After 5 days at sea we are finally on terra firma. But I have to say that for our first transatlantic crossing this has been a very smooth and enjoyable trip. The seas have only gotten up to the moderate stage which is 4-7.5 feet. Most of the time it’s been in the slight category which is 1.5-4 foot swells. It’s like sailing on a lake. But today we have reached the Azores, pronounced a-ZORS (short a, accent on second syllable).
We are on one of nine islands in the chain, San Miguel, in the town of Ponta Delgada and about 800 miles from Lisbon. The Azores belong to Portugal and was discovered in the 12th century by Arabian geographers. It wasn’t until 1432 when Gonzalo Velho Cabral claimed them for Portugal. The main crop is pineapple and I am told that it has a very different taste than the Hawaiian variety. And to this day they provide air and naval stations to the NATO alliance.
We walked the town instead of taking a tour and enjoyed a great time with our friends
(from our group of 9) sitting in the town center and having a local cerveza. Almost all of the streets are cobblestone and arranged in designs that treat the eye. Unfortunately it does make it a little slick walking. Streets are narrow and one way only and you don’t see large cars as in the US.
Tonight we set sail again for two days until we land in Ireland. We are told that the seas may be a little rough tonight, but will get better as we sail north.
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