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• everyone here smokes, everywhere
• the time zone is close to Europe, but the sun doesn’t rise until 8am
• the local wine is vinho verde (green wine)
• canned sausage is plentiful and inexpensive

We leave Monday for Gibraltar, stay tuned.

The version on the top is a tomato, the bottom is in the sidewalk in Horta.

The eight points on the cross represents the following 8 virtues:

• Loyalty
• Piety
• Frankness
• Bravery
• Glory and honour
• Contempt of death
• Helpfulness towards the poor and the sick
• Respect for the church

No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, I have only set out to reinforce my belief that it is round. As such, I am setting about to traverse a large portion of it by motor yacht. This involves some 11,000 miles (from South Florida to Phuket, Thailand) at roughly 10 miles an hour.

After 9 grueling days at sea, (Handsome Husband purports it was only 7) most of which were taken up with battling Tropical Storm Jerry which formed out of nowhere between us and our destination, we arrived crusted with salt. The Azores are a cluster of islands owned by Portugal, south and west of Portugal in the Northern Atlantic.

This is my second day off since early July, but I am back on the boat to do a little work.

Some notes about Horta:

1. It has been raining most of the day, but it is so light we can mostly walk around.
2. Coffee: of three cups, one was good
3. Wine: cheap, drinkable
4. Cheese: local and creamy good
5. Tomatoes: local, ripe and red
6. I found a medallion with Jesus and the virgin of mount Carmel on it.