travel -- the many modes

So how many different modes of travel can I use in one day?

I walked to the Jumbo grocery store this morning to fill up my suitcase with goodies to make the 23kg. weight limit.

I took the bus back from the store -- line 77.

Suitcase and I hopped on the Waterbus with one of our free one-way tickets left over from our Welcome Rotterdam card.  This took me across the main channel from the SS Rotterdam to the Erasmus bridge.

Tram line 7 stops at the Erasmus bridge and then goes on its merry route to Rotterdam Centraal station.

On platform 9 the local train to Schipol airport left at 9:26.  Lots of time so didn't need the direct connection.  Nice man travelling to Washington DC and I talked about cycling in different places and the trials and tribulations of getting bicycles through airports.  He has come to the conclusion that he only puts the bike in a plastic bag -- that way the handlers have to drive it to the plane.  If in a box, they throw it and it comes out more damaged.  Something to consider.

Checked in the suitcase -- 22.9 kg, Yes!

If you don't have to rush through this airport, it is quite a nice little community -- grocery store, souvenier shops,  clothing, jewellery, all the regular duty free stuff and even an H&M.  Had lunch with (and sprayed my fizzy water over) a lady travelling to Madrid to settle her father's estate.  Nice people everywhere!  (I hope they think the same of me.)

So the plan is to fly(!!) to Toronto in 2 hours, and then take the monorail from terminal 3 to terminal 1, and there pick up the bus to Hamilton.  There Ian will retrieve me at the station.  Oddly, the only mode of transportation missing today will be a bicycle.  (Oh, and a balloon.)

Hardest trip?  getting my head back into my 'normal' life.

The North Sea

I'm sitting here watching the German election results and most people are worried that the far right has gained significantly.  So Angela has had a bad day, but I have had a great day!

I wanted to start early in order to get through Rotterdam before it got busy.  Problem:  the water ferries that I was relying on don't start till 10 am.  So it was a big detour, but thanks to city signage, I made it to the Erasmus bridge.  So then, it was through the city and getting to the east bank of the river and then out to the beach where SS, the kids and I were just a week ago.  I saw the storm surge barrier that protects the river.

I dipped both my shoes and my tires into the North Sea.

I celebrated with some mini pancakes.

It was a much nicer day today, and the crowds enjoying the Strand were huge.  This was worrying in that I needed to get on a bus to get a ride back to the city rather than having to do the 26 km again.   I lucked into the same driver that we had last week and he was true to his word that he would make an exception for a bicycle if there was not a crowd.  Thankfully, most of the people wanted to stay longer at the beach and I got a ride on the bus which dropped me at the metro station which brought me into the city.  I rode over the Erasmus bridge one last time and then made my way to the SS Rotterdam which is my final hotel.  It's a lovely stateroom and a great way to wrap up this wonderful vacation.

The flight is still scheduled to leave at 14:55 tomorrow.  The eight hour flight is much more than just 480 minutes.  It's a major shift from waking each day and all I need to do is ride.  Too bad!

Clara called it

On our first train ride in the Netherlands, Clara looked out the window at the landscape zipping by and called it a water maze.  She was right!  There are channels of water everywhere -- many totally green covered in duck weed.  Some of the channels are blind ends, which are not visible until you start down them, many intersect with larger and smaller waterways and the depths vary greatly.  Today, there was even a marsh area where salty and sweet water mix making for different plants and even crops than I have seen in the last few days.

It has been quite cool in the mornings and the mist over the landscape makes for an awesome view.  I think I could have stopped about every 500 meters for the first hour and taken another 'artsy' photo.

There were 4 different ferry rides today -- everything from a tiny one where 9 bicycles just fit on, to big waterbus service that will take you to Rotterdam.  That city is tomorrow's destination, but not by boat!

Tonight I am in Papendrecht at another modern and well equipped hotel -- even modern on the outside and with an elevator.  (Yesterday they had to drag a yung man out of the kitchen to carry the suitcase up 4 flights of stairs,)  I have had very nice hotels, fairly easy to find, and well equipped.  Thanks Rad und Reisen!

My routine these last few days is fairly consistent.  Breakfast about 8, cycling by 9.  Stop for a coffee and pastry about 11:30.  Finish riding between 3 and 4.  Shower!  Go get some groceries -- bread, cheese, veggies, a sweet and a Radler -- the beer and lemonade mixture that runs about 2% alcohol, in order to rehydrate.  Very civilized and so easy.  

