The year is 2020. Travel is virtually nonexistent, but Bricole (everyone’s favorite celebrity couple) are planning a trip to the Azores. Shortly after hopping on the transcontinental flight to New Jersey, the European Union shuts down all tourism from “red countries,” which at that time includes the United States. American tourists won’t be able to set foot in Europe for another year. Bricole spend nearly the next two weeks in New Jersey, awaiting covid test results that were eventually emailed maybe 60 days after being conducted.
The year is 2021. Bricole take the transcon flight to New Jersey in hopes of continuing onward to Madeira and the Azores. Due to supply chain issues, rental cars are in high demand. There are no cars on the Azores and a daily rental for Madeira is $250 per day. Bricole alter their plans and spend the next two weeks in Eastern Europe.
The year is 2022. Bricole do not take the transcon flight to New Jersey. Nor do we take the Iberia flight direct from LA to Madrid as originally planned. Inexplicably, we end up in Stockholm. A week later, we finally end up in Madeira and the Azores. After multiple attempts, we had made it. Was it worth the wait?
As introverts, we look back fondly upon the days where planes were half empty, airports vacant, and little advanced planning was required (other than the occasional PCR test). Our plans to visit the Azores back in 2020 stemmed from a perception that the islands were isolated, full of wide open spaces for hiking, and most people hadn’t heard of them. That may have been true in the past, but I was a bit surprised at just how many people were visiting these islands in the middle of the Atlantic.
Someone must have instagrammed or vlogged something from the Azores that had an impact, particularly with North American travelers. Throughout our entire trip — including what we thought would be more popular destinations such as Porto or Chefchaouen, hearing an American accent was extremely rare. On the Azores, it seemed like everyone we encountered was American. United Airlines must have run some numbers which indicated that launching a direct flight to the U.S. from Ponta Delgada could be profitable and it appears to be so. While parking near overlooks on the first day in the wind and rain was not difficult, the following day was a different story. Parking lots had overflowed, so everyone was parking alongside the road at numerous locations.
It should be emphasized, however, that while crowded, it was not overcrowded. Roads were not jammed, hikes not too congested, and rental cars are available albeit overpriced. It is similar in some ways to its much more popular neighbor to the north, Iceland. I feel that Iceland’s popularity was also a relatively recent phenomenon, and the Azores could be headed in that direction. They are, however, focused on sustainability and limiting the amount of tourists. How effective that will be as its popularity surges remains to be seen, but for the time being it should hopefully be spared Santorini’s fate. My recommendation would be to go now (or maybe when the summer is over) because I sense a meteoric surge in demand.
Given that the first week of our trip was in Morocco and in major European cities, it seemed a reasonable expectation that our second week on Madeira and Azores would be more relaxing. It ended up being the opposite. While Madeira and the Azores offered up some nice scenery and experiences, they were also a bit lacking in the hospitality management and efficiency departments. Clueless rental car and airport staff combined with long lines and badly run businesses made for a less than positive experience. Occasional setbacks like these are to be expected, but the prevalence of the mediocre customer service and lack of common sense was simply too frequent to ignore. It seemed like a day would not pass without waiting in line for something for an hour. I wish I could shrug these experiences off, but I admit that it was making me rather grumpy.
Objectively, we enjoyed Madeira and the Azores, but negative experiences should not be overlooked and do contribute to our overall perceptions. As we plunge into the summer of 2022, travel is definitely back. Along with that, comes a return of my old nemesis — the travel influencer. What the influencers never seem to mention are the negatives. It’s not surprising considering their job is to “influence,” though I think it’s actually just to flex and show off. They often paint an incomplete picture void of any setbacks or realistic problems people may face. Based on our repeat issues with anything involving the Madeira airport, neglecting to mention these inefficiencies would be disingenuous. Ironically, more than anywhere else, we expected the influencers to be clogging stairways and alleys in Chefchaouen (the blue city). Pleasingly, they were nowhere to be found. But like the sand people of Tatooine, they will be back, and in greater numbers.
Nearly all of our travels over the last couple years were geared toward getting places before they become inundated with tourists once again. We ticked off those boxes at the treasury in Petra, the pyramids of Giza, the beaches of Milos, and the Galapagos. And now we can add the unique town of Chefchaouen to that list. It would normally be an influencer’s paradise due to its unique (and limited) color palette. In hindsight, I personally found Morocco to be the most relaxing part of the trip and the relative lack of people certainly was a factor.
And that’s what continues to make travel interesting and fun. It continues to surprise and upend our preconceived notions of how places will be. Knowing what I do now about Portuguese airports, rental cars, and the unexpected language barrier, I would remember to pack more patience next time. As much as I have complained about the many unfortunate roadblocks to fun during our trip, I would not rule out a return. We both thought Madeira was a great island, when we weren’t standing in line.
I have always said that perspective is key. It is good to try new things and have new experiences, get a bit out of one’s comfort zone. For Bricole, our comfort zone is in isolated places void of people. For most places in the world, the time for that seems to be drawing to a close. Like trying Porto’s infamous francesinha sandwich, it is good to subject oneself to something new, even if it sounds a bit scary. What if I really took a liking to francesinha sandwiches and started making them for my lunch everyday? I will tell you. I would have heart disease. But on the flip side of that, there is Madeira’s peixe espada (black scabbardfish) with banana. Take a moment and google “black scabbardfish” before continuing.
Its rather repulsive and monstrous countenance should be enough to turn off anyone. Proving that one should not make surface level judgements, it was hands down the best food I had for the entire trip. Nicole’s favorite was the Swedish kottbullar (meatballs) in Stockholm. For someone with such a strong Italian background and extensive experience with the meatball, that statement is not to be overlooked and is borderline sacrilege. As two people who are “well-traveled,” we have learned that there are still a lot of places and things out there left to be experienced. Some will be good, some will be bad.
We are glad to have tried kottbullar, tagine, massive cheese boards, francesinha, or peixe espada even though it didn’t all elicit rave reviews. That is all part of a real and authentic experience. There are few travel influencers who have food that isn’t delicious or stay at a hotel that isn’t perfectly luxurious. I find it refreshing when someone vlogs about getting diarrhea on a bus in Vietnam or remarks on the Bali swing being an overpriced tourist trap. The point I am meanderingly attempting to make is that we had our share of negative experiences on this trip, but they were part of the overall experience. We also had a lot of fun on this trip whether it be careening down a hillside in a toboggan, overindulging at a tea time, or relaxing while sipping a Sprite in a square in Morocco. There is no trip that is all good or all bad — always a mix. It is a learning experience. Carry extra cash in Morocco, be sure to book a tea time in advance on Madeira, and never ever change planes in Lisbon. Best of luck.
passports & pepto bismol 