I rented a car for the first time in my life in the Azores! I learned a lot from my little rental car that week! I drove the equivalent of three times around the perimeter of Sao Miguel, the biggest island of the Azores, where I stayed on my trip.
The roads were open with little traffic in late October, not their high season for tourists. the roads are well-marked with signs with pictograms for the beach and main attractions. Some places I drove to were Lago do Fogo, Sete Cidades, Praia Santa Barbara and Praia Monte Verde. Driving added a dimension of music, history and responsibility to my trip. From playing the radio constantly to feel comfortable behind the wheel, I was turned on to the pop music they listen to in Portugal. Some is English, some Spanish, some Portuguese, but the top 40 varies. I made a playlist from the songs I heard for the first time that week or liked for the first time that week. I can still listen to that music and remember all the fun I had. I learned about driving in an city center that predates cars. When a taxi driver gave me detailed directions on which one-way streets to take from the main road off the highway, I memorized them for the week. One of the best driving landmarks was a church with road paved in green glass. The glass stood out to me from the driver's seat, and I learned after that it was to protect church-goers knees as they genuflect on the streets during the Good Friday parade. I saw a few places like Salto do Prego that would have been hard to fit into my week visit without a car. Salto do Prego is a beautiful waterfall near a city called Povocao. I decided to drive there at the last minute and see the waterfall before dark. The drive was a steady climb blocked in places by herds of cows and tractors. I saw tons of purple and blue lilacs along this road too, a staple of Sao Miguel. There is an awful lot of paperwork and signing involved in renting a car, but it's pretty much OK as long as you return everything in one piece.