jpalbny

I'll eventually post some pix in the Cooler. Less than 35 weeks to go! And no need to panic. We have nothing booked past July 2025.

We had a great time. Didn't hike as much as we wanted because Chris scraped up her leg on the second day, but next time! Definitely like Hawaii, but a much less crowded and more rustic feel. The volcanic landscapes are beautiful, and the greenery! And the cheap but delicious Portuguese cuisine, wine, etc. We only went to São Miguel this time, from Monday to Friday. Next time we'll finish up there and visit some other islands too. This was a quick taster to make sure we liked it, though we were sure that we would. We flew DL between Boston and Lisbon, then TAP between Lisbon and São Miguel. TAP was nice enough. Though boarding their flight is quite a cluster! Next time I suppose we'll look at SATA, who fly directly from BOS and JFK to Ponta Delgada. Though that flight is so short, no time to sleep! We didn't mind going through Lisbon because we like that area too. Some day I'll post pictures.

Definitely some odd Spring weather. It was warm enough here for some outdoor running as early as February! And here the trees are in full bud, ready to burst open soon. I am almost ready to put the citrus trees outside for the year - probably next weekend if the forecast doesn't change too much. Yet last Saturday when we left town, there was an ice and snow storm! We were worried that it might kill the new buds on the trees but it looks like all is well. We just came back from a week in the Azores and Sao Miguel was beautiful. The grass was green and the azaleas were in full bloom. No hydrangeas yet - they had green leaves but no significant blossoms. Palm Sunday in Lisbon was well over 70 degrees and sunny. We ate lunch outdoors in Cascais with a beautiful ocean view. I hope everyone had a nice Easter!

We just spent a fun week in São Miguel. I'm living the drill tonight as we get ready for work tomorrow. Many more planned.

It was tasty. There is some chicken in the version that we tried but it's a very minor component. There was a small piece of beef too. The rest was pork - rib, loin, belly, and a few kinds of sausage as well. We ate so much pork this trip that I grew a snout! Bottom row - chicken, pork rib, some kind of cured pork. Middle row - potato, kale, beef, pork loin, pork belly Top row - cabbage, sweet potato (buried under the cabbage), carrot, yam, chorizo sausage, and blood sausage. You could also ask for extras of anything that you wanted more of. In case this wasn't enough...

Catching up with your safari pictures. Wonderful! And the leopard sightings were incredible. Glad it wasn't too crowded. Hope the packing and the return to reality isn't too traumatic for you.

Here's Chris, victorious at the waterfall now known as "knee-biter"! It's a beautiful two-tiered cascade and definitely worth the trip.

