Ponta Delgada, Azores

Today, after 6 days at sea, we arrived at our final port; Ponta Delgada, in the Azores.

It was always going to be something of a leisurely day, with no major hikes or hill climbs planned. Tracey was feeling a little under the weather, which pointed towards it being an even more leisurely day than that, although by late morning, she was feeling considerably better, and so we headed ashore.

The ship wasn’t berthed in our regular spot. Instead, we were parked out on a limb, in the cargo port, where pedestrian access is forbidden. Seeing the cranes whipping around loading and unloading the massive containers like they were lobbing Lego bricks around, I can see why. Instead, we had to catch a shuttle bus which took us to the main gate, by the fort. Again, this was a little out on a limb in relation to the town, and where we would normally be berthed, but at least it was walkable.

We took our time, enjoying the wander into town, eventually gravitating towards the main cruise terminal and up towards the Farmers Market. It was in the market that we got collared by a small film crew asking if we were happy to be interviewed for a local TV station. My motto is; never pass up an opportunity to appear on TV, so we gladly obliged. The questions weren’t difficult; where were we from? Had we been here before? What did we like most about the Azores?… that sort of thing.

After our interview, we drafted back towards the central part of town in search of food. Clutching wholesome snacks (yes, that included Pringles), we sat and ate our lunch and watched the world go by, until it was time to start making our way back towards the ship.

We had three more sea days ahead of us before arriving at Portsmouth. The weather was looking decidedly dodgy, according to a new app on our phones (Windy), and the captain would need to put his foot down if he was to beat an incoming storm before hitting the English Channel.