Although one has to leave via the large and busy Toronto airport, the next stop is a little landing field on the south coast of a green spot in the ocean. There is no retractable gate and ramp -- you walk on the tarmac to John Paul II airport terminal. The taxi ride to town is 10 euros.
Last year, the Hotel Gaivota (seagull) was under renovations and we stayed at a very nice place a few streets up from the harbour, but being down on the waterfront is our favourite spot. We have a corner room up on the 5th floor with a spectacular view of the eastern section of the busy harbour. We watch the pilot boats go out to greet the Trans Insular container ships, and the cruise boats back in onto the long dock. The fishing boats usually come home mid afternoon. The loading and unloading of cargo goes on into the night and then the big working ships silently sneak out heading to the next set of islands with their supplies from the mainland. There is a steady traffic here, as it is the largest port for the archipelago of nine islands which make up the independent region of the Azores.
Breakfast is provided in the hotel from 7:30 to 10:30 and has all the standard items of meat and cheese and eggs. There is fruit and cereal and yogurt and a local pastry each morning. My idea of being on vacation means that someone else prepares breakfast and this fits the criteria very nicely.
We have a choice of regular activities -- grocery shopping for soup or salad ingredients along with fresh bread and some cheese. Each of the islands produces at least one unique variety, and though there is no blue or brie, the spectrum of flavour and texture is huge. Ian usually has a local sausage or seafood to accompany his meal, but I have not had any meat in over a week. Now, restaurants do a magnificent job of preparing beef (all those old dairy cows), so I am not avoiding meat for vegetarian sake, it's just there are so many wonderful alternatives. The bananas and oranges are local, but the only pears are variety Roca, which come from the mainland.
And there is bike riding for both of us this year. Ian picked up a basic model at Decathlon upon our arrival and I have the loan of the bike which I purchased two years ago, and we are off. Now, there is a relatively flat route from here along the coast to Lagoa, about 8 km away and much of it is a marked bike path along the ocean. On the sections where one must be on the road, the drivers are quite courteous and one doesn't feel unsafe pedaling. It can be challenging with short steep rises and gusts of wind from the sea, but the views are spectacular and the crash of the waves, mesmerizing.
Decathlon is a destination for every kind of sport imaginable and the gear to go with it. You can swim, hike, fish, hunt, cycle, play soccer, work out, trek, rollerblade, sail, play tennis or badminton, do ballet, or whatever. The prices are very reasonable and they have sizes from little kids to big adults.
Poking around town is a pleasure. With very narrow cobble streets and even narrower sidewalks, the place has a very old world field. (Europeans have been here since 1432). There are a significant number of units for sale, and, if one can believe the internet, large numbers of abandoned homes. The government has initiated a 'Come home to Portugal' campaign and some of the people which left in the 60s for the USA and Canada, are returning.
We go for a walk on the waterfront after dinner. The lights are bright on the ships in port, there are fish jumping in the dark, some of the cafes still have diners, joggers use the paths. It is peaceful with clean air, generally about 16 degrees. We have been told that in the summer, the tourists overrun the place, but there is no sign of that in February. What a delight!
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