Back in the States - Seeing New England

The worst part about traveling is the actually traveling part.  Getting back to the States from the Azores took all day and then some.  Getting through Customs is always an interesting process.  I never understand when the airport know when foreign flights are coming in why they don't have extra people on hand.  It easily took us an hour just to get through.  Oh well, enough said at least we got to go and make some great memories.  From here we had to go to a different terminal, so onto a shuttle we went.  Then to the car rental agency.  Of course, that is where lots of people were heading so more lines.  (Focus on the good parts of the trip!) We finally made it through the lines, got a car - not just any car but a charcoal gray Camaro.  Matt was in heaven to have a hot rod to drive for a few days.  

After leaving the airport we headed north to New Hampshire.  It was dark by the time we got out of the airport.  The Boston area traffic was crazy.  I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that everyday.  It took us a couple of hours to feel like we were out of the congestion.  I guess this is a busy commute route for those not wanting to live in the city.  

We knew we had missed the peak of the fall leaves but that was okay because we had also missed the millions of tourist who flock to see them.  The ones we did see were beautiful.  

Our first stop was the Ottauquechee River.  This area has a large bridge overlooking the a beautiful area of rock and trees.  You can also take a couple of different hikes to get down closer to the falls.  It was a beautiful warm fall day so we took advantage of the opportunity to get closer to the leaves.  

 

One place we wanted to stop for sure was the monument commemorating the birth place of Joseph Smith in Sharon, Vermont.  Turns out it really isn't in Sharon but South Royalton.  Thank heavens for GPS.  We had to go through some pretty small, back road towns to find it but we weren't disappointed.  

This is the entry way into the monument and visitor's center.

The area as you might expect is surrounded with trees, most of them tall, well over 20 feet.  It was beautiful.  I loved this one tree that stood out from the rest. Can you imagine attending church at this gorgeous location every week?

Joseph Smith's Testimony

Even though fall was well under way the flowers at the memorial were beautiful.  This shouldn't have been a surprise given how gorgeous the grounds of all the church properties are kept.

Leaving the memorial - the drive out. 

Our kids tell us that old people shouldn't take selfies. 

Flying Home

We had to make one final stop at our favorite grocery store.  I thought it was interesting that throughout the island we saw Halloween decorations.  This American holiday is spreading worldwide. Is that a good thing? 

One of many Halloween displays we saw on the island

Removing the luggage tags means we really are heading home....sad and glad at the same time.

We had to stop and fill up the car.  Even though we'd driven all over the island we'd only used 1/2 a tank of gas. Still it was $35.  By far the most expensive thing we'd done all week.  They also don't let you pump your own...so strange.  

Some of the last views on our way to the airport.  I'm really going to miss seeing the ocean and hearing the waves.

Boarding the plane

We won't panic that Matt's seat has duct tape on it or that our row doesn't have table trays...just minor details...right?

We finally got off.  Dinner was served.  Normally, airplane food is okay, not great but okay.  I'm not too hard to please though.  Sadly, this meal was awful.  The best part was the roll.  (Looks good though, too bad it wasn't).  Not the best way to end a wonderful vacation.  Oh well, hopefully there will be a McDonald's close by. 

To say it has been an amazing week would be a huge understatement.  I could never believe Terceira Island could be this relaxing, fun, exciting and beautiful.  I really do want to come back...soon.  

Things I'll miss: 

• the ocean, the color, the sound, the view
• the hotel hot chocolate
• the colors of the city
• the cobblestone streets and sidewalks
• the cheesecake
• the relaxed, slow pace of the island (other than the drivers!)
• seeing how happy the missionaries are
• the amazing view no matter where you look on the island

Until next time.....

Our Last Day on Terceira Island

We've had such a wonderful visit.  It's hard to believe this is our last day.  We decided to take it easy and just enjoy the beautiful day.  After relaxing we decided to head back over to Praia da Vitoria.  I had yelped "italian" food and found there was one Italian restaurant (Buzius) on the island.  I was craving pasta like you can't imagine.  Luckily, even if something is on the complete other side of the island it is only about 25-30 minutes away.  It was sooooo worth the drive.  

This is a typical appetizer - bread, olives and sausage (1.5 €)

Matt's lunch Spaghetti Carbonara (with bacon) - way more than he could eat. 

My favorite - Fettuccini Alfredo - with chicken.  I actually prefer it without
but this was the best fettuccini I've ever eaten.  Really!

Our check came in a shell.  Nice touch.

Throughout our stay one of our minor frustrations is that drinks, no matter what you order, are served with ice.  That's a European thing.  They just simply don't use ice the way Americans do.  We always add to order cold water with no gas.  This meant - hopefully a water bottle that had been in a fridge and did not have carbonation.  I tasted water with gas in Germany last summer.  Nasty!

Just outside the restaurant they had this great swimming area.  It was actually much nicer than the one on our side of the island. 

You can even go straight out into the ocean if you'd like.  No lava rocks.

Not a bad view anywhere on the island!

The Azores are known for their bull fighting and the running of the bulls.  Fortunately, we just barely missed these.  They end September 1st.  The people on the island are pretty proud of these traditions.  I personally think they are barbaric and should be done away with.  No area can be perfect though, right?

This GIANT statue is near the bull fighting arena.
(This is a large roundabout to give you some idea of the size of the statue.) 

Bull fighting arena

Our last stop was an old fortress.  We found when we went to visit it that it had been turned into an hotel.  Apparently, they don't mind having the public come in because we weren't the only ones checking it out. 

It was a sheer drop off to the lava rocks and waves below. 

Because you can't ever get too much of the ocean.

Great views from the fort walls.  I think I want to have some of these made into puzzles.

One of the lookout towers. 

We think this is where they kept prisoners.  Were not sure but it that's all
we could think of for the level of this collar. 

Another beautiful view

Spiral staircase with a port hole.  Interesting...

 For our last dinner on the island we went back to one of our favorite shops.  It's one about a mile away but I was glad we chose to drive.  We actually came just for the cheesecake but decided we should eat something healthy first.  We ordered 2 ham and cheese sandwiches.  These weren't fancy but you can't beat the price (1.3€).  I can't get over how inexpensive food is here given that we're in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean - hours and hours away from anywhere.  

Best cheesecake ever!

Looking down one of the main roads at night

It'll be sad to leave this beautiful place tomorrow.  It's been a wonderful visit.  I'm sad to see it end but excited to get home to see the kids. I look forward to coming back again.  Hopefully, it won't be too far in the future.