I think this is my favourite kind of vacation -- wake up and have nothing to do but ride in beautiful and interesting countryside.  I hope to keep doing it for many years.

Fruit everywhere

Holland is a great place to cycle, but not perfect.  I managed to make 2 wrong turns today also, but thanks to Ms. Google, no big problem.  About 40 km today.

And what a glorious place to ride.  I am in the delta region of the Rhine which means multiple waterways and floodplains between.  Active waterways and water controls are very evident, so there is constant vigil as to the level of the river and the ground water.

But what a place to grow stuff!  Niagara-on-the-lake is a tiny drop in this sea of orchards and fields of all kinds.  Dwarf trees trained on wires utilize space much more efficiently than we see in Ontario.  This Betuwe region is famous for apples, pears, cherries, walnuts and even (edible) chestnuts.  I can understand why the Dutch need to grow stuff wherever they go.

Leerdam, where I am this evening, is known as the Glass city.  It has the National Glass Museum which consists of a regular type museum and a demonstration glass blowing workshop.  Both are done extremely well and were certainly worth the visit.

Ian's Dad once asked me if I ever got on a plane from one of my vacations and said that I wished I had not gone away.  I answered 'no' at that point and I reiterate that today.  In fact, this is one of those many times that I know that I want to come back and explore more.

Meeting expectations

Satisfaction is directly related to meeting expectations and today was great!

Thanks so much to the Dutch marking system that made following and changing the route very easy.  The prescribed route took several detours away from the river into the woods.  Now, I love forests and don't mind wet, leafy paths covered in acorns, making hairpin turns around trees, but when it means that I can't be beside the river, which is the real reason I am here, I take the other route.

I love cycling on the dyke, despite having to share the road with lots of other vehicles, since there is a real sense of cooperation.  The drivers don't make huge detours for bicycles, but they are at a respectable distance and cyclists are expected to stay in their lanes and obey the lights put there for them.  Cycling has been part of life here forever, so it will, unfortunately, be a long time before we can hope for that kind of coexistence in Canada.

At lunch I took a short ride into the town of Rhenen.  It was market day and lots of people were out getting their cheese, veggies and meats.  There was a lovely cafe overlooking the bustle which boasted home made apple pie -- Dutch style with nuts on top! (and served with whipped cream, of course).  That certainly met expectations.

Cutting some of the detours allowed me to take 2 hours this afternoon and visit Amerongen Castle.  The gardens were fabulous, especially if one noticed that most of the hedges were 2 metre rhodies.  Ducks drew lines in the duckweed of the moat.  There was a tour of the castle in Dutch which I followed.  The guide was extremely knowledgeable, but I mostly just saw the rooms and exquisite details.

My room here at the Hotel De Gouden Leeuw (Golden Lion) is modern and very comfortable.  I continue to be pleased with the service I get from Rad und Reisen.  Expectations met again.

Riding south -- day 2

I thought I had it all worked out -- had the map all marked and thought I knew how to use the bicycle signs.  I guessed correctly that there was one right outside Wesel train station and set off brightly having bought an extra inner tube and some chain lube which silenced the incredible squeaking I had developed yesterday afternoon.  But about and hour into the ride, the signage let me down and I ended up doing an extra 10km heading off in a direction that was wrong and then having to double back.  Disgusted, I pulled out my phone and got a direct route to Dusseldorf along bike paths, but right through all the towns.  I didn't see the river till I got to the endpoint and there the bike path finally went along the water for a few kms before I headed into the centre of the city to find the Hauptbahnhof (main train station).  Best guess at distance today is 68 km.  Riding with a phone in one hand is not as hard as I thought it might be, but the battery on the phone can't take the hour and 51 minutes, so when I got onto a stretch where it was fairly straightforward, I turned the phone off to save some battery.

I did make it with time to spare, but it was rush hour and so the train was very full.  I had the bicycle's ticket, but the conductor informed me that he could have made me wait for the next train as riders have precedence over bikes.  But I had been standing on the platform with him and I think he felt sorry for me.  It was about 2 stops before enough people got off and the individuals who has grumbled when asked to give up their seat for the bike space, got to sit down.  I was 'die Dame mit dem Fahrad'  (the lady with the bicycle), for the rest of the trip.

