The last Day

Once again observing the events at breakfast. Today, there are large carafes (not the 1-liter glass jug like yesterday) with freshly squeezed orange juice on the buffet, but unfortunately, such orange juice often has the downside that it contains pulp, which fits only partially through these normal small juice taps. There was enough juice available, but it just wouldn't get into the glass.

Oh, what can I say - it is what it is - a breakfast that you start to tire of after 4 days.

Today, we still have the visit to the Gruta do Carvão ahead. You can only access this lava cave with a guided tour. Luckily, we managed to get tickets for the short tour (30-45 minutes) 3 days ago.

Facts:

Gruta do Carvão (translated as Coal Cave) is located in the western part of the city of Ponta Delgada and is a lava tube about 2500 meters long, of which only 1912 m are developed. Only a small section is accessible to the public. But how does such a lava tube form?

A lava tube forms when lava flows and the surface cools and hardens while the inner layer continues to flow. Eventually, the lava ceases, leaving behind a hollow space with a tunnel-like structure.

In 2005, the cave was recognized as a natural monument, which complicated highway expansion. The areas above the Gruta da Carvão were only allowed to be used as pastures. No houses, streets, or other structures were permitted. An exception was made only for the highway.

There is a helmet requirement here. Then down some stairs and into the lava cave. Very pleasant temperatures; as our guide said, “like in a wine cellar, just without wine.” The cave was short, but the tour with Hugo was very informative. Hugo was completely in his element; you could tell he is passionate about the subject.

We were a bit disappointed that we got to see so little of the 1.9 km of cave, but 45 minutes isn't long either.

But then Hugo goes through a concrete tube into another cave. This concrete tube was built for the highway. That is the only area where something runs above the cave.

This cave is also impressive.

Overall, the visit lasts 1 and a half hours.

For the rest of the day, shopping and pool time are on the agenda.

But before we pack, we need to refuel. Farewell dinner at the Indian restaurant. It's a shame that today is already Tuesday again, as this greatly reduces the potential restaurants. It's best to come to Ponta Delgada on Thursdays or Fridays when all restaurants are open. But we manage to find a delightful meal at SAFFRRON INDIAN RESTAURANT.

It's quite strange that everywhere in the Azores you get rice with your meal, only at the Indian restaurant must you order it separately. Crazy world.

Now it's time to pack and then off to bed. Tomorrow we head home.

Oh, we are kind of lagging behind in our reporting, so we will quickly breakfast through the uneventful return journey.

Everything went smoothly; even the ICE was on time. But it's crazy that for a pure flight time of 5 hours, you're traveling from 4:15 to 22:00, almost 17 hours from the hotel to the front door.

So, dear reader community. That's it for this year, we hope you enjoyed it and were able to take away some new impressions. We would have liked to share more pictures with you, but this version of Vakantio only allows for 20. But this way, we have something to look forward to when we see each other again. Thank you for your loyalty and perhaps until next year 🫶