Ponta Delgada and Home Again!

It’s the last day of our three month trip to Andalucia and the Azores. The last day… we have seen and done a lot but are ready to head home.

We didn’t need to be at the airport until 2 p.m. so we drove to visit some of the places we had visited when we were in Sao Miguel five years ago. We had stayed with the kids in Lagoa, a suburb of Ponta Delgada and had some great memories of our time there.

Our favourite ice cream restaurant on the beach was called the Sunset Beach Restaurant. It has great views and reasonably priced food. You can chose to eat indoors or out. We had to stop there, for old times’s sake, and we had delicious and healthy smoothies while watching surfers in the big waves.

Our plan was to have lunch at a restaurant that our friend Donna, and her sister and friend, loved when they were in Ponta Delgada called A Tasha. We drove into town and easily found it. It was packed but it didn’t take long before we had seats. A Tasca is more than just a restaurant, it’s an experience. The restaurant is located in a traditional house with a rustic decor. The staff is super busy but very pleasant. The extensive menu had both seafood and authentic Azorean cuisine. There is something for everyone.

Since it was lunchtime, we opted for the tuna sandwiches - but the tuna definitely wasn’t canned! Delicious tuna steaks on Azorean bread. I had an open-faced bruschetta and tuna sandwich and Chris had a toasted sandwich. So good. No wonder Donna loved that place. Thanks Donna for the recommendation!

Then we were off to the airport to return our rental car and get our boarding passes. Easy peasy. Our plane, of course, was delayed by an hour but security was a breeze. We met two Ontario couples - one from Gravenhurst and the other from Amaranth. The Amaranth couple were visiting their daughter who is a math teacher on a Tall Ship! We always meet interesting people while travelling.

Finally, we boarded and we’re headed home. Not the smoothest flight but we were on our way home.

Sitting next tome was another interesting man. He was a biochemist and doctor who had done extensive research on cancer and dementias for 40 years in Toronto. His biggest study was to see the positive effects of green teas on preventing cancer. And he found that the green tea in the Azores was the best in the world. Of course the tea leaves need to be picked at the right time and it depends on the months and the age of the plant.

Green Brain Health Tea product benefits are posted on the Gorreana website:
- Promotes cognitive functions by delaying the aging process and consequently reducing brain degeneration, which increases with age.
- Has a relaxing effect, reducing anxiety and stress.
- Improves sleep quality by stimulating serotonin, which is important for the production of alpha waves in the brain.
- Improves vascular function and helps to minimize cardiovascular disease.

https://gorreana.pt/blog/en/article/green-tea-b…

Anyways, we learn a lot from new people that we meet! We ordered a couple of bags of this tea when we got home.

When we got ‘home’ starting at the Toronto Airport, it was chaos. It took us at least 2 hours to get through the lines and we didn’t have to pick up luggage. Luggage had been taken off the conveyor belt and just put anywhere. Trying to find your luggage would be a challenge! Thank heavens for carryons.

Red Car was dependable as always. We didn’t wait long but we’re the last ones to be let off as we live in Fergus. The Guelph people got off first. So, we got home at 12:30 a.m. our time, or 4:30 a.m. Azores time. Long day.

It’s Easter weekend. No food stores are open on Good Friday except for our local deli, Frabert’s. Thank you Jackie! Our next door neighbour, Sharon, kindly bought us a few staples and turned the heat and water on in our apartment. She noticed a small leak in the toilet. Chris called our plumber from Sao Miguel and when we got home, we had a new toilet. Whew.

We loved catching up with our kids. Nathan (7) went on an Easter egg hunt and found the golden egg. He was thrilled with his big Easter basket prize! On Saturday, we got organized for an Easter brunch and Sunday we all got together. Great to be home and just in time for two birthdays - mine and Matt’s. Lots to talk about and to celebrate!Read more