Comments on today.
Some towns were very middle eastern with lots of language that was not german and most restaurants and fast food places proclaiming Turkish, Greek and other cuisines.
Trains and trams and busses are everywhere -- elevated, below ground and at street level.  We could learn from the excellent public transit.
Bicycles and people can coexist very nicely.  Most of the time the bikes were on the sidewalks with the pedestrians --no problems.  A little ring of the bell and even the kids move back onto their section of the walkway.
There is an election coming up this Sunday.  Posters are everywhere.  I think the less said on the poster, the greater the chances for the candidate.

Again today, with the concentration on getting to the endpoint, there was no chance for stopping to smell the roses -- or look at the churches, or explore the gardens, etc.  Next time I will get a better guide so that I can be confident of the route and the length of time it will take.  Having to spend about 3 hours on a train also really cut into the day.  Also, I guess I would like to take a cruise along this part of the river to see what I missed between the beginning of today and the end.  That's for another time.

Always good to have future plans!

Riding south, day 1

The tour that I have booked with the Rad und Reisen people, goes from Anhem north to Rotterdam.  However, that is only a 5 day tour and I took an extra 7 days from when the others left.  This leaves me 2 days to ride to the south of Arnhem and cover some of that part of the river which I have not yet ridden.

So it was a foggy start and I wore the rain jacket and rain pants for most of the trip.  I had bought a Dutch map of the area from here to the German border.  It was amazingly easy to navigate with the sequence of numbered points that I easily got from the map.  Most of this stretch was within view of the river and the barges gliding up and down.  I was delighted to find that I was still able to ride just a little faster than the barges going up river.  The bike is a heavy commuter bike although it has 24 gears.  I ride very upright and quite comfortably.

Much of today's ride was on the dyke system which protects the towns along the river from the periodic floods.  It also affords a lovely view of the surrounding countryside.  It was a great ride beside cows, sheep and some horses; crops of corn, beans, and sugar beets; over cobbles, pavers, acorns, chestnuts avoiding slugs.

Sadly, the German signing of the Rhine path was not nearly as clear as that in the Netherlands.  I took a number of wrong turns, had some backtracks and even had some long detours.  It turned out to be about a 5.5 hour ride and the closest I can come to guessing the distance was 94 km.  But I came into Wesel about 4:30 and picked up the 5:17 train back to Anhem.  The bicycle needed its own ticket -- 3.5 euro.

Unfortunately with so much time on the bike, there was no opportunity to most of the many towns which I passed by or through.  I saw a bit of Emmerich and Wesel, simply because I needed information at the train stations, but there were churches and museums which will have to wait for another time.  Good to know there is always more exploring possible.

Google can't seem to get its act together, so there is only one picture for today.

This adventure -- Part III

This adventure started almost 2 weeks ago when I flew to Amsterdam and then to France to visit my friend Rhonda who lives just outside of Basel, Switzerland.  I met her 31 years ago when she moved onto our street in Millgrove and I was canvassing for the kidney foundation one fall.  We have been friends ever since.  Since she moved away about 20 years ago, our time together has been much reduced, but we do skype a couple times a month and when we visit, we just pick up where we left off.  Both of us have 2 children who are now married and have grandkids in each family.  We talk a lot, go shopping and garden but mostly we laugh.  She has taken up golf and played 9 holes while I was there.  I have never golfed in my life and just went through the woods next to the fairways and picked up lost balls -- a dozen, good result for a few hours strolling.  She hates cycling, but there was plenty to do, so no problem.  She is allegic to gluten, lactose and fructose -- I love bread, fruit and cheese.  It's a strange match, but it works.  I miss her being down the street and hanging out, but am lucky enough to be able to travel and she comes to Canada too.  A good friend is truly a treasure!

Part II of this trip was in Rotterdam with Joanna and family as she got ready for and then competed in the World Triathlon Championships.  Those of you with Facebook already know that she came 9th in her age category--amazing result!  So while she was readying self and equipment, the rest of us visited windmills, took boat rides, explored the Markethal, travelled out to the North Sea beach, toured the SS Rotterdam and generally watched the city from the fabulous vantage of our 40th floor apartment.  She was able to join us for the pancake boat and the Madurodam miniature village -- some time off training was possible.

And so this morning, JJ and family left for the airport to return to Canada, and I started this final phase of the adventure.  I took a train to Arnhem through Utrecht.  I have a hotel right beside the central station and from here I will be cycling for the next 3 days (hopefully).  Tuesday and Wednesday I plan to go south into Germany along the Rhine and then on Thursday I start northwest to return to Rotterdam by Sunday night.

