Been trying to check in with Sata Airlines on line for the last hour and a half. Have tried booking numbers, ticket numbers, and now belong to their travel club, (of which it is doubtful I will ever use but you never know, and worth the try).

I have a suitcase 🧳 filled with wine for the year and the check in desk closes 2 hours pre- flight with my pick up 1 1/2 hours pre- flight. Believe me I’ve read all the fine print and twice.

✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️

Meanwhile the winds are blustering outside my hotel window at now 224 am. The Sata employee on the phone assured me I could check in at the desk then was disconnected.

So will eat my pride and go with a smile 🤞hoping for the best.

🍀🍀🍀🍀🐞🍀🍀🐞🍀🍀🍀🐞🍀🍀

Maybe it’s time to end my travels and get a dog.

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Visiting 3 museums in the area for 2.5 euros, senior rate. Let’s visit together.

This Museum was a former cloistered monastery for the Sisters of St Clare who were associated with Saint Francis of Assisi.

The Chapel where prayer was conducted by the sisters at 6, 9, 12, 3, and 9.

Mass was conducted at the main altar, however, the sisters attended from behind the grillwork. Sisters were always apart from the community but received holy communion through an opening in the grillwork.

When the sisters had visits they visited behind a double grillwork. Touching was allowed by a slight of hand through the grillwork.

The people were allowed in by a sister with a key 🔑 to the door. She held the key for 3 years. The museum staff were unaware of the number of sisters that were cloistered here or the exact dates of the cloister.

Other Artifacts at the Museum

A typical Azores kitchen in the 1800s.

And of course a fish.. 🐟 There were many nautical items on display here.

Next was the Saint Barbara Museum round the corner. While there were many artifacts all descriptions were written in Portuguese.

This was a combination church and museum. Again most descriptions in Portuguese so will give only pictures.

And the church altar was all hand carved and gold filled. It was a hundred year undertaking and the gilding was never completed as the Portuguese King forced the government jesuits from the Azores. The docent was unsure what the spat was between the Jesuits and the King.

This concludes my trip to the Azores. While a beautiful place have mixed feelings about it.

Perhaps I learned why when the tour guide stated the Azorians don’t like the influx of tourists. Never had a tour guide state that and if you do visit you may find as I did that residents are either happy to see you or aloof and stand offish.

Today am supposed to finally get to a thermal spa. This was the island’s attraction and all other thermal spas were under construction or broken. On the other 2 tours they listed them as functional but lied. And while the pineapple place had something it wasn’t a thermal spa. So, will see what this day brings.

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Am I a pretentious American or what?🇺🇸

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Contacted so many tour companies to get excursions for this trip. Many advertised they were open for business and were not. Then others would only take 2 reservations rather than one person. Finally many would not pickup at the hotel.

Expedia you failed.

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Today’s tour I contacted but they denied I did then responded I was confused. Not something a 68 year old needs to hear. I told them thanks for the insult as they insisted I never contacted them.

What happened to the customer is always right?

And could they not have softened their words?

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

So left the hotel an hour before pickup walking through the rain and asking several folks where this dam pick up place is. Finally found a 👮 policeman who spoke enough English to help.

Wish they had better maps here and on line is confusing, (guess we are similar).

👙👙👙

So here I sit in the hotel lobby in my bathing suit top hoping to dry out my clothes before the hour long journey in a van with a driver who thinks I’m confused.

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I understand this is why Gate 1 stressed these cheapie trips are independent and there is no one to help you.

XxxX

Caveat: Left the tour and will enjoy my last day reading, writing ✍️, and visiting the area museums with a full refund!!! So grateful..

After the 15 mile drive back to the City from the whale 🐳 watch tour visited the local gardens and cemetery.

But before I leave the whale 🐳 watch tour want to give a shout out to their staff. They were so helpful and friendly. They have the ultimate in customer service skills. And while I didn’t see a whale learned much of these creatures and enjoyed an amazing tour!

🎩 Hats off to you folks..,

The Gardens

The first public garden was free. It was restful and delightful to see as after my sleepless night of Carnavale tourists needed a respite.

🎉🥳🎈🎊🍾👯🎉🥳🎈🎊🍾👯

I ate my egg salad sandwich which was created from eggs boiled underground in the geyser area. It was the most delicious egg salad sandwich 🥪 I will ever eat. Something about the geothermal activity cooking food. 🍱 WOW and YUM!!!

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Following are some garden shots.

From here got lost in my journey to the next garden but came upon an interesting cemetery.

As I continued down the street post cemetery tour found the other garden. This had a 5 euros entry and a waste of time and fee as it was in much disrepair. Hopefully they will begin to use the entry fee for upgrades soon.

So, in the walk returning to the hotel took a circuitous route as this was Carnavale Tuesday or in America Mardi Gras. On this day folks like to hit others with water balloons 🎈 as a gag.

