Sideways
12/26/2025
Well. That went sideways quickly.
On Christmas eve, we stocked up on final items we would need for Christmas when most things are closed. Most things started to shutter for the holiday mid to late afternoon. We decided to visit the botanical garden, not too far a walk from our apartment.
12/26/2025
Well. That went sideways quickly.
On Christmas eve, we stocked up on final items we would need for Christmas when most things are closed. Most things started to shutter for the holiday mid to late afternoon. We decided to visit the botanical garden, not too far a walk from our apartment.
Wandering the lava tube
The botanical garden has over 3000 different species of plants and Laurie was amazed. I have to say I was a little impressed myself. It sits on what used to be a lava tube (the island is volcanic in origin) and has a large open fissure running through the middle of the park. You can walk around in the fissure and see the plants that have taken it over.
For the first time ever, I saw an actual banana tree! They have these little bananas that are native to the island and we find them quite tasty! Every store has them and they’re super cheap…and now I know what they look like when they grow!
For the first time ever, I saw an actual banana tree! They have these little bananas that are native to the island and we find them quite tasty! Every store has them and they’re super cheap…and now I know what they look like when they grow!
Bananas!
They had species from all over the world including a huge Banyan tree from Australia, hardwoods from the US, fern type trees from China, it was pretty inclusive! We enjoyed our walk through the botanical garden then headed back into the city center.
We stopped at a sidewalk cafe we visited the day before that was still open. We had a nice lunch and then continued our walk back towards the apartment. We passed by one bar that always seems to be hopping….and it was. Turns out it was the official bar of the local football team, so it’s a very locals type place.
We stopped at a sidewalk cafe we visited the day before that was still open. We had a nice lunch and then continued our walk back towards the apartment. We passed by one bar that always seems to be hopping….and it was. Turns out it was the official bar of the local football team, so it’s a very locals type place.
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The good, the bad, and the ugly
Cars here run the gamut of manufacturers from all over the world. Lots of Toyotas, a few brands from India, Fiat, and of course Citroen from France. BYD is an electric car manufacturer out of China and has a big presence here. BYD outsells Tesla in Europe by wide margins.
As for how the cars look, I saw some things I love….like Rover Defenders. There are a lot of little econobox cars as they are cheap and easy to work on. You see BMW’s and Mercedes, like most places in Europe. Then……….there are the truly bizarre.
Citroen has a tiny electric car called “ami”, which translates to “friend”. They are painted in flat, almost primer like colors and are basically a cube with people in it. I look at it and as an engineer, don’t see a high survivability if one of these takes a hit. They’re short range and small, mostly meant for city driving. I’ll pass.
As for how the cars look, I saw some things I love….like Rover Defenders. There are a lot of little econobox cars as they are cheap and easy to work on. You see BMW’s and Mercedes, like most places in Europe. Then……….there are the truly bizarre.
Citroen has a tiny electric car called “ami”, which translates to “friend”. They are painted in flat, almost primer like colors and are basically a cube with people in it. I look at it and as an engineer, don’t see a high survivability if one of these takes a hit. They’re short range and small, mostly meant for city driving. I’ll pass.
Fan motor is fried!
We return to the apartment on Christmas Eve and discover that our refrigerator isn’t working properly. Everything is iced up and not cooling. The landlord is very responsive and a great guy to boot. He quickly lets us move our groceries to another apartment and plans to let the fridge thaw to see if this fixes it.
I’m an engineer and know how cooling systems work. If it is icing over, it’s not working properly. I take it upon myself to use a hairdryer and a few minor tools that I travel with to disassemble the cooling passages for the fridge. They have a huge amount of ice and I clear them and plug the fridge back in.
I’m an engineer and know how cooling systems work. If it is icing over, it’s not working properly. I take it upon myself to use a hairdryer and a few minor tools that I travel with to disassemble the cooling passages for the fridge. They have a huge amount of ice and I clear them and plug the fridge back in.
Kebap Wagon!
Instead of cooking Christmas Eve we decide we’ll stick our head out and see if anything is actually open. Across the parking lot from our apartment we see a light and a line running from a food truck. As with so many other places in Europe, the Kebap wagon is open and doing a fantastic business!