I was tempted to ride today as the bike was already here when I checked in at noon, but then it started to rain, so I took to exploring the city.  My history is not very good so I did not realize that a significant battle happened here in Sept. 1944 concerning the bridge.  I visited a church which was burned in that battle, and has been restored which and eye to the past and the future.  Every September there are reenactments of the British airborne attack and subsequent surrender when the reinforcements did not arrive.  The past is still very alive.

But the city is also focused on the future.  The central library is an award winning building with historic displays and archives, but also auditorium, music lessons, art studios and cafes all in a beautifully designed user friendly space. Every place has something fascinating to be discovered.  Hurray!

Different kind of farming

My Dad loved being a farmer -- in fact he moved family and started a new life at 39 so that he could be a farmer.  That didn't happen for another 8 years, but he finally got his farm and stayed there for the rest of his life.

Yesterday we took a bus to the north-east corner of the island -- Nordeste.  It was the local bus, so it carried school children, ladies going from their country homes into the towns for their shopping and tourist like us, just along for the ride.  We went up and down mountains and in and out of gorges that make up the coastline where rivers meet the ocean.  There were numerous little towns with streets so narrow that the full sized bus had less than a metre on each side from the houses.  We were navigated over one lane bridges where cars had to stop and back up so that we could pass.  I truly admire the drivers!  The 80 km trip took 2.5 hours.

And we travelled through farm country -- very different from home.  Besides being very green at this time of year, the fields are usually quite small and since there are hills and slopes everywhere, angles quite ridiculously sometimes.  I can't image tractors on most of those inclines, nor on the dropoffs to the ocean.  The fences are of stones or bamboo hedges, but often just a terrace and a drop off to a lower lever.  Most of the fields were planted in grass -- don't know if it was going to be wheat or a grain crop, but now it just looked like grass.

Lots of cows -- milking cows were usually free moving in a fenced field while younger animals were tethered by a leg or chain around the neck and allowed to eat in a circle -- then moved up the slope when they had cropped the area.

Some market vegetables -- usually cabbage.  Orange trees were fully of lovely ripe fruit.  There were a few small potato fields.  And there were lots of banana fields tucked away in protected areas (like the gorges).

Always interesting to see how farming is done in different places!

What does your garden grow?

My Millgrove garden, the most serious I have ever had, was a collection of my favourite flowering plants plus unusual evergreens.  In the 27 years of gardening there, I tried many exotics which failed, and some which I coaxed along and eventually brought to good health.  It seemed I was always pushing the edge on which kind of lilac or poppy or rhodie I could get to grow.  Vineland Nurseries had an abundance of unusual plants, gown in the microclimate of the Niagara-on-the-lake area which was a full climate zone warmer than up the mountain in Flamborough.    When it came to planting the garden at Gatewood Court, I chose the ones I had to have, and have still managed to kill a number and had to rethink locations for others.  Every space has its limitations.

It is winter here too.

But here on Sao Miguel, the Portugese encountered a climate of eternal spring and, being the exploring types that they were, they brought back plants from all over the world.  Their municipal gardens are showpieces of spectacular trees and flowering plants from Africa, New Zealand, Australia, China and the Caribbean.  Norfolk Island Pines stand as tall as the magnificent avenue in Napier, NZ; Australian banyan trees snake their roots through the forest; bougainvillea hang over garden walls, birds of paradise ring the fountain in the roundabouts; palms tower over tiny walled gardens and there are Camellia and hibiscus hedges everywhere.  In the summer season, the island is a blaze with hydrangea -- they are grown as fences between fields and keep the cows from escaping.

So I have been thinking, what would I put in my garden if I lived here.  Certainly azaleas and rhodies which are my very favourite and there lots of them around and blooming now, but also some of these strange little bushes which I have no idea what they are.  After that, the sky -- or at least my garden wall-- would be the limit.

And what have the locals just planted in their flower pots outside the cathedral and the town hall? Pansies!

Adventure versus routine

I know this blog is called Adventures-eva, but I am not really a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of person.  I hate when situations get out of control.

I hate arguments between people.  I firmly believe that if you can't say anything nice, you should not say anything at all.  (My dear Mom told me that arguments between her parents were burned into her memories and she and my Dad did not want that for us kids, so there were never hot words between them in our presence).  Once something is said, you can't take it back.

