Bom Dia Portugal!

The first baecation! My girl and I decided to put our union to the stress test and go on a vacation. Did we survive?

Azores: Day 1

My girlfriend Karyn and I took an overnight flight on SATA Azores Airlines from Toronto to Ponta Delgada, São Miguel. This vacation was our first since the apocalypse started and was long overdue.

Sata is a “functional” airline. A bit no frills. Our seats had ample legroom but the seats themselves were hella uncomfortable. We were both sore after a 5.5 hour flight.

Coming into PDL was a trip. You go from the Atlantic to a landing strip in seconds. São Miguel’s temperature is around 21°C but the humidity is high, making it feel warmer. It’s four hours ahead of Toronto so the jet lag combined with our soreness meant that our first day at the Lince Azores Great Hotel would be a quiet one.

We checked in, had breakfast, went to our room, showered (I had a bath) and collapsed for a long time. When we woke up we had room service lunch (delicious) and then watched some TV — again, first day is usually our recovery day.

But we were feeling antsy. We can Netflix and chill for free in Toronto. So we decided to go out for dinner. The only problem is that most businesses, including restaurants, shut down on Sundays. And the restos that are open start up at 7pm.

We hopped in the rental hooptie (Citroen Aircross) to navigate the streets that alternate between being well laid out or narrow af. But we have no luck (Out of business! Closed!) and we came back to our hotel to eat at one of their spots.

Our meal was great and we ended our first night on a high note.

Azores: Day 2

Ok so boom, we got tipsy last night. The red wine was smooth and the beer was crisp. We adulted hard. We woke up late and decided to go on a quest for brunch. We hopped in the Citroen — it’s a hybrid btw — and went down to the boardwalk area first to eat at a spot we found on Yelp. Well that flopped when we couldn’t find parking so we decided to make our second stop our first one.

Off to Praia das Milicias, a popular beach lined with cafes. But the GPS in the car was suspect so we used my iPhone to find it. But between road construction and our weak ability to read Portuguese road signs we ended up at the neighboring Praia do Populo, a smaller beach with only one cafe. But what a cafe it is. Sunset Beach had a good vibe and friendly staff. And the food was amazing. The white wine sangria was potent. After a relaxed lunch we walked out and on to the beach. The black volcanic sand felt amazing between our toes. The weather was at 21°C but with the humidity it felt 4 degrees warmer.

The water was cool but we only stood in the surf. The best natural therapy you can find.

The drive back was smoother. In the Azores and Portugal they drive on the same side as Canadians but maybe with the temperament of a Bramptonian with questionable insurance.

So now we are chilling before we head out to a bar. Boa noite!

Azores: Time is a flat circle

Hey there. So we went on a day tour to the west of the island…well, my girl did because my torn meniscus in my knee was acting up. She saw a caldera lake, a pineapple plantation, the King’s View rock outcropping and some other stuff. Oh, and she politely fended off the tour guide’s come ons.

Anyway, she had fun while I put the portable Dr. Ho’s to good use.

We started off today with a gym session and then a spa massage downstairs. My girl Marisa worked my back like we went together. A true talent.

My girlfriend got her massage and we went back to the room and conked out. Siesta time. Side note: don’t try to get anything done in the Azores or Portugal between 3–6pm. Boa?

We then went to the north (south?) side of the island to have dinner at 4 Plátanos, a restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Although it’s only 20 minutes away from our hotel the drive was a little crazy due to narrow single lane ways, sparse road lighting, steep hills and tail gating locals. We got there and were able to get seated right away.

The service was good and so was the food. I will say that I prefer the seafood over the steak. Medium is more of a medium-rare here so take notes. The beer is light and refreshing and the cocktails are top notch. The food in general is unpretentious comfort food. Lots of protein and starch. And the serving sizes are big.

Fun times.

Lisbon: Day Um

Wait, wasn’t I just talking about the Azores? We’re running these Lisbon streets now, keep up.

The second leg of our first vacation after the apocalypse is in Lisbon, Portugal, a top ten world destination if you ask me. It’s a two hour plane ride from Ponta Delgada. This time we mixed it up by staying in a funky AirBnB in the heart of the city. This apartment could be a movie set.

We’re gonna Big City it up. Grown people thangs…but first, we eat. Ok, second we eat. First we rest. That flight was at 8:30am. We are tired.

Lisbon: dia dois, tres…

Travel schedules are super duty tough work. There’s pressure to maximize your time and do all of the things that you can’t do at home. My girl and I have being feeling that weight. But we have to keep our energy levels up and we just can’t do everything. So we picked the things we really wanted to do.

We went on a boat ride in the morning. We took a trip down the Tagus river, which empties out into the Atlantic. It was therapeutic and relaxing. The guest list was small and they had complimentary dranks and charcuterie. The fado music was bumping as we took in the historical sites.

We felt like mid-level bosses.

And we made a friend!

Lisbon: a conclusão

Like summer after grade five, all good things must come to an end. And so our vacation is over. Our last full day was spent getting our RT-PCR test done at CEDOC (appt only, quick in and out, results in 5 hours), packing and then going back to a sushi bar that we discovered. Christine the owner is a French woman who lived in Cali for 25 years and who’s now settled in Lisbon making onigiri. She knows all the French people in town because they kept filing in. We were glad to make a new amie.

Breakfast on travel day was at Heim, a noted cafe in walking distance of our AirBnB. Less talk, more mimosas was the theme. Get there early or you’ll have to line up at the French embassy across the street. Or you can go to the other cafes on the same row…Zappi has great food too.

No time to dilly dally, we went back to our spot, relaxed for 30 minutes and hopped in the Benz van limo for our ride to the airport.

Muito obrigado Lisbon! Bom dia Azores! We’ll be back.