Atlantic Ocean – Valerie's Voice

Madeira

The last island we visited on our two-week trip to “islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean” was Madeira, a separate archipelago consisting of four islands. Madeira island is southeast of the Azores and about 600 miles west of mainland Portugal.

The view over the infinity pool looking towards the Atlantic Ocean, on the roof top of our hotel in Funchal.

Funchal, the capital of Madeira, where we stayed in a lovely boutique hotel with a rooftop pool and fabulous view of the city and ocean, was winding down from a Flower Festival on the island…beautiful carpets made of flowers along the sidewalks, and stunning flower arrangements everywhere.

A carpet of flowers found on sidewalks and in hotel lobbies.

It was the last days of the festival.

One of many stunning flower arrangements.

We went on a grand driving tour to: Camara de Lobos, a fishing Village, Cabo Girão, a striking overlook of the sea (the cliff is 589 meters above sea level or 1,932 feet), and Serrado da Eira, a picturesque mountainous region of Madeira.

Looking straight down from cliff overlook, 589 meters (1,932 feet) above sea level. photo gb

Another view looking down from the high cliff to the shoreline. photo gb

We went to a rum factory and a farmer’s market, walked down a historic street with unique painted doors, and went on a cetaceans-watching tour. We didn’t see any whales but we did see dolphins and a beautiful coastline. (I have no photos from our boat tour because I do not bring my camera/phone near any bodies of water after having lost electronics in lakes a couple of times!)

We ate at several fantastic restaurants on Madeira Island. A huge European breakfast buffet was offered at all our hotels, on all the islands, each morning. Lunch and dinners were a mixture of eating as a group in small, local restaurants, or visiting a quaint sidewalk café when dinner was “on our own.”

We ate lunch at Quinta do Furão, part of this lovely hotel complex.

In Madeira we ate together at several special restaurants but three stand out…lunch at Quinta do Furão on the outdoor patio with lovely views of the ocean,

il Vildali, a Mediterranean Cuisine restaurant that was eloquently set for us at a huge table with luxury tablecloth and candelabras,

il Vivaldi Mediterranean Cuisine Restaurant.

and on our last night together we ate at Mozart Restaurant; with a fun wait staff and interesting bathrooms.

The Mozart restaurant was on the Rua de Santa Maria, one of the oldest streets in Madeira. It is a pedestrian-friendly cobblestone street, with some car traffic. It is lined with small restaurants, cafes and a small art gallery or two. It is also known for its painted doors.

Funny to say, but bathrooms can be very interesting. I have always liked to check out bathrooms in different places, but in the Mozart Restaurant we all checked out the bathrooms. The room was all mirrors, including floors and ceilings. It was unique!

The room of mirrors…the separate room with the toilet was the same; all mirrors.

It is here where we had to say good-bye to our new friends whom we shared so many wonderful adventures together over two weeks. We were so happy to have had our paths cross with these fine folks. It was sad to bid farewell.

These peace lilies were growing wild all over the islands.

Terceira

We arrived on the island of Terceira a day before our official tour with OAT began.

We wanted to acclimate our body clocks, plus we wanted to get a hike in with our friends we travel with.

We had a good weather, a sunny day and an interesting hike up Mount Brasil.

Looking over a caldera, to the Atlantic Ocean.

The next day we met our OAT tour group. OAT promotes discoveries and experiences, so they bring the groups to small, local businesses and out of the way places, and even make unscheduled stops. One day we stopped at a farmer’s market and a fishing dock to talk with a local fisherman, neither one on the schedule for that day.

At the fishing dock, a local fisherman shows us the bait that has been assembled for the next round of fishing. These are fish heads/parts secured on a hook for a fishing line.

A few of the many experiences on the island of Terceira was a small winery tour, an organic coffee/banana plantation tour, seeing the dramatic tide pools, and having dinner with a local family. All were remarkable in their own way.

Buildings for the winery built from lava rock.

Several volcanic rock walls create an amazing vineyard.

The Materramenta Winery was interesting. The vineyards were enclosed, and divided, by volcanic rock walls making it picturesque,

Some grapevines were planted in rows in a small area.