I don't like riding my bike down a hill that is so steep that I can't stop or control it.  I once (actually twice) went down a snowy hill so fast that I could not control things and have a sore spot in my leg to remind me that I was extremely lucky that my thigh had hit the tree instead of my head.  (Now you know why I don't ski downhill.)

So probably I am a control freak.  My school classroom was always done by my strict organization.  My kids always knew the limits and consequences.  I am not a frivolous purchaser and have lived with a budget forever.  I hate when things get out of place in the kitchen -- makes me less efficient when I have to search for everything.  I lived for many years spouting the philosophy that an organized person can do anything -- and everything.  I had a 5 year plan.

Yes, ripe for a major upheaval in life.  Mine was Allan's stroke in Mexico -- a situation so totally out of my control that it and the resulting life alterations forced a total rethink.

So here's where the adventure comes in.  I love to go to new places (I try to keep it safe so there are destinations I will not see).  I want to see how other people live -- love checking out their grocery stores and trying the local cuisine.  I try to say something in their language, even if it is only obrigado.  I love to see the history of a place -- castles, cathedrals, mountains, caves, oceans, museums, parks.  I have learned what creature comforts I need to be happy and enjoy finding different local places that I can enjoy.  I love adapting my routines to a new situation.

I think I am less demanding than I used to be.  I think I accept others more now without feeling the need to change them.  I find comfort in feeling the belonging of a group -- in church, at stained glass class, volunteering at Wesley.  I give myself permission to not have to be in charge or perfect.

So this adventure is about seeing if I can exist here for 2.5 weeks without driving myself (or Ian) crazy.  My pace is very much slowed thanks to the boot, but the plan had been for this to be very low keyed in any case.  I have a number of books (actually gave myself permission to finish the book last night reading till 4am), puzzles, the 'beloved' cross-stitch (the back of the package says "You create a work of art... an heirloom to enjoy for generations to come."  We shall see how excited the grandkids will be to be saddled with this item if it ever gets finished), the computer with netflix and a harbour (that disgorged hordes of people this morning as there is a British cruise ship docked today) to enjoy.

Expanding one's experience -- the true adventure.

Local tradition

Our days continue, hobbling along, picking up groceries, reading, TV, and cross-stitching.  Life is good.

On our walk this morning, we came to two persons changing the cultural signs -- as it is February.  On the new poster, it indicated that there would be 'Singing to the Stars' this evening in the Municipal square, at 6 pm.  Eager to be there, we set out at 5:30, I am slow.  But not that slow, as we arrived about 5:45.  No one.  6 pm no one.  There was a bit of activity at the town office about 6:15 so we made our way over there.  Indeed, about 6:25, there came a parade of kids, 4 to 10 yr. it seemed, along with a leader, a flautist, an accordion player and a violinist and followed by dozens of parents.

They chanted for the President, who did finally come out of the building and listened to them sing three songs.  The kids were enthusiastic and quite musical.  It was delightful to be there.

Convalescence

Yes, the word is so foreign to my mindset that I had to look it up to make sure I spelled it correctly.  Anyone who knows me, is well aware that I am a 'do' person rather than a 'be' person.  I don't believe that makes me shallow, it does, however mean that I do much of my thinking while I am also doing something else.  I guess I have always had the philosophy that there are so many things I want to do that I had better get to them now.

Enter:  vacation.  These are usually divided into 'active' and 'flake and bake'.  I love both -- the new places and new things of the active and the relaxation of swimming and sand-castle building and walking on the beach of the flake and bake.  I have never done a flake and bake for more than a week and have always wondered if I could.  So now, that we actually decided to take a 2.5 week, relaxation vacation, I did approach it with some trepidation  -- would I be able to take enough, find enough to keep me from going stir crazy?  The cross-stitch and 5 big paperbacks and 2 books of number puzzles were to be enough, given there would be cycling and walking during the day.

Enter:  broken foot.  Added problem to keep me more sedentary.  We walk usually at least an hour a day -- not that I get very far in an hour, but there is no cycling and we have walked around town every day so far and there are a limited number of new things to see and do.

But indeed:  convalescence.  Defined as the period needed for gradual return to health and strength after an illness, injury or surgery, I am familiar with it.  Having had this kind of a break before, I know it will be 8 weeks before I can put the boot away and resume walking normally.  One week down, 7 to go.