We get in line for our Kebap and there is a young guy in front of us. The wagon takes cash only but does let you use your phone with a pin…a Europe thing. He couldn’t get it to work as he didn’t have a pin and it would only work as credit. He walked away and we called him back, and bought his holiday dinner (about 5 bucks).
We get in line for our Kebap and there is a young guy in front of us. The wagon takes cash only but does let you use your phone with a pin…a Europe thing. He couldn’t get it to work as he didn’t have a pin and it would only work as credit. He walked away and we called him back, and bought his holiday dinner (about 5 bucks).
Kebap! (Very tasty)
He was very appreciative and with very broken English and some Portuguese we discovered he was from Nepal. Like most immigrants, he moved there for economic opportunities and had lived in Portugal for 3 years. He acted a little embarrassed about someone buying his dinner but we assured him this was fine and we wanted to. He thanked us again and headed into the night.
We wake up Christmas morning and discover that the fridge is icing once again. The landlord has given us a key to the other apartment so we can get our food, and plans to bring another fridge in the next morning. We’re doing okay so we decided to go out for a ride in our rental car and see some of the island.
We wake up Christmas morning and discover that the fridge is icing once again. The landlord has given us a key to the other apartment so we can get our food, and plans to bring another fridge in the next morning. We’re doing okay so we decided to go out for a ride in our rental car and see some of the island.
That doesn't go there...
We pull out of the garage and immediately get a “low tire pressure” warning. I inspect the tires and find a large bolt sticking out of one of them. Nice. It’s Christmas Day and nothing is open. I leave a message with the car rental folks and we’ll figure it out when things open back up.
Surprisingly, we get a call from the car rental company who tells us to come in first thing in the morning and they’ll take care of it. Not wanting to gamble with a low tire on Christmas day, we stayed close by. We went to an Asian restaurant that was open for our Christmas lunch. We had bought steaks so we had dinner covered.
Surprisingly, we get a call from the car rental company who tells us to come in first thing in the morning and they’ll take care of it. Not wanting to gamble with a low tire on Christmas day, we stayed close by. We went to an Asian restaurant that was open for our Christmas lunch. We had bought steaks so we had dinner covered.
Traditional Jewish Christmas dinner (Asian)
We come back to the apartment and within an hour, I am violently ill. I throw up and/or sleep for the next 22 hours. I am a train wreck. I had exactly the same problem about 6 weeks ago, again last week, and again on Christmas day. I thought it was Norovirus and/or food poisoning. It was not.
Laurie researches the matter and figures out that I’m having a reaction to a prescription drug I’m taking (Ozempic). I’ll be backing my dose off and discussing with my doctor when I get home. Apparently after long term use it can cause issues exactly like the ones I’m having. It seems being sick in Europe is now a Christmas Day tradition.
Laurie researches the matter and figures out that I’m having a reaction to a prescription drug I’m taking (Ozempic). I’ll be backing my dose off and discussing with my doctor when I get home. Apparently after long term use it can cause issues exactly like the ones I’m having. It seems being sick in Europe is now a Christmas Day tradition.
Narrow city streets
I wake up today (12/26) and feel a little better. Laurie went out to the cafe we were at the day before and got chicken soup. I would up having that for all my meals today. I ate bananas, plain crackers, jello, and bread. I’m hopefully recovering. Fluid intake is up and I’m able to get out and around some.
We bring the rental car in and they take the tire off and put on the spare. They tell us they’ll take it to the tire shop and have it patched and we can come by in a few hours and they’ll reinstall. We get a call in a while saying the tire store is closed until next week and to come by in the morning and they’ll give us a new car.
We bring the rental car in and they take the tire off and put on the spare. They tell us they’ll take it to the tire shop and have it patched and we can come by in a few hours and they’ll reinstall. We get a call in a while saying the tire store is closed until next week and to come by in the morning and they’ll give us a new car.
You don't see these in the states! (cig machine)
We have the donut wheel on and there are no high speed roads here. We drive west down the coast road a bit and visit a few miradouras (overlooks) and take a few photos. I continue to do okay, recovering from yesterday. It is a nice ride and we’ll do more rides as the week progresses.
