Our final stops were Lisbon then Vigo on the following day. From a foggy boat trip we did at least see some monuments and edifices, then had a coach trip to admire how Lisbon was improved after a disastrous fire. Perhaps cities need disasters now and then as part of their life cycle, to avoid being ossified? Like nations benefit from being defeated every now and then to get rid of deadwood?

Our first ports of call were in the Azores, at Ponta Delgada and Horta on the following day. A cloudy day meant that we saw mist and fog rather than spectacular lakes in volcanic craters in Ponta Delgada. But we did see a pineapple farm where they grew the stuff in greenhouses, smoking the poor things to make them all ripen at the same time.