3 birthday wishes

3 birthday wishes by mariasipka

July 7, 2007, 2:09 pm
Filed under: fun stuff, Holidays, jc, kindness, maria

Last year JC tried to get me to jump out of a plane – with 5 minutes notice. I said “there’s no f**king way I’m jumping out of that plane strapped to that man’s back!”. Shortly after the plane took off, I sobbed like a spoiled brat and felt ashamed that for the first time in my life I piked out of doing something I’d dreamed of doing for at least 10 years…

This year was different. We did board a plane with no intention from jumping out of it. I had no idea where we were going.

6 hours after departing Barcelona airport we arrived in the magical island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. Five days of pure heavenly bliss. Happy 32nd birthday Maria!

       

After one year together I’ve figured out that JC’s #1 mission in life is to make his woman happy. In no way do I abuse this discovery. I’ve also figured out in order for JC to be happy I’ve got to set him some occasional challenges. Taking great delight in thinking up challenges I came up with the following:

#1 – “I feel like some fresh milk straight from a cow” after seeing more cows I’d seen in a lifetime grazing on the greenest grass and sipping on volcanic mineral enriched water.

#2 – “I feel like some fresh honey straight from the honey comb” after strolling through the forest path surrounded by richly scented hydrangeas and agapanthus flowers.

#3 – “I feel like a birthday party”

This island has it all to make any dream come true. Returning to our hotel one evening, dusk was approaching, the stores were closing and driving up a winding hill JC put his foot on the break and did a quick u-turn back towards the village we just passed. I shifted my head to him and said “what are you doing?”. With a cheeky grin and heavy foot on the accelerator this was a man on a mission. He said “I’m buying a bottle of water..no need to ask about the rest”. OK. I trust him. Stopping the traffic, he jumps out of our car and races across the road to buy a 1.5 litre bottle of water. Driving back quicker than we drove to the store we arrive at a milking co-op station. A farmer kindly put aside 5 litres of fresh unpasteurized milk for us which was still warm. Wish #1 fulfilled. JC is feeling really proud!

Furnas is one of the most magical places I’ve ever been to. This is where one of our love houses will be. Hidden in a valley, surrounded by lush, rich forrests this volcanic town bubbles water and mud from the ground. The locals boil sack loads of fresh sweet corn in the springs and then sell it for 0.70 cents a piece complimented by sweet yeast bread that’s also still warm. Dip your finger in the spring and I promise it will burn. It’s hot! Across the road from the spot where the corn is cooking is another stream. A mixture of hot and cold water making it’s way somewhere down the mountain. An old man walks towards us. He’s probably in his 90′s. Silver hair. Hobbling with a walking stick. In his unusual local Portuguese accent he tells us “I’ve been coming here every day for the last 20 years to wash my eyes out. This water is magic.” Two spouts protrude out of a tiled wall. One spout has a sign “Dr Miguel Henrique” and the second spout “Agua de Prata” Silver water. Squatting down a draw my mouth to the first spout and taste the water. Lightly gassed with an eggy smel. The second spout is not as eggy or gassy but slightly sweeter and warmer. “

           

That day, we had walked through a number of the floral gardens the island’s people have created for the enjoyment of all. Imagine an island 120km by 30km wide in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Deep blue water. Black sandy beaches. Sharp steep cliffs. A labyrinth of winding roads with “no pot holes” and lined by flowers and tree tunnels. If you drive with your windows down you don’t need music. An orchestra of birds, waves and waterfalls send you into a trance. If I could relate this island to what I have scene it would be a mix of the Swiss alps, New Zealand and Hawaii. And virtually no tourists.

         

So the honey. Wish #2. We’re in Furnas. Kind of lost. After stopping at a local store by the ocean earlier in the day asking the store keeper if she had fresh honey she had just sold her last jar from the honey man. Kindly giving us a sticker with his details we were on a mission. This is how we found Furnas. Slowing down to ask a young boy if he knew where the honey man was were were told that he was “next to the other man down the road”. Everybody knows each other here. Obviously. Searching for the “man down the road” we ask another man. Great! We’re no more than 80m away. And…. the car breaks down. The clutch is gone. Not to worry. JC calls the car company and they say a replacement car will be with us in an hour. On a mission to find our honey we arrive at a small cottage. Ring the doorbell. And wait. A young lady opens the door and tells us that the honey man – her father, is asleep as he works during the night. She opens the door to his workshop and sells us 4 jars of the yummiest, sweetest honey.

A birthday isn’t the same without a party. How do you have a party with two people on an island? Easy! Buy some balloons, a birthday cake, plastic forks and knives, colorful party plates, a packet of hershey hugs, peanut m&m’s and a series of Portuguese story books. Park the car on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean at sunset and have your woman sit on a park bench whilst you blow up the balloons and get the party started. As we’re the sharing types, our cake was split amongst us, a local black Labrador and some very greedy ducks.

             

I promise you. You’ll never eat steak as great as you get on this island. Taste fresh cheese that has you craving morning, night and day. See the happiest and healthiest people on the planet. Oh – and if you’re feeling adventurous, make sure you visit when the rally car race is on. It may inspire your man to take a detour down an unsealed road in the middle of the night misreading the sign thinking it states 6.5km’s when it’s actually 65km of winding, narrow roads with steep cliffs.

     

Thank you my charminguy for another memorable experience in this “year of living”.

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