Warming Up in the Hot Springs
Everywhere in Furnas are bubbling, superheated hot springs that both entertain and provide relaxation for locals. People come from around the world to see them and there’s a big hotel in the center of the town where guests go to swim in orange colored, iron-laced waters. The waters of the […]
Here’s Your Chance at a New Career!
Our established and popular four-year-old cafe is for sale! The demands of our travel website has made operating our cafe difficult, but we’ve built a loyal clientele and believe the business is sound. We are looking for a person who can continue our success in the prosperous village of South […]
Azores Facts from Guide Luis Daniel
However exciting travel may be, there is nothing better than that first night back when you sleep in a very familiar bed and wake up to the sounds and smells you’re used to living with every day. No hotel room can be as good as one’s own bed! A few […]
Vegetarian Food in the Azores: Rotas Satisfies, Big Time
After a week of endless varieties of fish and beef, we need some serious veggies. A local told us about the only vegetarian restaurant in all nine islands, it is called Rotas. We looked it up, booked a cab, and were soon enjoying some of the finest stuffed mushrooms we […]
He Got His Start Washing Dishes in Lisbon
Like many chefs, Joao Rieff got his start in a kitchen as a dishwasher. After earning a degree in economics in Lisbon, he followed the trail through many mainland kitchens and worked for a time in the Hotel Meridien in Paris. Through all of the years of cooking in New […]
Rain Slicked Runways and Foggy Roads: Don’t Look Now!
I sometimes actually say prayers when I’m taking off in a plane. The other night we took off in a 67-seat ATC turboprop plane for a short flight from Santa Maria to Sao Miguel. It was that old story ‘rain slicked runway’ and I kept imagining the headline about how […]
All the Way to the Azores, the Health Insurance Myths Prevail
We asked many people we met about the health insurance system here in the Azores. This topic has come up more than a few times, as the locals here quizzed us about what is going on the US with health insurance. “Is it true that people are allowed to die […]
Using Ancient Machinery, Teamakers Thrive Here
Rows of tea at the Gorreana Tea company. We learned about how tea is made and that in a climate like the Azores, a lot of rain is great for growing the leaves of Orange Pekoe, Pekoe and green teas. Some of the British tea manufacturers who were doing business […]