Date: Wednesday 06/11/2008
Weather: Rain
Today the rains came in earnest. It was damp and uncomfortable and it would have been easy to give in and just hunker down on the boat and read for the next two days. However, anyone who is familiar with the size of a 34 foot sailboat, knows that that was not really an option for 5 people.
By now they were saying that the storm would last at least through Friday and everything was already saturated. I was getting concerned about our painting but Robyn would not let me give up. We went out that morning and bought the paint. We were committed, but the rain kept coming.
Robyn is the most wonderful traveling companion. From the start (crab cakes & clam chowder in the Boston airport), she took charge and got the most out of every day. She tirelessly hunted down all the most interesting spots and best restaurants.
It was her idea to rent a car that afternoon and explore the island. With Eric as the driver, Robyn, Kelly & I circled the island, heading down any little road or lane that caught our eye. Even in the rain the scenery was beautiful.
This lighthouse was destroyed in an earthquake in recent times. I wish I remembered more of the story. (Ask Robyn, she'll know).
This is one of the few remaining older windmills.
Faial has 5 modern windmills. Portugual has a strong energy policy and it is their goal to meet 40% of their energy needs by wind. They are well on their way at 20% now.
We were passing through a town where Robyn had read of an excellent little restaurant that was hard to find but worth searching for. The name of the restaurant was ‘Restaurante Esconderija’ which I believe means hidden restaurant.
We saw a sign for it and followed the signs. We arrived at a lovely little home with a beautiful garden with outdoor seating and a view of a lava flow that in the rain turned into a raging waterfall. It was too late for lunch, but the proprietors, Hans and Frankie, allowed us to come in from the rain and offered us coffee. We made arrangements to come back when they opened for dinner.
We returned to Horta.
The rain had cleared temporarily and although the walls were saturated, we decided to make a try at our painting. We were able to get the white base coat down.
When it came time to leave for our dinner reservations I was not feeling well. Scott and I decided to forgo dinner at the Restaurante Esconderija and just relax in Eric & Robyn’s hotel room.
That was a mistake, because the report from Robyn, Eric, & Kelly was that the meal was stupendous. Eric had lamb chops with little sage dumplings and Robyn had filet mignon with a mushroom sauce. Not sure what Kelly had, but they all came home satisfied.
We were passing through a town where Robyn had read of an excellent little restaurant that was hard to find but worth searching for. The name of the restaurant was ‘Restaurante Esconderija’ which I believe means hidden restaurant.
We saw a sign for it and followed the signs. We arrived at a lovely little home with a beautiful garden with outdoor seating and a view of a lava flow that in the rain turned into a raging waterfall. It was too late for lunch, but the proprietors, Hans and Frankie, allowed us to come in from the rain and offered us coffee. We made arrangements to come back when they opened for dinner.
We returned to Horta.
The rain had cleared temporarily and although the walls were saturated, we decided to make a try at our painting. We were able to get the white base coat down.
When it came time to leave for our dinner reservations I was not feeling well. Scott and I decided to forgo dinner at the Restaurante Esconderija and just relax in Eric & Robyn’s hotel room.
That was a mistake, because the report from Robyn, Eric, & Kelly was that the meal was stupendous. Eric had lamb chops with little sage dumplings and Robyn had filet mignon with a mushroom sauce. Not sure what Kelly had, but they all came home satisfied.
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