We’re Back From the Azores!

We’re baaack! I know it’s been a couple of weeks of silence from Photos and Food, but it was just a short break while we took a much needed and well-deserved family vacation. We went back to Pico, Azores to visit Nelson’s parents and the place he called home for 8 years of his life (between the ages of 12 and 20).

We had planned to do some cooking and blogging while we were in Pico, but we quickly settled into ‘vacation mode’ and realized that a break would do our mind and body some good. So…thanks for coming back to our site; we are feeling refreshed and ready to get back into the swing of things.
We were well-spoiled with lots of great food while we were in Pico. We were treated to meals of fresh fish (like, really fresh fish that had literally been caught an hour prior to the meal); fresh raw and grilled lapas (limpets–they’re sort of like oysters – see my iPhone pic of a plate of grilled lapas); home-grown vegetables like yams and sweet potatoes; fruits like bananas, and Nelson’s favourite fruit, figs-
-oh…so many figs.
We were thrilled to visit with family and friends from Pico, as well as meeting new people and catching up with family and friends from the US–folks from San Diego and Boston. We were treated to excursions on the water, traveling in traditional whaling canoes; we went whale and dolphin watching where we saw sperm whales and three different species of dolphins; and Nelson and Michael went on a trail hike (where Nelson discovered he’s more out of shape than he originally thought). We also went swimming, daily, in the municipal pool that’s right on the coast and has water pumped in from the ocean–oh sweet days in our salt-water happy place.

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to take this vacation to learn and teach our kids more about our heritage–the wonderful people, traditions, food, and of the natural beauty of the land and sea. We are also grateful for all those (family and friends) who welcomed us, fed us, and taught us.

We can hardly wait to visit Pico again.

Although Nelson decided he’d take a break from cooking during this vacation, he did pick-up and learn his mom’s Oreo ice cream recipe. He’s already made it at home – success on his first attempt. Check out our post for the recipe and pics.