Laurie joked Christmas Day that these things happen in threes. Not being superstitious, I ignore this. We have a frozen fridge, a tire with a bolt sticking out of it, and me spending in very long time driving the porcelain bus.
Let’s hope things get better from here. Laurie wanted to comment a bit so I’ll turn it over to her.
Laurie joked Christmas Day that these things happen in threes. Not being superstitious, I ignore this. We have a frozen fridge, a tire with a bolt sticking out of it, and me spending in very long time driving the porcelain bus.
Let’s hope things get better from here. Laurie wanted to comment a bit so I’ll turn it over to her.
Laurie's thoughts
We arrived in Boston on a cold night but were luckily not out very long before heading in a shuttle bus to our hotel. Having decided not to risk delayed first flights we chose to spend the night in Boston on both ends of the trip which, so far, turned out well. I haven’t been to Boston for any length of time since I was in my 20s (many years ago).
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market are in the center of historic Boston. Faneuil Hall was built in 1792 and Quincy market finished in 1826. Faneuil Hall is considered the birthplace of our nation. It was refreshing to stand where the immigrant founders of this nation debated and argued how to start a revolution. Boston was the seat of the revolution. I could wax poetic about breathing in the air of freedom but I’ll spare you.
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market are in the center of historic Boston. Faneuil Hall was built in 1792 and Quincy market finished in 1826. Faneuil Hall is considered the birthplace of our nation. It was refreshing to stand where the immigrant founders of this nation debated and argued how to start a revolution. Boston was the seat of the revolution. I could wax poetic about breathing in the air of freedom but I’ll spare you.
Botanical gardens
Unlike where we live in TN, the full history of our country is on public display. In Fanueil Hall there are exhibits tracing the history of the slave trade and the enslavement and destruction of the indigenous peoples of this land. It is easy living in the south to think the slave trade was only there, but I had forgotten how vital a role ports like Boston played in it. Similar to the way Germany has created detailed exhibitions of how the Nazi party rose to power, these displays did not white wash the less than savory aspects of our history. Thank you Boston Massachusetts for that.
When we left Boston it was 36F and when we arrived in Portugal it was 63. During the 5 hour flight, they serve just one small cup of water on Azores air, everything else you pay for. Unfortunately I don’t sleep on airplanes so I was pretty wasted when we got here 6am local time. A nap was required before doing anything else. I really like being somewhere new, the getting there - not so much.
When we left Boston it was 36F and when we arrived in Portugal it was 63. During the 5 hour flight, they serve just one small cup of water on Azores air, everything else you pay for. Unfortunately I don’t sleep on airplanes so I was pretty wasted when we got here 6am local time. A nap was required before doing anything else. I really like being somewhere new, the getting there - not so much.
Typical Ponta Delgada street
Our apartment is lovely and spacious. The landlord, Jose, has been a gem. We had a problem with our refrigerator Xmas eve and he let us put our food in another one just one floor below us until he could get here to replace it the day after Xmas. He lives upstairs and owns several apartments in this building, as well as others around the city. I don’t know the average income here but I would say he is well above it. He lived in Canada for years and his grown kids still live there but he and his wife retired to Portugal. His wife is in Canada for the holidays visiting their children and grandchild.
Real estate here is much cheaper compared to the states, even Cookeville. Portugal in general is very affordable. We talked to some guys that work in the excellent Indian restaurant we ate in, and they confirmed that Portugal is beginning to make it more difficult to emigrate here now. There has been an influx of people from the US moving here because the cost of living is so much lower. Food prices are substantially less, particularly produce. Such a welcome change from the false economy under which we struggle.
Real estate here is much cheaper compared to the states, even Cookeville. Portugal in general is very affordable. We talked to some guys that work in the excellent Indian restaurant we ate in, and they confirmed that Portugal is beginning to make it more difficult to emigrate here now. There has been an influx of people from the US moving here because the cost of living is so much lower. Food prices are substantially less, particularly produce. Such a welcome change from the false economy under which we struggle.
