It has been exactly 4 weeks since we touched down here and now I'm sitting at the airport again.  The bags are checked and the boarding pass is in hand.  The plane from Lisbon is  late, so we will be delayed.  Well, the forecast at home is for snow or rain or both, so I am not too anxious to get there anyway.  The saddest part of today was dropping off the bike at Carolina's again.  That always makes the end seem so final.  But enough!

It has been quite a different trip from our other vacations here.  We have had 3 sets of company who have chosen Azores on our recommendation.  Some we saw most days, others we saw occasionally, but we have felt like hosts and tried to make sure the others saw the best of the island.  Now, two trips to Furnas to see camellias was NO hardship, but any time that there is more than just me, I am responsible.  I did promise some flower pictures from the Camellia show:

As you can tell, they were spectacular.  Someday I will come and see the garden in another season.

What am I bringing home -- besides some clothes (bicycle attire), I have 30 spoons.  WHAT? you say? Yes, tiny spoons (24) for all kinds of condiments on a charcuterie board, and long spoons (galao) for deep jars or perhaps I will some day get proper tall latte glasses.  Strange what passes for souvenirs when it is your 10th visit.  

This was my final sunrise this morning;

Choices

 It is a rainy morning.  In fact, it will be a totally rainy day, if the weather app on my phone is to be believed.  It has been wrong before, but the situation outside at the moment certainly confirms the forecast.

We have now been here almost 3 weeks and the weather has been much rainier and windier than in past visits.  Once, while riding up the mountain, I had to get off and push as the combination of incline, wind and avoiding highway accesses proved too much.  Can't navigate safely when the wind is blowing so hard as to push you around on the road.  So, the bike riding has not been the greatest.  

Instead I have been walking -- my 5km first thing in the morning.  On nice days, I take my sticks and stride along the waterfront for 2.5 km and then turn around.  The experience of the ocean next to me is on some days so calming and on other days, when the spray hits me, very invigorating.  

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPBjL4mNoCUDlGIQljJzyQsDD_irCeGePZWpdQ2

On not-so-nice days, like today, I walk in the underground parking garages here on the harbour.  There is space for about 500 cars in the two lots and they have accesses up to the street level as well as onto the water level.  There is a large crescent-shaped commercial zone for the tourists, particularly for the ones that come on cruise ships.  It is possible to walk along, under the covered area and not get wet.  

But on nice days, I have been making a point of visiting the gardens here in town -- the little ones that are in between streets or outside public building, as well as the 3 major gardens.  My favourite is the Antonio Borges and it is free and open almost 24 hours a day.  Besides spectacular trees, there are many azaleas in bloom and peaceful pools to sit and enjoy.

If I lived here all year long, I would have such a garden!  But I would not trade living in Chippawa for living in Ponta Delgada.  Having stated that, I still say that I'm glad I'm here now rather than at home in the snow.

We all have choices for our lives.  Choose wisely.

I have never been

 I have never been to an outdoor garden of orchids planted in the ground.  Yes, I have visited Parque Terra Nostra many times before and today I enjoyed the camellias and the cycads as much as ever, but the plot of orchids past the gardener's office, had never been open to me before.  I looked at the lush, profuse abundance of colours and shapes and sizes and was amazed.  I hope the pictures do them some justice!!

I love that there are always surprises!

It's been four days

 It's only been four days since we touched down here again in Ponta Delgada.  It has rained -- sometimes hard -- on each of those days, but you go with that.  Some highlights of the first few days:

A spectacular hibiscus just growing in a front yard hedge.

Groups of kids singing for the "lady of the stars' festival

Leaning on the same Norfolk Island Pine as I did on our first trip here in 2014.

Watching a goose catch flies off the leaves.

All those cute little pineapples.

I have known for a long time that I enjoy being around children when they learn something, master something, experience something new for the first time.  I relive my excitement of doing that even though I have now done it probably hundreds of times.  We have friends of Ian's visiting here with us and seeing their "OH, WOW!" brings back that excitement of the first time.  We invite anyone to come and experience this part of the world.