We feel somewhat stuck here – in Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel. Laurie’s efforts to learn the Portuguese language are proving successful – she’s making great progress – but her language test is not until the end of September and it’s in Ponta Delgada. We’re therefore here for the duration – and while we’re happy to spend a bunch of time in the Azores, we’re not really seeing the Azores from our slip in the large marina here. Indeed, I took a lovely two-week trip off the boat to visit my sister back in Yorkshire – it also allowed Laurie to get some initial Portuguese learning in without distraction from me.

So, let’s make best use of our time here – and our stable ‘transient’ address and get some needed items shipped to the boat:

• First on the list is to get a care package from home – it includes some boat bits but also has certified copies of Laurie and her mother’s birth certificates (a requirement for her citizenship application) along with the boat’s documentation – a piece of paper that we have to present at each new port we visit. Our current one expired yesterday. These were shipped “the most reliable way” by Laurie’s brother Neal’s shipping manager.
• Laurie needs some Portuguese language books – so with her teacher’s assistance, she ordered these and had them shipped ‘express’ from Lisbon.
• Dummy here left the charger for his Go-Pro at his sister’s house in Yorkshire which she very kindly dropped in the mail for me…

Laurie has been waiting patiently – and then not quite so patiently – for over 2 weeks for her books to arrive as they have some specific help for the test she has to do. They also come with a much anticipated audio CD, so that she can get the pronunciation right when studying without her teacher (who’s headed off on vacation for a month, starting the day after tomorrow!) Finally, her patience crumbled a couple of days ago and she ordered a duplicate set – again with express delivery – but this time, her teacher’s brother was to be involved to make sure everything went smoothly and expeditiously.

As of yesterday morning, 2 – 3 weeks since all these shipments were initiated, nothing had arrived… This is frustrating on so many levels, but particularly now because we no longer have valid boat documentation – which means we can’t leave this port until it arrives! So while we were hoping to take advantage of Laurie’s teacher going on hols for a month by going on our own hols to some different Azorean islands, instead we’re stuck here in a slip that’s too small for Toodle-oo!, rocking and rolling with strange currents that have decided to plague the whole harbour as of a couple of days ago!

The swim area…

Bingo!! We get word that a package has arrived at the Marina office! It’s a 10 minute walk there and as I trundle along, you might imagine I’m debating in my mind which of the packages has arrived. I bet it’s the GoPro charger (least important) – but I really, really hope it’s the documentation… It’s a long walk. The walk takes you through the swim area adjacent to the marina – which is crowded on this beautifully hot day that brings out all the skimpiest bathing suits adorning the biggest butts this side of the Atlantic! Not a pretty sight! I bet it’s the GoPro charger – but I really, really hope it’s the documentation…

You have a package for Toodle-oo! ??      Yessir, Toodley-oo, let me see… Toodleey-oooo… yes sir – there it is on the end of the shelf…

It’s too big to be the charger…

Bugger! It’s the Portuguese books – first express shipment has arrived (18 days from Lisbon, same country!)

I get the books back to Laurie (taking the long way around to avoid the bathing suits) thinking that at least she’ll be happy. No way! There’s no audio CD!

Icing on the cake? This morning I head up to the bathrooms – to find out that our security key card has now expired (yep we’ve been here too long) so not only can I not get into the bathrooms, I also can’t get back through the gate to the boat until someone else decides to enter the marina… Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait on express delivery for someone to arrive…