Tuesday August 14th – First Trip to Ponta Delgada
Today proved to be a slower day – but still with a short road trip in mind. A number of us wanted to hit a shopping mall for a number of things, so we hired a taxi (driven by my dad’s cousin – Carlos Moniz). It was a really nice Peugeot Van. We easily piled into the van and made our way to Ponta Delgada. The trip from Sao Bras (north side of the island) to Ponta Delgada (south side of the island) was quick – about 20 minutes. Carlos took us to Parc Atlantico – one of the main shopping malls in Ponta Delgada. It looks and functions pretty much like any other shopping mall – with many of the stores one finds in North America, a complete food court, and parking garage. We grabbed some lunch at the food court, grabbed a few items, then went to the Marina and Carlos had parked underground. We walked around, and I took note of the restaurants, shops, and venues offering whale watching and sport fishing. It was a happening place, with many a tourist – Western Europeans, and expats from the US and Canada strolling about. Carlos showed us around, and this first walk about proved to be instructive for later forays to Ponta Delgada. After a walk around, we made our way to Cafe Centro to have some refreshments. I found myself really liking the small but bustling scale of Ponta Delgada. It was relaxed, but not boring. There were many outdoor cafes and restaurants to choose from. The city itself, had your typical European charm. With shopping, the waterfront stroll, and a cafe break in the centre of town out of the way, it was time to head back to Sao Bras and have an easy evening back at the residence.