So much to catch up on! We're back from Lisbon as of last night, and spending a relaxing restful day at home prior to going back to the grind tomorrow. Sao Miguel was lovely despite the unsettled weather. We expected it and were prepared, with our nice warm Silversea parkas. Spring in the Azores can be very unpredictable, we learned, with bright sunshine giving way within minutes to heavy rain and even the occasional burst of hail! After our day in Cascais on Sunday, we flew to Ponta Delgada on Monday morning and rented a car. We spent the day driving around the western part of the Island to see the famous views at Sete Cidades, and a few other places in that area, before checking in to our Ponta Delgada hotel that evening. Tuesday for my birthday we explored the city all morning, then went out to see some scenic viewpoints, many of which were foggy. We tried a waterfall hike but unfortunately Chris slipped on some gravel in the parking lot, on the way to the trailhead, and got a really nasty gash on her leg just below her knee. So we had to detour to a pharmacy for bandage material. After I extricated all of the volcanic rock that I could from her wound we put it back together with steristrips and a tight dressing. We laid low that afternoon but had a nice dinner a few minutes from the hotel. It was a 7-course tasting menu with wine pairings! That made her leg feel better. Wednesday we had a busy day. We left Ponta Delgada early and drove North, then circumnavigated the eastern 2/3 of the island. Lots of scenery along the way, and a few short hikes. Chris managed OK despite the injury but we took it slower than usual. We checked in to our hotel in Furnas and had dinner there. Thursday we did a few things around town and the surrounding area. Chris's wound made it unwise to partake in any hot spring activities but that was OK since it was only in the mid-50s and very windy. Swimming in a hot spring would have been comfortable but getting out would have been miserable! We saw more lookouts, botanical gardens, fumaroles, and waterfalls. Another nice dinner at another of the hotels in town, where we tried the volcanically-cooked cozido stew. Friday we left Furnas and took a long leisurely drive back towards Ponta Delgada. Along the way, we went back to the scene of the injury, as Chris wanted to see that waterfall and at this point it was personal! We were able to successfully accomplish it, as the hike itself was not difficult - the parking lot was much more treacherous. We finished our itinerary early and had time for a leisurely late lunch in Ponta Delgada. Then we tried for one last viewpoint, which had been fogged in on Monday. It was fogged in again on Friday... Oh well! With just fumes left in the gas tank, I filled up the rental car and we returned it at the airport. Despite very strong winds, the flight back to Lisbon was smooth. And it was a tailwind, so we were already checking in at our airport hotel at the exact time we were scheduled to touch down! And yesterday morning, we flew home. We arrived almost an hour early at Logan, caught the bus to Framingham, and got home at 5:30. I'll post a few pictures later but to sum it up, Sao Miguel is beautiful and we are excited to revisit the Azores as soon as we can schedule another trip there!

Hi AussieBoyTX, I'm finally caught up with this great report after being away for the past week. This trip looks amazing, and many thanks to both you and ethan1171 for the great commentary and photos. What an experience to swim with the whale sharks! Chris and I once came eye-to-eye with a humpback while snorkeling on the south coast of Maui but that encounter was over in a flash. I can only imagine how magnificent it must be to have a leisurely swim with these creatures!

Spins - lots to catch up with here and sorry that not much of it is good. We're more and more happy with Ponant these days, as their itineraries are very good and the onboard experience is comparable enough to Silversea in our book. Ponant also offers a status match (or they were, a few months ago) and they valued Venetian Society status very highly. We matched at their second-highest level which includes free laundry and 10% off all future bookings. Their ships are newer and quite nice. And their expedition crew is comparable to those we've encountered on Silversea. So we have 3 more booked with them in the next year. Sorry that we will miss you in Lisbon - back to work tomorrow!

We will be there in June, and I'll report back.

Having a great time so far. Our 8:20 arrival worked well. We already covered the western part of the island today before checking in to our Ponta Delgada hotel.

Greetings from Lisbon Airport! Our flight to Ponta Delgada leaves in an hour. Saturday morning we awoke to a winter wonderland. The drive to Boston was unpleasant but we got there and were safely in Lisbon by Sunday morning. Not much sleep though as it was a short flight. We rented a car and drove to Cabo da Roca for the views. Then we went to Cascais for even better views! A delicious outdoor lunch. The snow and ice were soon a distant memory. Great beach weather. Back to the airport to check in at the Melia Hotel. We took the Metro to Vasco da Gama Mall for dinner. Then in bed by 8PM for our 4AM wake-up call.

Loving your posts! Wish we were cruising together so we could share in the fun.

Can't wait to cruise on Le Commandant Charcot this winter - twice! Ocean Voyage Reykjavik to Tromsø in October, then Helsinki RT for Christmas Markets. It won't be Antarctica but we're excited just the same.

