May 3, 2013 - @#$%^&**(

The Azores are in the middle of nowhere, on the same latitude as Washington, DC and 800 miles west of Lisbon. There are nine islands altogether; the tops of volcanoes which still exhibit plenty of geothermal activity. In the Days of Exploration, when brave and foolhardy sailors from Portugal, Spain, Holland and England were sailing to the edge of the world, the Azores came in mighty handy as spots to take on fresh food and water before making the final push to wherever it was they thought they were going. In both world wars the islands...

Apr 13, 2012 - Queluz, Sintra and Cascais

April 13 - 3 sights near Lisbon On our 2nd day in the port of Lisbon our morning shore excursion took us outside the city once again. We rode about an hour to visit the 15th century palace of Queluz [quay-loos]. It is said to be a miniature copy of Versailles with many ornate rooms and lovely gardens. Our tour guide led us through it for 1 hour leaving us only 15 min. to scramble around the impressive grounds. (This palace was built in 1747 for Queen Mary; it was full of beautiful antiques and rich imported furnishings.) Twenty minutes...

Apr 10, 2012 - Ponte Delgada in the Azores

April 10 – Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel Island in the Azores Ponta Delgade is the capital city (since 1546) of St. Michael island, the largest & most densely populated of the 9 Azore islands. It is 740 miles from Portugal's mainland. The city (pop. of 125,000) is quite cosmopolitan with lots of stores and hotels. As in Horta, the sidewalks of mosaics are striking, the streets narrow and winding, and there are lots of plazas and old churches. The traffic seemed to unnervingly whiz by us as we walked the narrow sidewalks for about 3 hours....

Apr 9, 2012 - Horta in the Azores

April 9 - Horta on Faial Island in the Azores of Portugal The Azores consist of 9 islands spread over 400 miles of the Atlantic Ocean; about 800 miles from the mainland of Portugal. Horta, the Flemish port city on Faial was once an American whaling station. Its nickname is the “Blue Island” because blue hydrangeas bloom everywhere during June. The town is charming and quiet; having a big cruise ship in town didn't seem to interrupt its pace. There were no vendors hounding us as we disembarked, no taxi drivers clamoring for our business....

Apr 8, 2012 - While at sea

April 8 - While at sea Ivan's cold has finally started to go away. He's been staying in the cabin (sometimes on the veranda) more and taking a few naps but still editing photos! We signed up for an Internet package this cruise for 1,115 min. (for $250). We hope it will 'last' us until we get off in Venice. The speed is still slow and when the ship encounters 9-12 ft. swells (they started on April. 3) we are unable to get on. Guess the satellite can't stay connected with us tossing about. It hasn't been bad for us but some folks were ill....

Mar 30, 2012 - Costa Maya, Mexico

Ship time was one hour ahead of Mexican time so the port was not ready to receive our ship, putting us ½ hour late starting our 6 ½ hr. tour to visit a Mayan ruin. However, our truly excellent and articulate guide, Diana, made up for it. She was an amazingly charming gal who really knew her history! We knew ahead of time it would be a 2 ¼ hr. ride to Kohunlich but we wanted to see the Hall of Masks as well as the rest of the large Mayan complex in a secluded jungle setting close to the border with Belize. It like many other Mayan sites (at...

May 14, 2011 - Ponta Delgada, Azores

Sao Miguel is the largest island of the mid-Atlantic Azores. Its capital, Ponta Delgada, has a population of approximately 21,000 and houses the government offices of the Azores and the university. Extremely prosperous in both the 18th and 19th centuries, the capital saw the building of many churches and estates. Today Sao Miguel is known for its agricultural products: tobacco, tea, chicory and pineapples. Pineapples from Sao Miguel are a prized commodity, exported throughout Europe, and have been known to grace the grand buffets of...

Apr 2, 2010 - Across the Atlantic

Thursday, April 22, 2011 Cruising Atlantic Woke up at 5, could not go back to sleep. Realized I have not read a book yet, I’ve been too busy! Attended the belly flop contest…let me just say…amazing! Ran into Andrew, he watched slack jawed right along with me. Enough said. Took myself to the pool/spa, jogging track, hip hop dance class, lunch and I played some poker but, was not getting any good cards so left after one round. I met up with Paige and Andrew at the schooner bar where we played some trivia, we lost. Dinner was with new comers...

Apr 2, 2010 - Atlantic Ocean

Friday, April 23, 2011 Cruising Atlantic After a morning walk on the track in the windy blow this big ole girl around weather I headed to breakfast. A very different crowd this morning at the breakfast table, very artsy. A couple from Santa Fe & Austin who were having a working holiday, composing songs. One man who lives full time in his 5th wheel who is home based in Austin. Two other couples from Austin and a couple from Houston. The wife from Houston complained about everything from the crease in the table cloth to how heavy her fork...

Oct 18, 2009 - Ponta Delgada, Azores

We arrived in Ponta Delgada about 9 am. Of all the places we've been so far, this is definitely one we would come back to. The average year round temperature is 63 degrees. It is so green but like an English countryside rather than a tropical paradise. There are nine islands in the Azores, about 800 miles west of Lisbon. They belong to Portugal. We visited Sao Miguel. They are all volcanic. Pineapples are grown here but in greenhouses. The main industry is dairy farming. Shore Excursion - Crater Lakes, Village of Sete Cidades and Wine...

Mar 31, 2009 - Azores Express

Although I wont make it to Gibraltar, I managed to squeeze in one more destination on this trip. The last minute flight I booked home is on Azores Express. It's a low cost airline that caters to the Portuguese islanders in Massachusetts. The flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada was absolutely packed. I managed to get a window seat so I could see a little of the island as we landed. Everyone had to disembark for about an hour while the plane was serviced. While I was waiting I spoke to the kennel and found out Tara had gone back to the animal...

Dec 9, 2007 - From Rick's to Here to there . . .the final push

Hello friends and fellow-travelers, This is it. All that remains is a few days, 19 hours of flying, and an overnight in Dublin. Oh, and adding photos to the last three segments. I hope you've enjoyed the trip. Before I finish, I have a request. I havenºt heard from many of you and would like some feedback. I know from data that the website gathers that youºre reading the postings but I'd appreciate some more information. Please let me know what you like, what you donºt like, and please let me know if you want to be removed from the list....