Azores
A short overnight flight and a morning arrival leads to a bit of a long day, especially when navigating the Azores' narrow roads and city streets. The celebrations on arrival must have been limited to local media as I did not see anything at the airport. Lingered for a but to make sure I didn't miss anything, then it was time to wander Ponta Delgada's historic core including an old fort, indulge in a local breakfast, and head up to one of the better known viewpoints of the island, Miradouro da Vista Do Rei.
As it turns out, blowing winds, easily in the 20 to 30mph range, were to be a hallmark of the trip. You could literally see clouds howling over the edges of the extinct volcano that is Sete Cidades while at the viewpoint.
The regional breakfast at Cafe Central in Ponta Delgada was both very fresh and very basic in the forms of fresh pineapple, breads, and cheese. Terrific value at less than 10 Euros. Lunch a few hours later at A Tasca was a mushy octopus (yuck) and an excellent dobrada (Portugese beef intestine stew, NOM!).