So, the cross-stitch:  an incredibly finicky work that requires eyesight only possible without my glasses, exacting following to a pattern which is actually bigger than the piece of work,  and delicate needlework with embroidery yarn split into 3 separate 2-strand threads.  In the 5 days I have worked on this, I have learned that I need a grid on my cloth to keep me straight, that if I draw dots on a certain colour of stitch which I am working on, it goes somewhat faster, that it works best for me if my right hand stays below the work and the left hand above, and that a hoop helps to hold the whole thing steadier.  I can't say that I am enjoying this -- really feel sorry for all the people driven to this activity by others or their own sense of duty.  But, it does keep my focussed and busy for about 2 - 3 hours each day.  My foot rests easily and I am convalescing!

Settling in

Many of my acquaintances have flown the Canadian winter to Florida and periodically I hear from some of them as they golf and soak up the sun.  For whatever reason, that destination has not appealed to us as a 'escape winter' spot.  Enter the Azores.  Our first visit was in the fall and we were most impressed with the climate, the easy going pace, the non-tourist feel and the 'piece of old europe' ambiance.  Last year we checked out Madiera and were not really delighted with it -- too touristy, but our 4 days here afterwards confirmed that this might be a good spot to spend a longer time.

So this year we are booked here for 2.5 weeks -- longer than any other place I have spent without a family connection.  When I did the booking, I looked very carefully at all the hotels/apartments that were possible with the package and settled on this place -- Hotel Gaivota.  It is centrally located -- actually on the waterfront right downtown.  It is a one bedroom apartment with a kitchenette, dining table, sofa, balcony, 2 TVs and a nice big desk.  There was an option to take it with the continental breakfast and that's what I did.  I stayed with the garden view and did not opt for the seaview.

So how pleased are we with my choices?  VERY!  The location is great -- especially with my foot situation.  There is a supermarket literally 2 doors away and it is open every day till 8 pm.  About another 2 doors away is the entrance to a small mall here downtown with a laundry and a China store (these carry everything and are discount merchandise, but great for little odds and ends which you find you might need).  The kitchenette is perfectly adequate, for the amount of cooking I plan to do, with its microwave and two burner hot plate.  It has a bar sized frig with a little freezer section on top.  (With the lovely breakfast downstairs, we have been having some kind of lunch out and then bringing back soup stuff, bread and cheese for supper.)

The balcony faces away from the sea breeze and with the privacy of the open space (the building behind us has been torn down with only the facade remaining braced against the next road up the hill) makes it OK to hang out little laundry bits that we rinse out each day.  Today it rained in the morning, but this afternoon, it was lovely to sit out on the balcony and have a cup of coffee after our walking while listening to the doves who live in the houses out behind..

The city buses do not run on weekends, but the tourist office is open each day and the agents very helpful.  Many of the stores downtown also are closed both weekend days.  Kind of nice for this society which still has a more leisurely rhythm to the weekend than has become the norm in our 24-7 culture.

The hotel staff is professional but helpful.  Our requests for extra pots and coathangers were answered almost immediately and the young lady who runs the breakfast knows us already.

Lovely spot, glad we are here!

New eyes -- and feet and, ultimately, brain

Yesterday my friend June commented on my post that I am learning to look with new eyes -- eyes of a disabled person in this case.

Well, I am happy to say, there is new stuff going on all the time.  I spent most of the day learning to navigate the local city bus system.  There are three lines which overlap at a few points.  All the major landmarks (hospital, mall, waterfront, etc. ) have their own stops, but the lines also go into neighbourhoods  I have not explored on either of my two previous trips to the island.  But it is also the journey which delightfully surprised me.  At each bus stop I was encouraged to go first; never was there any question that people would leave their seats and offer them to me; several people offered to help me in or out of the minibus; the drivers, even with limited english, answered my questions as best they could; and in many cases, people made comments or tried to converse, but my portuguese is non-existant, and their english quite poor.  (The difficult part for me is that portuguese looks very much like spanish, but hearing it, it is impossible to discern even the few words I recognize when written.)

I can't get a monthly or weekly pass as I do not have the local photo ID, but I can buy a seniors' 10 ride card for 2.50 euro.  A great deal!  So I rode the minibuses, getting off at the mall to browse looking for a embroidery hoop which I think might make my other new adventure a little easier.