Since I was not in the mood for this due to lack of 💤 found my way back using the alternate route and remained dry.

Stopped at a grocery store and bought enough vino to replenish by 7 bottle wine rack for the year for a measly $23. They have $1.99 varieties and look forward to my year in wine!

See you tomorrow for the final tour.

But, as an aside..

Received a life saving email from my daughter today who is picking me up from the airport and driving me 🏠.

Thank you universe.🌎🌍🌏

While the tooth 🦷 continues to speak to me it is calmer since my DDS visit and prescription.

Till tomorrow and as I write at 1230 am the revelers have quieted.

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What a pristine day for this trip. Hotel pickup was perfect with a pleasant driver and scenery sublime. Arrived at the marina and was equally impressed.

Then 20 or more mounted in for a wild ride on the seas.

While no whales 🐳 were seen a wide array of dolphins visited the boat swimming quickly by and sadly too quick to catch a picture.

The real reason for the trip….

Seen above in an Expedia ad aerial photo was why I went on this excursion. I desperately wanted to see this isle up close and personal, and I did!!! Created by a unique volcanic eruption. 🌋 it defies nature.

Enjoy the views..

Pretty Amazing, eh??

As I write it is 3 AM and drunken residents or perhaps tourists are singing 🎵 outside my hotel window. It is Carnival week, and tomorrow a parade is scheduled.

But enough of the drunken sailors. Here’s a recap of the earlier day.

Began early with touring the other side of the city. Captured this beautiful shot of sunrise on the port then my journey brought me to another gorgeous church. I believe it is the church of Saint Cristo. That is what one of the attendees told me in broken English.

More golden statutes of my mom, Mary❤️

In front of the square where this church lies is a statue of Azores people leaving for America.

They have some fascinating trees in this city. Believe this one is called the Christmas tree as it has weeping strands from its limbs.

And this one from our garden tour is 150 years old and has steel beams holding up the limbs. The Azores are very into their gardens and protective of the environment.

Now onto the tour.

This tour was very similar to the one the day before, however, had a few different spots to visit.

When the orange 🍊 groves failed in the 1800s the government invested in tea. This tea company is a fifth generation tea company, and the owner was on site!

40 tons of tea are made anually and this supplies much of Europe. It takes nine years to develop a tea bush and while originally the tea leaves were plucked by hand, this is now done by machine. Following are pictures of those machines with all from the 1800s!

From here we visited the geysers, (which I showcased in yesterday’s blog), then on to another restaurant with food cooked under the geysers.

A different motif with the same delicious entree..

And after this time for a botanical garden tour.

While the thermal baths were under renovations at the garden enjoyed the floral delicacies.

My Gate 1 tour $800 with $200 single supplement.

And the Camillas their unique colors.

Another variety

Will end on this as from here met an Azores DDS as having a tooth ache. 🤞I make it home and meanwhile will think of the flowers.

Once more a Camilla..

This island rose from the sea through volcanic activity.

And the volcanic activity continues..

They have a mini Yellowstone here.

The food was the most delicious beef, rice and vegetables 🥕 I have ever eaten.

Some closing pics of views along the way.

End with the lighthouse..

I lied- one more for good measure..

Enjoy!

It is Carnavale time in Ponte. Tuesday, I’m told, is the main day when water is squirted from harbor. Such fun.. On my tour this afternoon saw much prep for the festivities.

Other areas around the festival area..

Next on the itinerary of this busy day was the pineapple 🍍 tour. Pineapples are grown in greenhouses taking 2 years to maturity. Tour interesting then soaked in a thermal tub among the growing pineapples.

They have dinner here as well.

See you tomorrow..

Arrived at my final destination which is the island to the immediate right of the potholder. It is the largest island of the group. The airport where we first landed is the island Northwest of my current destination.

Did some exploring of Ponte Del Gado as soon as I arrived. It definitely is a seaport.

Next..

The Market – it was located inside a parking garage. How wise to place it there.

The Azores is principally an agricultural economy. They provide 30% of the milk products for Portugal. As you drive through the country side dairy cows are found on every inch of the isle. The government is now encouraging and giving subsidies for beef cows as well.

St Peter’s church

The driver from the airport raved of the ice cream so stopped on the waterfront for some.

Here’s how they make it..

To be continued, jet ✈️ lag is sinking in..

Arrived here after a 5 hour flight from JFK. What a beautiful flight and the pilot definitely landed on instruments as we passed through clouds similar to cotton candy.



As I flew dreamt through NYC memories of a great haircut in Chinatown, a quick visit with my daughter in Brooklyn, and a much needed watch repair in the Port Authority.

Only in New York!

And the topper of the visit was an hour long piano concert by a graduating Masters student in Juilliard and did I say FREE!

Soon will be replaning, (if that is such a word), for final destination Ponta Delgada.