Other vines were planted in deep volcanic rock holes – a special planting method. photo gb

plus adding a unique and great flavor to the wines apparently.

The olive tree in the corner is to detract birds from eating the grapes. photo gb

The lava rock walls were strategically put together to allow air flow.

After a tour of the vineyard, we were invited into a tasting room with a long, welcoming table.

Setting for our wine tasting at this small winery.

The coffee/banana plantation was so different from the winery, yet beautiful in a different way. It was very lush.

José, the owner of an organic coffee and banana plantation gives us a tour.

José, has expanded his small business into eco lodging and built a few small camping cabins in the midst of the plantation.

A nice camping cabin on the coffee plantation, complete with indoor plumbing!

The a-line cabins were inviting, and are creating more income for this family.

One of my favorite pictures at one of my favorite spots on our trip.

One of my two favorite activities on Terceira was going to the Biscoitos tide pools to watch the waves crash over the volcanic boulders along the shore.

Mini waterfalls created by waves crashing in.

It was mesmerizing. A fellow traveler commented with waterfalls the water flows down, but along the shore when the waves hit the rocks the water bursts up into the air.

Another favorite activity was a local home visit. One evening our big group was divided into three small groups and folks on the island invited us into their houses for a home-cooked dinner, and for a peek at how the islanders live. It was wonderful.

We were invited into this beautiful home for dinner. photo gb

Due to different circumstances, our host was on his own with all six of us, but his wife had the meal mostly prepared and he pulled it off flawlessly. He was a great host and his 17-year-old and 6-year-old joined us near the end of dinner. We had a delightful evening.

Roger, our home host, adding the final touches to dessert.

And that was not all (that we did on Terceira)…But it is enough…(for now).

Açores & Madeira

We just returned from an adventure to the Azores, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, with an added hop to the island of Madeira, all governed by Portugal.

The first morning after we arrived on the island of Terceira, one of the nine islands in the Azores archipelago, I greeted a woman in the hallway of our hotel and she enthusiastically replied, “We’re on a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!” And off we went on our separate ways. But, those twelve words became my mantra throughout the trip. Many times I would remind myself, and those around me, by saying out loud, “we’re on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!” It was kind of crazy, but very beautiful, and definitely wonderful.

Angra do Heroísmo, the capitol city of Terceira, with Mt. Brazil in the background.

Our adventures started in Terceira (nicknamed the lilac island because of the many lilac-colored hydrangeas there – which only a few were in bloom at this time). After five nights we flew to São Miguel (the green island) our second of the nine islands in the archipelago, and ended up in Madeira, an island between the Azores and Portugal.

The harbor at Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira.

We were traveling with a tour group (Overseas Adventure Travel) for the first time. There were 16 of us in the group, all from different areas of the US. The tour guide was a local man who lived on the island of São Miguel. He was knowledgeable, very personable, and took good care of us. He spoke great English with a wonderful accent. We were together with these same folks for twelve days. We traveled well together. Our group had some very interesting people, and it was fun to get to know them. Everyone has a story.

Henrique, our wonderful OAT tour guide, from São Miguel.

I’m finding the longer one is on tour the more pictures one takes… and then all those photos have to be gone through. It is a time-consuming job, but a fun one. I will be share more stories and photos in the coming weeks.

A Fun Twist

There was a twist in plans this year, for an annual get away (this would be #36) with my friend Frances. During the past year, she and her husband moved to Vermont. We wondered, what will we do for our trip this year? Then, there was a fundraising auction and she won a bid for a beachfront condo.

She asked if I wanted to join her on Fenwick Island, a coastal resort town in Delaware. Sure, I said, even though I had never heard of Fenwick Island. And then, we decided to include our husbands…that was the twist…that was new for us…and we had a delightful time.

The criteria for our get-aways include three things: some body of water to enjoy, thrift stores and/or antique shops to peruse, and gardens to meander. Would Fenwick Island meet these criteria?

The condo was facing the Atlantic Ocean and we had lovely weather so we could walk along the beach and sit on the balcony… a wonderful fulfillment for our water requirement.

We had a fun time trying on matching shirts (which we did buy).

