Portugal Day 11: Hoje, Ananáses!

Today we flew from Lisbon to São Miguel we were all on the same flight, so we had to try to trade seats to sit together. We were able to, but Katie and Anthony were not.

Catherine happily using the people mover while we trudge along on the ground.

Adeus, Lisboa!

Olá, Açores!

Catherine and Anthony minutes after setting foot for the first time in their ancestral islands (although Anthony’s grandparents were really from Faial, not São Miguel.)

Some pictures of the plants around the house where we are staying. There’s even a banana field in the back yard, but none of them seem to be ripe right now.

The Casa de Fruta Empire is vast indeed.

Actually, we are at the Arruda pineapple plantation.

The pineapples are grown in whitewashed greenhouses.

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Some pictures of the pineapples at their various stages of growth.

A statue of the founder of the plantation, and one of some kind of allegorical bromeliad royalty...

There are fish in the water tanks, probably to fight off mosquitos.

A pineapple cat, most likely named Ana. It’s even orange like an ananás.

Some pictures of the snack stand, where you can get all kinds of pineapple treats. We got pineapple juice, pineapple cake, pineapple liqueur, pineapple white snow, and of course, cut pineapple.

We went back to the house, then walked to the restaurant where our reservation was already made. Some pictures of the streets of Ponta Delgada as we walked to the restaurant.

Anthony, his brother Gary, and his brother Joe.

The first course: lapas (limpets). Neither of us really care for sea food, but we resolved to at least try it. It wasn’t too bad: very lemony and garlicky (probably due to the large amount of lemon and garlic on them).
We did skip the octopus, leading to the charge that Catherine says she’s adventurous but she’s not.

Pineapple cake was less difficult to eat.

Catherine’s brother, Fr. Michael, and their Uncle Gary.

Catherine’s cousin Justin and his girlfriend Madeline.

Catherine’s Uncle John and Aunt Terri.

Catherine’s cousins Ryan and Nicole.

Ryan’s father-in-law Manny, and Manny’s daughter Jill. Manny was born on Faial.

Us.

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The entire group.

The streets at night.