We have no firm plans today, but have been in contact with Margo, and think we will pop over to Furnas for a quick visit, look see, and possibly hit the north shore tea plantations along the way. There is a national holiday November 1…….All Saints Day……traditions on this day include reading and learning about the saints, praying to the saints – especially one’s Confirmation Saint – and asking for their intercession so that we, too might become saints (I think this ship may have already sailed for me) It is also tradition on this day that you visit the graves of relatives and friends who have passed, to place flowers on their resting places……..stunning, but we did not stop to take pictures……..bad taste?
I just can’t get into this breakfast buffet here at the hotel……..I have become a yogurt sucking, granola crunching, fruit licking, mama’s boy…….I’ve gone from pork sausages and black pudding with HP Sauce in Dublin to apricots and sliced pineapple in Ribeira Grande…….HELP.
We are on the road mid morning, heading east along the north shore, and before long we pass the old historic Porto Formoso Tea Plantation……..it is closed for the holiday, so our dangerous U-turn on the highway to get back here was clearly unnecessary, but it did lead us to the road to Porto Formoso……….as per usual, we are always in for an exploratory drive on any road that looks interesting………this one started that way, and got better as it began to drop down towards the ocean, and continued down, down, down, down, through narrow cobblestone streets……..I swear if you step out your front door, you could get hit by a car…… then we reached the ocean, and this beautiful small harbour town………very picturesque……snapped a few, now time to test the clutch on this Citroen and climb outa here. Jutta had mentioned she would rather visit the smaller tea plantation as the larger of the two “Cha Gorreana” (now referred to as gonorrhea) was just too big and commercial. Regardless, we stopped down the road at gonorrhea and toured the fields, enjoyed the views, had a cup of free, very bitter tea, pretended we were interested in many gift shop items (buying none), and booked it out of there. Busy busy place……a real tourist trap.
Before long we are taking the Furnas exit off the highway, and heading down the wall of the crater and into town……..BTW passing Furnas GC along the way so will stop on the way out. Furnas is a busy town. Big tour busses offloading/picking up their passengers, who we assume are in town to visit either the Terra Nostra Park and the multiple hot spring pools, or Furnas Lake itself, or just to walk shop and eat their way through town. We find Margo and Steve’s place no problem……great to see Margo, and get the full property tour………ab fab……..and squeeze her for as much info as possible about things to do, places to go, where to eat, etc., etc., etc………Margo is a wealth of info, and also appears to be picking up the local lingo……….all her s’s are pronounced “sh”………so I ask how Shteve is doing?…………. as a parting gift, Margo takes us two doors down to a famous bakery owned by Rosa Quental…….Rosa is given credit for reviving the signature food in Furnas and is the #1 most famous baker of bolos levedos……..looks somewhat like a large English muffin but better texture and way too tasty. We had three in the bag, and the truth is they lasted maybe 20 minutes. This is a busy happening place, and following our walk about, we more than look forward to our stay here next week.
With great anticipation, we pulled into the Furnas GC. Margo told us they make the best chicken wings this side of St. Johns, and we are primed and ready for an cold beer and an afternoon feeding………..wings would be perfect. Bad news though…….chicken wings no longer on the menu…….settled for a toasted ham and cheese on a bolo levodo, w/fries on the side. J&S talk a walk down the first hole of the course on a recon, and report back that it looks great, and is is quite different from Batalha. Should be fun.
Back home at the hotel J&S head out along the shore in search of a local restaurant we have heard about, and come back with a 7pm reservation at Restaurante Monte Verde. This of course would be Jutta’s second birthday dinner, and 7pm couldn’t come too soon…….starving………and we are there when they open. This is a family style, family run, operation……..I think Mama is back in the kitchen cooking, Papa is the maitre d, brother Carlo is the bartender, and Marco the teenage non-English speaking nephew is our server. Interesting meal. I go for the grilled amberjack, Sibylle the rockfish, and Jutta takes on the octopus……..served with boiled potatoes, both white and sweet, an uninteresting thrown together salad, and that was it……..washed it down with a jug of the house wine, and there we were………another crappy meal in the books. Can’t believe we have struck out two nights in a row……….not like us at all. We will have to improve our dining game PDQ.
An early night in the sack tonight as we are back on the course tomorrow morning……..sweet dreams.
HUGEBLOGSITE 
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