Building permit applied for
(That's what the sign says)
There are abandoned buildings all over the city and in prominent places. In Porto we were told the reason for it is the price of renovating them can not be offset by the price to sell or rent them. I don’t know if that is the case here in Sao Miguel, but in addition to full abandonment, there are many areas that seem to be in various states of disrepair. Once you get away from the main tourist areas the neighborhoods are kind of patchy, not unlike cities at home. Interestingly enough it appeared that some of the Muslim immigrants are in a neighborhood bordering the prison/jail. Not prime real estate I suppose.
One of the interesting places we found was the Sahar Hassamein synagogue located on the top floor of a nondescript building. Wherever we go I look for Jewish history. While not in use, it has been renovated and is now a museum with artifacts from when there was a thriving Jewish community here. Jews came from mainland Portugal in 1496 when they were expelled from mainland Portugal. The Inquisition made practising Judaism a crime and many converted or practiced in secret. Around 1819 another influx of Jewish people arrived from Morocco and eventually built the synagogue in 1836 complete with a mikvah (ritual bathing pool). It is the oldest post-Inquisition synagogue in Portugal. Economic shifts led to the decline in Jewish population until many came during WWII to escape the Nazis. Now, however, there are apparently no practicing Jews in Ponta Delgada but their history has been preserved with the reopening of the renovated synagogue in 2015.
One of the interesting places we found was the Sahar Hassamein synagogue located on the top floor of a nondescript building. Wherever we go I look for Jewish history. While not in use, it has been renovated and is now a museum with artifacts from when there was a thriving Jewish community here. Jews came from mainland Portugal in 1496 when they were expelled from mainland Portugal. The Inquisition made practising Judaism a crime and many converted or practiced in secret. Around 1819 another influx of Jewish people arrived from Morocco and eventually built the synagogue in 1836 complete with a mikvah (ritual bathing pool). It is the oldest post-Inquisition synagogue in Portugal. Economic shifts led to the decline in Jewish population until many came during WWII to escape the Nazis. Now, however, there are apparently no practicing Jews in Ponta Delgada but their history has been preserved with the reopening of the renovated synagogue in 2015.
Laundry day
Interestingly, there are a lot of homeless people living on the streets here. People begging for cash on the main drag and in parks with addicts smoking crack in a park. None of them have been aggressive and I have never felt threatened by them. While drugs have been decriminalized here, they are not legal. Portugal claims success in people entering treatment now that they don’t go to prison for their addiction. However, it doesn’t seem to keep them off the streets. Their presence generally doesn’t detract from the charm of the city as a whole, and it seems most people don’t even notice them. Homelessness is apparently a problem world wide, some countries more than others.
Meanwhile we had a challenging Christmans day. In addition to our refrigerator issue, we discovered one of the tires on our rental car had a bolt in it causing a slow leak so we decided not to go wandering about in it. Then Bill got sick and that was how our day ended. But all those problems got resolved by the next day so now we should be in the clear if things happen in 3’s.
Meanwhile we had a challenging Christmans day. In addition to our refrigerator issue, we discovered one of the tires on our rental car had a bolt in it causing a slow leak so we decided not to go wandering about in it. Then Bill got sick and that was how our day ended. But all those problems got resolved by the next day so now we should be in the clear if things happen in 3’s.
Out in the countryside
We took a drive today (12/26) up the coast stopping in lookouts called Miradors. There are so many beautiful coastal scenes of small towns nestled in the valleys and sweeping vistas of the ocean. The weather changes within minutes but we have been lucky so far to have clouds, some sun and no rain. Given that this is their rainy season I’m sure we will have some rainy days, but so far it has been lovely. Tomorrow we plan to go to Caldeira das Setes Cidades, twin lakes in a volcanic crater if all goes well. One thing about travel I have learned is to make plans, but be flexible in their implementation.
It has been so pleasant to be out of our country right now. I feel like I can take a deep breath and have put aside, as much as I can, the mess that our country is in. It is amazing to see how different it is when people from all nationalities can work and exist without fear. No ICE, no National Guard, no insane rants from the leadership. Just people being people. So refreshing.
It has been so pleasant to be out of our country right now. I feel like I can take a deep breath and have put aside, as much as I can, the mess that our country is in. It is amazing to see how different it is when people from all nationalities can work and exist without fear. No ICE, no National Guard, no insane rants from the leadership. Just people being people. So refreshing.
