(Azores Flag)


(Azores Map)

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2012:

Friday morning we sailed into the beautiful harbor of Ponta Delgada in the Azore Islands.

All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.



Ponta Delgada is the capital city of the Azores.
It is located on Sao Miguel Island, the largest of the nine volcanic islands.


On my shore excursion of the island we visited a local garden,
a pineapple plantation and the beautiful crater lake.


After my shore excursion I had time for a nice long walk around town.


The population of Ponta Delgada is about 45,000.


We sailed away at sunset and began our long trek across the Atlantic Ocean.

61 minute video of my day in the Azores.

MY DAILY EMAIL SENT ON NOVEMBER 9, 2012

Hello :o) Yesterday was a day at sea as we made our way to the Azore Islands. The Azores are part of Portugal and lie about 800 miles west of Lisbon. There are nine volcanic islands in total and at 9:30 this morning we docked at the largest island in the capitol city of Ponta Delgada. It was a beautiful day today. Mostly sunny skies and temps in the mid 60s. Below (lower right) is a picture of Forte de Sao Bras as we were sailing into the harbor this morning. I walked around this castle later in the day. The first thing I did today was take a tour of the island. Our first stop was at a local garden. The was a beautiful poinsettia plant in full bloom and it's not even Christmas yet. We also saw this magnificent huge rubber tree. Our next stop was at a pineapple plantation where we sampled their pineapple liquor. I'm not much of a drinker but it was actually pretty good. Next we climbed up into the hills of the island. There were many great views of this beautiful island from up there. Below is looking down on the north coast. The main industry here is dairy farming. Cows outnumber people here. You can see some cattle in the picture below. Below are the beautiful crater lakes. If the sky above weren't gray one lake would be blue and the other green. Unfortunately both were gray today due to the overcast sky in the area. We got back to town at 2:30 and we didn't have to be back to the ship until 5:30 so I had plenty of time for a nice long walk around town. Below is a picture from the sail-in this morning of the town center. And below are some closer looks from my walk. I don't know what the majestic blue building below is, I'll have to look it up on the internet. The city is full of beautiful squares, parks and monuments. Below is a statue of Padre Joaquim De Sena Freitas in one of the parks. When my time ran out I headed back to the ship. The sun set just after 5:30 as we were beginning to sail away. It was a beautiful sailaway as the lights were coming on in the city. It was a very enjoyable day. The final picture is of the ship as we were just about to clear the island and head back out into the Atlantic. We now have four sea days in a row and we cross the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. There is only one more port on the cruise and that is Bermuda next Wednesday. That is followed by two more sea days before the cruise ends in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, November 17. Tim

Click on email photos for the large full-size photograph.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2012:

A day at sea as we continued our trek across the Atlantic Ocean.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2012:

A day at sea as we continued our trek across the Atlantic Ocean.

MY DAILY EMAIL SENT ON NOVEMBER 11, 2012

Hello everyone, Not much to write about. We have been at sea for two days now since leaving the Azores. Right now we are pretty much in the center of the Atlantic Ocean. Below is a picture. That is the view I have from my cabin. I am all the way to the back of the ship looking out on where we have been. Below is a picture of my spacious cabin. I am sailing on the Grand Princess. It just recently went through a long dry-dock where a lot of the ship was updated, including the atrium which is pictured below. It has been a relatively smooth crossing so far. Mainly cloudy skies but nice temperature for this time of year, around 70. It was nice and sunny this morning and I was able to sit out on deck for a while. I've mainly been spending my time giving my previous winnings back to the ship. I think they've got them all and then some. Still two more sea days to go before we get to Bermuda. Unless something unusual happens I probably won't write again until we leave there. Tim

Click on email photos for the large full-size photograph.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012:

A day at sea as we continued our trek across the Atlantic Ocean.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012:

A day at sea as we continued our trek across the Atlantic Ocean.


Click on the arrow above to continue to my next stop, BERMUDA!

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