Something new

I have always been excited by something new.  Certainly many people are delighted by new clothes, new cars, new toys, etc.  and I fall into that category. But more than that, I love new experiences -- a different resort, a place I have never been, a book I have never read, a piece of music I have never sung, a flower I have never seen, a food I have never tasted, an activity I have never tried.  While I can sometimes find these new experiences at home, I am much more likely to come across such things while traveling.

Today it was pineapples.  Yes, I have had pineapples at home and in the Caribbean and even in Hawaii where I was introduced to those special sweet little ones.  I even drove by a pineapple field in Hawaii many years ago, but I had never stopped to investigate how they grow.

Pineapples were brought to the Azores in the early 19th century as ornamental plants.  The first plantations appeared about 1860.  On this island is the only place in the world where the fruit is grown under glass, claiming to make it a unique tasting delight.  We have it at breakfast in the mornings and it is very good.

We walked to the plantation where we found about 15 rectangular greenhouses in various stages of the 18 month process of producing pineapples.  I had no idea about the bulb that it come from, the smoking process to encourage all the plants in a greenhouse to produce fruit at the same time, or that the fruit is staked to make sure it develops properly.  What a fascinating adventure!

Oh, and on the way back, there was a bush with flowers I have never seen before.