23 kg is a good sized suitcase with lots of capacity in terms of volume and weight, unless you are thinking of taking enough knitting to keep one occupied for 2.5 weeks.  I don't do the fancy patterned stuff -- I churn out scarves and hats in wild colour and yarn combinations and donate them to the local charity.  As such, I can usually do a hat in one evening and a scarf takes maybe too.  Lots of yarn used up which is great when I have lots of bits at home, but not good when I am taking enough for mass knitting.  So, I ordered a cross-stitch from Mary Maxim a few weeks ago, knowing this was a much slower handicraft than my knitting.  But I had NO idea how intricate and complicated it is to count the stitches and transfer a pattern from a paper to the aida cloth.  The paper pattern is bigger than my cloth!  I spent as much time undoing wrong stitches, wrong colours, and knots on the back as I did doing proper stitches.  I think it works best when one hand works above and cloth and the other below.  Intense concentration is necessary, so doing the cross stitch while watching TV is impossible for me.  I hope my brain learn quickly.  Below you can see what three hours work looks like!

I am quite tired at the end of the day.  I have not walked kilometer upon kilometer, but my walking has been at a much higher awareness and caution state that normal walking -- that's tiring!  And standing is particularly difficult -- almost like standing on one leg for an extended period.  I am not related to a flamingo!

Latest adventure -- disabled traveller

For some of my adventures, I plan for months researching internet sites on a variety of topics.  For some, I do price comparisons over many weeks, looking for patterns of bargains.  For some I consult friends and read endless Trip Advisor reviews, learning what is a true assessment vs what is some individual's rant.  The "disabled traveller" was sprung on me less than 48 hours before my flight.

Three and a half years ago, I also had a broken foot when I visited London with Joanna and family for the World Triathlon Championships and then went on to Sweden for a visit.  However, that was at the very end of my time wearing the boot and there was no associated pain.  Yesterday, my foot still very much hurt whenever I stepped a little off balance and I certainly do not yet have the stamina of that previous adventure.  So, when the line-up at the Azores Airlines counter looked to be at least 10 minutes and Ian suggested a wheelchair (standing a few metres away), I took him up on it.

Being ferried around the airport is a real luxury.  I had a great driver who was very aware of my funny booted foot and made sure we did not even brush anything.  The security people are especially considerate, and we were in the wheelchair line to board the aircraft first.  I had chosen my usual seats at the back of the plane and when no third person arrived for the middle section, it was very much appreciated.  My foot still feels best when elevated, but that is difficult even with extra space.  It was a nice Airbus 330, but the entertainment system -- best distraction ever for flights -- did not work, so it was try and sleep or at least be comfortable.

The airport in Ponta Delgada is very small (stairs off the plane) and so no wheelchair was necessary.  Slowly I got to the terminal, through customs and out the door with the luggage.  We had prebooked a shuttle to our downtown  hotel and the nice man was standing there with a sign with my name.  I have to say, we really appreciated the organization of this service and soon we were dropped off on the waterfront by the door of the Hotel Gaivota (meaning seagull).  As it was about 8:15 am, the room was not ready and we were assured that by 2 pm it would be available.

Long walk -- not the distance we covered, but the time it took.  Thanks goodness I brought my walking poles and used one as a cane.  The sidewalks are small square stones in mosaics, while the roads are full cobbles.  I felt MUCH better with the extra support in case of slight irregularities on the walk.  I think the waterfront is the same as it has been for hundreds of years, in most aspects.  Of course, the equipment on the pier and boats have changed, but since 1427, people have been sailing in and out of here and doing commerce.  We took in a exhibit on the history of money and money in the Azores at the Bank of Portugal building.  Those gold coins are still spectacular.

I was walked out by noon, when, thankfully, our room was ready.  Disabled people need a nap and then out again.  There is a little supermarket just 3 doors from our hotel.  Our inquiry to the front desk secured us two pots and a big bowl.  Soup, bread and cheese.  Lovely supper.

I think my foot will make me much more appreciative of the ability to walk easily again in a few months.  But, the travel industry is very concerned about us needy ones.  There were about 12 wheelchair patrons last night but the one helper told us that some flights have up to 100.  And we were well taken care of.  On our plane, at the back where we were seated, was a section of 8 seats which could be curtained off in case of a stretchered patron.  Good for them.  I do not enjoy being disabled, but it is comforting to know that travel is still possible.

 Our kitchenette and morning coffee break with passionfruit custard tart.