Day 7: Back to Sao Miguel

July 11, 2020

After breakfast, we load the car and leave our little stone house at the Caparica Azores Eco Lodge around 9:45 am.

Terceira treats us to bright sunshine this morning, so we spontaneously make a second attempt to drive to the Serra Santa Barbara viewpoint.

Yesterday the mountain was completely covered in clouds, so we didn't even try. But today it might work.

Driving past roads lined with rhododendron, we pass by the Gruta do Natal to the Serra der Santa Barbara, where the road snakes up the mountain with many switchbacks.

Once we reach the top, we break through the cloud cover. We enjoy a brief view of the ocean and the sunny island before thick clouds roll in and we can't see anything anymore. We timed it perfectly!

After a few photo spots on the way back, we slowly drive towards the airport, which we reach by 12:00 pm.

We are the first ones at the check-in counter, the departure hall is empty.

We spend the hour before departure outside the airport building, where masks are not required.

At 1:00 pm, we go through security to the gate. Everything is very straightforward here as well. Finally, 18 passengers take their seats in the turboprop. We end up in row 9 again, right next to the rotor blades.

We take off promptly at 2:05 pm. It's really crazy how fast and agile these small planes are. Just as we break through the cloud cover and reach our cruising altitude, we start descending again. The flight back to Sao Miguel is even faster than the outbound flight, lasting only 30 minutes, and it tops the list of my shortest flights at number 1.

Sao Miguel also welcomes us this time with bright sunshine.

This time we pick up our rental car at Thrifty/Hertz. I booked a station wagon, and we receive a black Peugeot 308 station wagon with tinted windows. The car has 40,000 km on it and still looks relatively new, if you overlook the big scratches and dents.

We drive to our accommodation for the next 10 days, the Santa Barbara Eco Beach Resort on the beach of the same name.

The complex is spacious, terraced, and consists of several apartment buildings on a hillside.

There are several observation platforms with sun loungers and hammocks, and in the middle of the complex is the infinity pool.

Hmm... We have a Jacuzzi!? Maybe I misunderstood it.

The golf buggy passes several rows of apartments until it reaches the top. The last complex sits on top of the hill, overlooking the rest of the complex. Here, the buggy stops in front of the 'Retreat' apartment number 5.

The rooms look exactly like they did online. Everything is very modern, with the architects and interior designers really going all out... modern-eco and 'less is more'....

The lady shows us the apartment and then winks and says that the best thing is outside on the terrace.

The terrace has 2 loungers and 2 chairs, and just around the corner, surrounded by bamboo rows, there's actually a JACUZZI!!!

Wow, we got an upgrade!!! How cool is that?

The kids and my husband can't stop smiling.

But before they can enjoy the Jacuzzi, we still have a few things to take care of.

We're actually supposed to take the second Covid-19 test today. We sent an email to the health office this morning as instructed and were supposed to get an appointment today. But nobody has contacted us yet.

The beach is busy, but it's far from crowded. (And today is the weekend!)

After lunch, we visit Mario and Dieter at Quinta Velha, where we kindly 'parked' our boards.

It's already 8:00 pm when we quickly stop by the supermarket to get dinner and drinks for the next few days, and then the family can't wait any longer: into the Jacuzzi, hihi.

We end the day on the terrace with a glass of wine.

Oh yeah, we're already enjoying ourselves here in the Azores!

...still no one has contacted us regarding the second Covid test.