Azores - go before everyone finds out!

We recently spent 12 days in The Azores or Sao Miguel to be precise. There are 9 islands and this is the one that is easiest to get to now that their government allows Delta to fly from JFK daily from May to October. It's a little over 4 hours from NYC and (currently) a reasonable airfare if you consider it is A) Europe and B) Summer.  We scored tixs for about $800/pp in AUGUST.

The Azores are a unique place. They are volcanic, have a tea plantation, grow the best pineapples you will ever eat, largely self-sufficient when it comes to food.

You can go hiking all over the island if you're that type of person.

You can go swimming in an ocean filled pool, scuba diving, sailing and whale watching (which we suck at because we never see whales) if your that type of person.

You can go to the botanical garden, historic and still active military fort/museum, or have a personal tour of the farmer's market and cooking class on what you've bought.

A really cool and unique thing to do is have dinner cooked by volcano. Furnas is the part of the island that still has volcanic activity. There is a park where restaurants take their pots in the early morning, let them cook all day and then serve dinner at their place in town. We were lucky enough to be there when they pulled one out of the ground. It's like Mother Nature's Crock Pot.

There aren't a lot of hotels so check out Airbnb for great deals. We scored a 3 bedroom flat with a view of the harbor and a parking spot in the building right on the main drag for about $239/night. We were walking distance to everything in Ponta Delgado.

Car rental was pricey but necessary if you want to see the island. Parking in town can be a challenge but is manageable. Driving is easy and as the roads that go around the island are winding so you don't go much over 30 mph. There are roads the cut across that move faster as does the highway. But take the scenic routes to really get a feel for this island. Just know that cows are really a source of traffic.

You can take 4 full days and do the highlights or a week to 10 days gets you a really in-depth view of these islands in the middle of the Atlantic.

Bonus: No regular cruise ships stop here unless they are on transatlantic from the US to Europe for the change of season. So you will not have days where the town is flooded with people!

The one thing you can't really do is shop. If you're a shopper looking for duty-free or lots of shops selling local wares, this is not the island for you, find somewhere else for that!

15 Things to LOVE About Iceland

1. It's clean. Really clean. Do.Not.Litter. Ever!
2. It's safe - unless it's payday, in a bar and you're being an asshole, then you might get beat up. (Yes, that was printed in a local guide book)
3. Unlimited supply of hot water. Which makes it a great place to raise teenagers or have a long shower after a day of hiking.
4. Hot Dogs, Pizza and Lamb - oh my! Who knew? Hot Dogs are a thing. So is pizza. Lamb and fish are the foundations of the diet with both being very plentiful and tasty.
   
5. Trolls. Yes, they believe in them. 
   
6. They are environmentally friendly. Because they are acutely aware of the impact:
1.  being an island with limited 'dump' space and  
2. having glaciers disappearing and a quick pace. Giant recycle bins shaped like bottles are all over. Disposables are made from corn so they are biodegradable. Garbage is separated and recycled. It's a good thing.
7. Heated streets. Reykjavik gets snow (but not the amounts you might think), so to control the need to de-ice and sand the roads constantly, they have geothermic water lines underneath that help keep the roads clear.
8. Outdoor pools. They are all over the capital region. Open from early morning to late at night all year long. Did I mention they are also geothermically heated? So winter, spring, summer, fall, you can swim outdoors and the Icelandic do. Many important decisions are made in a hot pot!
   
9. Their sense of humor. It's wicked and cynical. If you are (or know someone) from the NE US you'll get it.

   

   Front door of a bar

   

   Chalice made from a coconut. Go Figure?

   

   Icelandic Food Truck

   

   These are not bands appearing but actual things.

   
   

   

   Eat, Drink, Sleep

   
   

   

   Only one in the world

   
   
10. 90kph speed limit. Makes it easy to drive. Also the fact that there are only about 330,000 people on the island which is slightly larger than Ohio means there are not a lot of people on the road. But the roads are well maintained and people don't speed.
11. Foul weather gear is your friend. In fact, North Face and 66North constitutes formal wear. If you plan on visiting you will definitely need water repellent outerwear. Wellies go with anything and you wear them all day, every day.
    
    
12. They are super efficient at the stuff that matters. Energy, hot water, exploiting their limited natural resources in an environmentally conscience way and airport check-in. 
13. Outdoor art. It's everywhere, parks, streets, municipal buildings and in ponds. Then there's the art inside the museums.
    

    

    Mermaid in "The Pond"

    
    

    

    Rainbow street with art exhibit

14. It's the only place in the world you can go Inside the Volcano. Really! You hike 3km (45 minutes) over a lava field to be geared up and dropped 120M (= 2 statue of Libertys) down a magma shaft into an extinct volcano chamber.

    

    Window washing elevator lowers you inside

15.  The natural beauty

Blue Lagoon

Geysir

Gullfoss

On the road to Gullfoss

Seljalandsfoss

Lava field

Random Viking Sheep!