One day all four of us drove to a nearby, historic town with tree-lined streets, and quaint boutiques – we found sidewalk sales and ice cream. Another day we left the husbands behind, and sought out the thrift stores and antique shops we always enjoy. There is usually no problem finding these kinds of stores anywhere.

A landscape by Piet Oudolf, a Dutch garden designer.

The third requirement is all about gardens, and we found out the Delaware Botanical Garden was only a half an hour away! How convenient.

The four of us walked the trails, and in addition to lovely flowers, there were other surprises along the way.

This “nest” was created as an outdoor classroom at the botanical garden.

Apparently two volunteers at the botanical garden are clever at creating sculptures with natural materials from the forest floor. They were very creative, and fun to discover as we meandered through the grounds.

A turtle – a clever use of tree trunk slices for the turtle’s shell, with green moss in-between the spaces.

Another blessing was seeing the nearly full moon (officially the following evening) over the Atlantic Ocean, the night before we left Fenwick Island.

We could see its refection on the wet sand…so amazing.

Our criteria was met…we had a great time…with added blessings.

A Few More Photos

I want to post a few additional photos from our road trip in the southeastern states.

The beautiful Pineapple Fountain in Charleston, South Carolina.

Special artwork using paint and sweetgrass, on display in Hyman’s Seafood restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.

We were surprised to see this bobcat one morning in northeastern Florida.

These fun boats caught our eye. The boats shaped like cars were docked at an outdoor restaurant where we ate in Clearwater, Florida.

We tried boiled peanuts for the first time, and liked them. We ate at Hyman’s Seafood restaurant. The Hyman family has been at the same location for over 121 years (five generations). It started out as a Wholesale dry goods store then changed to Hyman’s Seafood in 1987. The restaurant has a great reputation.

Some “funky birds” in a park in Dunedin, Florida.

In Myrtle Beach we tried fried green tomatoes, for the first time, and liked them.

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Colors of California

We had a dazzling time observing all the colors during our few days in California.

Sun rising over the mountains, at the exact minute it was scheduled!

Lemon trees, lime trees, avocado and clementine trees, o my!

Gary an I on this rocky beach on the Pacific Ocean during low tide.

A lone tree on top of the cliff overlooking the ocean.

A fun hint of blue on our toenails to remind us of the ocean water and blue skies

We went to fly a kite and the wind took hold.

Lil’ Toot’s captain took us on a harbor cruise.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

We decided to take a road trip from Charlotte to the Atlantic coast over the weekend, just to see the ocean. (I’m always drawn to water!) We left Saturday morning and drove four hours to Myrtle Beach State Park in South Carolina. The state park offered a nice sandy beach on the Atlantic Ocean, with a wooden pier, hiking trails, an activity center and more.

Beautiful clouds and sunshine over the Atlantic Ocean.

We arrived in time to eat our picnic lunch on the sandy beach. The weather was great…77* and sunny. The grandkids enjoyed playing in the water and the sand. Gary and I enjoyed the sunshine, and watching the grandkids have fun.

We walked out on the pier, and later in the afternoon we planned a hike.

A wonderful quote to start off our hike.

As we started our hike, I was excited to read a nature quote on a sign at the beginning of the trail, and I thought to myself…this will be a fun hike. As we walked a little further, I started slapping mosquitoes, as did everyone else. As we continued on, we were attacked by mosquitos…so we turned around and walked back out of the woods. So much for a hike in this state park.

On our drive east to Myrtle Beach on Saturday morning, we noticed fields that looked full of snow clumps…and discovered it was cotton. On our way home the next day, we stopped at one of several cotton fields we passed.

We got out of the car and walked through the rows of cotton and got a good look at this interesting crop!

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium.*

It was a quick trip, but a memorable one.

*Wikipedia

California Coast

We walked along the Atlanta Ocean in January, and five weeks later we walked along the Pacific Ocean. We spent some time with our older son and his wife and two children on the California Coast. It was lovely, sunny, and in the 60-70’s. Here are some photos from our time there.

We grabbed a blanket, with coffee in hand, to watch the sunrise every morning.