Took a long walk south. It was pleasant to exercise the legs and explore the adjacent town. I saw two groups of locals heading up steps to a restaurant. I tend to select restaurants that are crowded and avoid those that are empty. The waiter told me today’s fish would arrive in a 15 minutes. Sure enough, a man came in with two baskets of fish. There were at least ten different types of fish. The waiter sensed I had no clue which to order. He recommended the big fish and indicated it was the best in the Azores. Uncharacteristic of me, I said yes without knowing the price. I still don’t know what it cost, but whatever it turns out to be, it will be a bargain. The fish was firm, not to the degree of swordfish, but a bit firmer than grouper. It was grilled over a wood fire. It was incredibly moist. I don’t know what the clear sauce was, but it added to experience. Bottom line, a very memorable meal. It ended up costing 27 Euros, not cheap at $31, but worth every cent.
Went to Peter Sport Café and met up with the Migaloo and Himmel crews. After a .5 liter Super Bock (Portuguese beer), then I joined Himmel for dinner. I learned that the Himmel crew had arranged a guide for to go to the summit of Pico the next day. I asked if I could join them. Mike sent a text to the guide and he immediately replied affirmatively. Great meal at Peter Sport Café. We laughed a lot and replayed parts of the sail from Bermuda.
Did you ever determine what fish it was? My dad’s favorite part of our Azore & Madeira vacation was an early morning trip to the local fish market which was always bustling despite the hour. I’ll never forget seeing a full size Tuna – immense.
I never did learn the name of the fish. I should have taken a picture of it. It was big, even with the head and tail missing.