Another day, Another drive

On Tuesday we went out again for a drive since it cleared up...bye bye rain!  These are some shots from our drive around the Northern coast towards Biscoitos, just past to Altares where we stopped for lunch and then headed home.  On the way we were able to see some of the destruction from the flooding that occurred in Agualva and elsewhere with the recent rain.

We stopped at this location not only because there was a little place to pull over, but because there was an amazing rainbow that was over the ocean.  The view was breathtaking.

Here you can see the rainbow going over the ocean.

I thought this lone tree was very interesting.

The rainbow again!

Then Ryan spotted these little guys just below us.  I swear I was wearing my glasses, but I really did not notice we were just about these baby cows.

What a cutie!

Our next stop was down a little road.  Lucky for us they have signs that indicate there is a look out spot or some sort of view.  This took us to the coast of Quatro Ribeiras.

The way down was taped off, but the tape was broken.  We were curious so we went down a little bit just to see.  Looks like this area was hit hard with the recent rains.  If you look closely you can see the debris along the coast line.  The waves were still pretty rough on this day.

We kept driving a little ways and found another area to stop.  This one even had picnic tables.

I would totally bring a meal here for a scenic picnic.

If you follow this picture from the rock wall nearest you and then along the coast, you will notice that a piece juts out, then behind this is another little alcove or protected area that you can't see.  It is the area you can't see that is the spot we stopped at just before this...the pictures just before these.

You can see it better here with a zoomed in shot.  It;s just behind that piece that is sticking out.

Here we have made it to the famous swimming holes of Biscoitos.  These are lava rock formations that fill with water and create natural swimming pools.  Most of the year these waters are quite, but witht he recent weather it is quite rough here.  As it was rough we did not walk out to the actual swimming area.  We instead stopped just to the west of this for some pictures.

Since the cafe at the swimming hole was closed, we went driving in search of a cafe or really anything.  I was starving.  We kept heading around the island, travelling west.  We once saw this restaurante and thought it was funny.  Caneta means pen.  I have checked to see if it means something else, but I can;t find anything.  Maybe it is someone's last name?  This is located in Altares, just past Biscoitos.

Looks very cute inside.  We arrived about 20 minutes before closing.  Most places have a specific lunch and dinner service schedule.  They close in between.  Usually they will close from 3-6 pm.  The waitress was more than happy to serve us even though it was almost time to close.

Bread to start, but what was different was that they served us cornbread too.  The bread on top is a white corn bread, and below is the crusty bread we are used to.

Quijo fresco, which is fresh goat cheese.  It is so yummy.  I eat it all the time, even though we were told not to when we got here since it is "fresh" and not pastuerized.

It is often served with this, which is made from peppers.  I find it a little spicy, but many people like it.

I ordered whitting fillets which is really just fried white fist fillets.  They were SO good as they were breaded in cornbread crumbs and baked rather than fried.  No grease at all.

Ryan ordered the wreckfish as he really liked it the night before.  This was topped with garlic, as so many dishes here are!

When we ordered coffee at the end of our meal, we spotted these sayings on the sugar packets.  It reminded me of warnings on cigarette packets, expect with the opposite effect as these were encouraging coffee consumption for health benefits.  I will attempt to translate some to give you the gist of it.

The website translates to coffee and health.  This saying: coffee stimulates the nervous system, arouses the attention,  and sense of humor.

The moderate consumption of coffee is not harmful to your health.

Moderate consumption of coffee can prevent Parkinson's disease.

And so here's to my health!  Actaully I have come accross some of this in my research before.  I was just amazed to see this as a health campaign, clearly created by those making money off us drinking coffee.

I hope you enjoyed our journey!

QUESTION: What is the strangest health campaign you have ever seen?