The scariest and the best day in the azores

Today I did something I never thought I would. We climbed the masts of Gunilla and checked out the view over Ponta Delgada from 35 meters up in the air. We’ve been practicing how to set and furl the sails, which was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done; it’s going to be interesting to experience that out at sea with the ship rolling. After the "familiarization," we had a very fancy pork stew with rice and a nice salad.

The plan was to go ashore right after, but just then a food delivery arrived with an incredibly large amount of different fruits, potatoes, and flour. When we finally made it onto land, we took a taxi to the Azores' surf town, Ribeira Grande. There, we walked along the beach, climbed a bell tower, and visited an incredibly beautiful church. After a while, we ordered a taxi back to Ponta Delgada.

Once we arrived, we took a walk through the quite cozy city. It’s a bit "bösig" (i couoldt find a good translation), but charming, with some colorful houses sticking out here and there. The unstable weather, which shifts between pouring rain, bright sunshine, and wind, reminds me a bit of home (fantastic Gothenburg). After a 20-minute walk, we reached a large shopping mall where everyone was shopping as if the world were ending and it was the last time they’d ever have access to chocolate, chips, and Nocco.

We ended the evening at a very cozy sushi restaurant where you could order many different interesting dishes. I personally chose a sushi burger, which I highly recommend. Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to finding out if I’m one of those people who doesn’t get seasick—at least I hope so!

Written by Måns Lindblom, vakt: midskepps