have cash or not. Lesson learned.
A few free days to go and poke around and see some things, or try to at least. The island is small and you can be very efficient if you do a bit of research ahead of time.
Fuel… late on our first day we decided to rent a car for a few days (Opal Corsa) and off we went. Hot hatches (thanks 5th Gear) are super popular in Europe. Driving and seeing sights was amazing until we realized we need gas quickly. On Christmas, it’s a bit of a challenge since only small stations are open with no attendant, and they don’t take cash or visa, only an app that you have to have a specific card to use. That card takes 48 hours to process and then they mail you the card. Womp womp, fail on our part. Start the flashbacks of Iceland (whiteout and pulled into a gas station on fumes). We did eventually get fuel and we are pretty convinced we would have been fine to get back. The Corsa gets something like 974 miles per gallon.
Sete Cidades tour – 1/2 day. A tad bit of confusion to start as another couple and we got in the wrong vehicles for the tours, then we learned we were in the wrong vehicle. Whoops. The nice thing though is we had a bright Orange Land Rover Defender, an awesome guide, AND a private tour. Bonus! 68 degrees and sunny. The sky opened and was so blue for us. What a perfect day of weather for outdoor fun. Our guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. We went off-road and got to see views that many others don’t get to, so that was amazing. Obviously, this was a favorite for both of us. Anytime we get to do something that others don’t, makes it even more appealing. While we were out on the caldera rim, there was a dog that seemed to have been dumped. Our guide jumped out and tried to see if we could get him in the Land River with us. Obviously, this made me like our guide even more. He’s an animal advocate here on the island. When we stopped in town at a café, he made some calls to help the dog out. Along the road up, we got to see an aqua duct from 15th century. That was pretty dang neat. I’ve grown rather fond of small or private tours in foreign countries since they offer so much more knowledge than I could ever read about. The views were breathtaking and something I’ll remember for the remainder of my life.
Full day Furnas tour. Another day, another private tour! Our guide was again very knowledgeable and super nice. We got to see some extra things since Josh and I are very efficient at sightseeing. “If you can be one thing in life you should be efficient.” We started at a tea plantation that still uses the original machinery from the 1890s. From there we hit some viewpoints and off to the town of Furnace. We tasted many different waters that were filled with iron and many other minerals. Not my particular jam, as it made my tongue tingle. The last water we tried was nicknamed “butt crack water.” Sad to admit that I rather enjoyed the butt crack water. Then we tried many flavored liqueurs. So delicious, sweet, and different! From there we went and watched our lunch be pulled from the Earth where it had been cooking since 5 am. Cozido das Furnace is the most authentic meal one can have while in Furnace because it is cooked by the steam of the Earth. After the delicious meal, we went to Terra Nostra botanical garden and hot baths. This place was beautiful with a huge variety of flora and trees. After 3 full days of walking, our legs were sore! The hot baths could not have come at a better time. We soaked in the high iron pool (which looked like clay water) and then went to a smaller, clearer jacuzzi with different minerals. So nice and relaxing. We soaked for about an hour then packed up and headed back. Both of us fell asleep on the ride back. That’s the bonus of having a guide drive. Then dinner by the sea with some delicious freshly caught fish and a nightcap of a few cocktails before we retired to our room.
Rental car #2… Fiat Panda James May would be so proud of us for renting a “practical” car
. No ac, but we just rolled the windows down and let the sea breeze in. Funny enough, no power locks (can you say we’re spoiled?) only the driver’s side has a keyhole to lock/unlock. The thing was amazing at parallel parking. I mean, it’s basically a large roller skate so it should fit anywhere. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t parallel park. However, I feel confident even with my lack of skill, I would have easily been able to park the endangered Panda
Churches. Wow, so many and each we visited was so very different inside, however, most look the same on the outside (primarily white with dark wood accents and trim). The island is extremely religious (Catholic mostly, but there are many immigrants so there are other religions as well). The extreme detail that goes into the altar and pulpits is crazy! Nevertheless, we enjoyed popping in and out of them throughout the island. We even went in and enjoyed a short part of Christmas mass. Our parents would be so proud.
Food. We often get distracted by sights to see and forget to eat. I can always eat later; I can’t always see the sights in a foreign land. When we do eat, we always try and find local foods to enjoy. We also look for local recommendations. This trip was no different. The Azores are known for fish and beef. We tried many different fish and the only one that disappointed us was the sushi we tried the day after Christmas. Silly since we’re on an island, but most of the tuna that’s caught off the island gets shipped to Japan. The sushi we were served was grey and smelled like feet. We debated for a while, but our adventurous soul told us to try it. Wrong move. We ate just a few pieces, paid, and got the fuck out of there. Bad, it was just so bad. All other food was pretty scrumptious. Our last dinner was at a restaurant where the chef is the waiter, host, busser, bartender, etc. Josh had lamb and I had a filet. Holy shizzz sooooooo good! The owner (the one-man band) came by every single table (10 in total) and cheers’d every person that came out to eat. When he got to us, we had already finished our wine. That didn’t stop him, as he promptly went and opened another bottle, poured each of us and almost full glass and then clinked glasses and chugged. The guy was amazing. Hands down the most memorable dinner I’ve ever had.
Smoking. Much like most of the other countries we’ve visited in Europe, everyone smokes. I’ve never seen so many cigarette machines in bars! Well at least since like 1988 or something. Most cafes are filled with men in the doorway smoking. The women stay home and watch the kids and the men go drinking.
Wind. Holy shit was it windy there! There were a few times I thought I may take flight. Even when we landed, we kind of came in sideways and then skidded to a stop. Depending on the day and where you are on the island, it isn’t uncommon to have 75mph winds. Considering we are used to winds in Oklahoma this was insane! So anyone who knows me, understands the “Jenn active hair” was in full effect for most days. Water or hairspray didn’t stand a chance! I wore a headband but that only helped a little. I debated trying Gorilla Glue but decided to just roll with it. So… You’re welcome
For being an island (surrounded by ocean) there was ZERO ocean odor that you often encounter. The men here love to stare at ladies, or maybe it was just me. They stare at men too but much less than the ladies. When I say stare, I mean blatantly and very obviously staring. A few times I was tempted to tell them to take a picture or very obviously and uncomfortably stare back at them. Very annoying but maybe it’s a cultural thing
Overall impression of the Azores (mind you we’ve only been to one of the 9 islands in the archipelago) … it is clean, the people are super nice, and it’s relatively inexpensive (depending on area closer to the main city is always more expensive). The islands were named the “safest place to visit in 2020.” The island of Sao Miguel is 35 times smaller than the city of Houston. (Sao Miguel is 744.6 km2 and Houston metro area is 26,021 km2). We combed every single inch of the island, yet never felt rushed or pressured. It is EXACTLY what we were looking for, craving, and needing after this year. 6 flights to get there and home, and not one of them was delayed. Hallelujah!
Obrigada Azores! You did not disappoint! If you have thought about visiting, do not hesitate. It’s worth the trip 100%. Do yourself a favor and book the fucking trip! Stop buying things and get out and make lifelong memories filled with new experiences! I’d rather have a full heart and soul than a home full of stuff.
Now we have a NYE party to prep for and host. We’re fucking champions like that! We only know one way to live, and that’s all out – soaking it all in. Cheers to 2022!