Apropos to this development, here is an excerpt from a message I received today. A friend is on Nova and this is his take on the dress code so far: DRESS: Our first formal “optional” night, we arrived at Atlantide @ 8:15p and were given a table whereby we could see the coming and going of all guests. The venue was packed and only two couples arrived later than us. Out of 52 men, 25 were in tuxedos or suits, 24 in sports jackets with tie, and 3 in jackets with no ties. Jackets were worn through the entire meal, none were draped over a seat as has been reported elsewhere. We have one more formal “optional” night remaining. All other nights are classified as “elegant casual”. This means for men, open collar shirts are acceptable, jackets are optional. Slacks are required as jeans and shorts are not allowed after 6:00p in indoor venues. Outdoor venues are always casual. We dined at the grill one evening and it was practically like being at a neighborhood barbecue party, with the vast majority of men in shirts without collars and at least half in t-shirts. I’d say at least one-third were wearing shorts as well, including a couple who apparently were allowed to dine in their swimwear. Another evening we dined in SALT. Again, the venue was packed to the gills when we arrived @ 8:00p. I was taken aback by how poorly the men were dressed. Of the 63 I could count, 10 were literally allowed to wear t-shirts! Another 12 were in what I would categorize as golf shirts, and another 17 in short sleeve collared shirts. 14 wore dress shirts and no jacket while 8 wore a jacket. 2 wore a jacket and tie; me and a gentleman from Italy. It was like eating in a cheap Hilton or Ramada Inn dining room and I felt so out of place. Last night we dined in Silver Note. Much smaller venue and only one table was open after we were seated @ 8:30p. 2 men in t-shirts, 4 in collared short sleeves, 11 in dress shirts without jacket, 1 in a Helly Hansen work out shirt, and 4 in a jacket without tie; me, an old chap days away from the grave, and a couple from the Netherlands. All-in-all, and just as I feared, this dumbing down of the dress code on Silver Nova is heading toward the lowest common denominator in dress, and is taking SS away from the elegance and sartorial classiness that made it special.

Glad you're back on board! I've heard all sorts of unflattering comments about Qantas lately. Glad it was only a 2h flight. Looking forward to following along with your journey. Have a great time!

Lirio, that's not much warmer than my wine refrigerator!

Here's the halibut dish I cooked up.for tonight. 2 red potatoes, halved and sliced, then sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper. Add some shallots and chopped garlic. I also added a few sliced mushrooms for good measure. Put the halibut on top and drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle so.e herbs. Then transfer to the oven to bake until the fish is done. It came out nicely, and stood up to a California Grenache. My inspiration for this was a dish that I had for lunch at a winery along the Douro. They served a healthy slab of baked cod over spinach and potatoes with lots of olive oil. Maybe next time I'll add some greenery...

For the first bottle, sure... Today we had a craving for some halibut, so we took two small fillets out to thaw while we went out for a walk. Unfortunately the treadmill is on the fritz so we had to bundle up in the 40-some degree chill and brave the wind in order to get our steps. This chilly expedition put me in the mood for a red wine. But with halibut? I thought back to a delicious lunch that I had along the Douro, where they paired a cod fillet with a light red... So, I cooked some potato slices in olive oil with shallots and garlic, then threw in a few sliced mushrooms. Finally I put the halibut fillets on top and baked it in the oven until the fish was just cooked through. A drizzle of olive oil and some herbs finished the dish. And it went well with a Grenache!

So we had three nights there. On the first evening, which was the day our arrival, we went to Eataly and had a light dinner on their outdoor patio. The second night, we had dinner with Chris's friend at their house. The last night we had dinner at a place by Naviglio Grande. The restaurant was called Osteria della Darsena and we enjoyed the food very much. Fried squash blossoms, veal chop Milanese, osso bucco, Panna cotta, and Pinot Nero. It was so warm that we put the wine in an ice bucket! Delicious food but obviously very heavy. Luckily we had a decent walk back to the Metro station!

I looked, and neither of the places that we had dinner are near that area. Sorry!

I'm glad that you got to meet up! Maybe next time it will be somewhere close enough for us to join you.

Sorry to hear this. May those good memories bring you comfort. Dora has been very cuddly all weekend so she has had lots of extra attention. Will give her an extra hug for you and Marino.

Safe travels home and thank you for bringing us along on your journey! We enjoyed traveling with you.