Home at last

 We spent Tuesday,our last full day in the island, shopping for souvenirs- mostly cork products imported from the mainland. With the global market for cork in decline they have managed to use this versatile tree bark to make everything from place mats to hats, wallets and even footwear. 

For lunch we met with our friends at the town Firehall. A relatively unknown “hidden gem” it offered a three course meal including soup, main course, dessert, coffee and a half litre of red wine for the unbelievable price of 6.50 euros.

 We shared our final meal of the trip at Beira Mar, a well known seafood restaurant in the neighbouring town of San Mateo, where I finally had the opportunity to sample a plate of lapas . (limpets) 

 Served in a manner similar to oysters they proved to be a bit if a disappointment. Baked on their shells and drizzled in garlic and oil they offered a pleasant flavour burst on first taste but tended to be quite rubbery, like overcooked squid.

 Wednesday our shuttle to the airport took a dramatic turn as our bus was T-boned by a small car as it attempted to negotiate a tight turn on the narrow city streets. After surveying the damage, more scrape than dent, the driver swapped particulars with the somewhat distraught driver and we continued on our way.

Check in was straight forward but security was quite intense with both Susanna and myself being subjected to a lengthy swabbing procedure to detect for explosives- Perhaps it was the farts from our boiled eggs at breakfast! Who knows.

The flight home was a little bumpy but we actually landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Customs was a breeze as we had little to declare- quite a contrast to the “horror stories” on CBC about the “complete chaos at Pearson”

As the clock ticks towards midnight ( 4am Azores time) I can honestly say that this has been a fantastic vacation and a far cry from our usual All Inclusive’s in Mexico.

My email is already getting bombed with offers from Azores Getaways for future trips to Portugal and the Azores and it won’t be very hard to twist my arm. But we already have plans for Tuscany and Sicily in September so we will have to hold off until 2023.

I can hardly wait.