Pico da Esperança hike, São Jorge, Azores We really are in the land of lava. It’s everywhere! I was amused by this ATM machine on a typical steep São Jorge street. A slab of lava has been thoughtfully supplied by the bank to help you get at your money without tilting over. And although it’s not whale or dolphin watching season at the moment, I did get to see one dolphin while we were here. Made of lava, of course….
Touring São Jorge, Azores I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Travelling with a pair of Oldies is not easy. It started at Terceira airport. Now, I know it was early in the morning, but still. ‘Where are you going?’ asked the friendly girl at the check-in. ‘Eh, Err, Em’, was all the drowsy pair could manage. ‘Don’t worry, give me your passports and I’ll tell you’, she said with a grin. ‘Oh, you’re booked on the next…
Day trip from Lisbon to Seixal, Setúbal The promise of a visit to the stunning beaches of the Costa da Caparica was enough to persuade Her Ladyship to join Himself once again on the terrifying 10-minute ferry ride across the Tagus from Lisbon to Cacilhas. A bus from there took us to the other side of the peninsula and to the glorious golden sands which appear to stretch as far as the eye can see. The town of Caparica itself…
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon Ever since I spotted his statue from the top of a tour bus, he has been ‘the man with the bird’ to me. It is this statue that endeared him to me in the first place. Any guy with a fondness for birds is a friend of mine. Anyway, it took me a while to get my beak around his real name. Well, Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian is a bit of a beakful. But I can tell…
Bridges across the Tagus, Lisbon Ever since our first trip to Oriente to visit the Lisbon Oceanarium, the Oldies have been returning to the Parque das Nações every chance they can get. I’m not sure what the main attraction is for them. I suspect it might be the warm pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) in the Vasco da Gama Shopping Centre cafés. I am the first to admit that the trip to Oriente is worth it for those alone….