The best things to eat are, naturally, those that are caught or grown locally. This includes a large variety of seafood, fresh meat, cheese and vegetables including very tasty potatoes and Sao Miguel's delicious pineapples. Local wines and beer are good, and they even grow tea here.

The Azores have a temperate climate which is much the same throughout the year. In June and September temperatures normally range between 18°C-24°C. Dramatic cloud formations build up on the mountains and a day is seldom without some cloud - mountain-tops come and go. Rain and mist are not usually persistent in summer, but can occasionally lead to disruption of flights. The air is pure and the sun can be pleasantly hot.

You travel via Lisbon to SAO MIGUEL and the attractive capital of the Azores, PONTA DELGADA. Here you will stay for three nights at the Hotel Talisman ***, which is well situated in the pedestrianised area of the old town just a short walk from the seafront, shops, restaurants and museum.

During your stay here there are tours to the green and blue lakes in the vast crater of Sete Cidades in the west of the island, and to Ribeira Grande in the north, with a chance to bathe in the pool below a hot waterfall and to sample the delicious local 'Six Fish Dish'.

From Ponta Delgada the tour moves east to FURNAS visiting the picturesque old capital of VILA FRANCA on the way. After lunch of a succulent stew, cooked in underground ovens by the hot springs at Furnas lake, we arrive at Hotel Terra Nostra ***, in Furnas town, for a stay of 3 nights.

The hotel has an indoor swimming-pool and opens into the superb 200 year old Botanical Gardens of Furnas Park. As a resident you have unlimited access to the park and to the hot water mineral lake for swimming. There are magnificent trees, water gardens and azalea walk, as well as endemics. There will be a full day tour to the east of the island including the delightful seaside town of POVOACAO, which was the site of the first settlement in the Azores in 1452.

Next a short flight brings you to the island of FAIAL and three nights at the Hotel Fayal*** which has indoor and outdoor swimming-pools, and is situated in the main town of HORTA. Claimed to be the most attractive town in the Azores, its harbour has, for hundreds of years, been a meeting place for transatlantic sailors, including Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Walter Raleigh (who stormed and took it). The harbour walls and pavements are covered in a patchwork of paintings left by yachtsmen. Whilst in Faial there is also the chance to go whale watching, weather and availability of suitable boat permitting.

A tour of Faial will take you to the VALLEY OF FLAMENGOS, the huge crater of CALDEIRA and to CAPELINHOS, the area of the island's most recent volcanic eruption in 1987. Here whole villages were lost and the shape of the island was changed forever.

From Faial there will be a day tour to PICO ISLAND, 30 minutes away by boat. Until 1984 Pico was an important whaling station, but it is now one of the main Azorean fishing areas and famous for its wines, liqueurs and home made cheeses. It has incredible scenery with ancient black lava walled fields containing vivid green vines, pretty villages and the 7000 ft Mount Pico rising from the sea to the centre of the island.

The tour will then depart for LISBON and a stay of four nights in ESTORIL at the splendid and historical, Hotel Palacio*****. This extremely comfortable hotel was the British Headquarters during World War II. In June and September the weather is normally warm and sunny and the Palacio is an ideal place to relax by the pool and from which to do some interesting local tours.

The hotel is 4 minutes walk from the sandy beaches of ESTORIL, the station for the small coastal train which can take you to CASCAIS (15 minutes) and Lisbon (30 minutes), the broad promenade walk along the seafront to Cascais (1 mile) and numerous shops and restaurants. The Casino and its fine gardens are opposite the hotel and taxis are easily available.

There will be a tour of Lisbon including the magnificent JERONIMUS MONASTERY, lunch in the ancient Alfama district and a boat trip on the River Tagus. There are optional tours available to the lovely mountain town of SINTRA with its splendid palaces and gardens and CAP ROCO, the most western tip of mainland Europe. Also south to the Moorish castle at SESIMBRA, the ARRABIDA MOUNTAIN NATURE RESERVE and fishing village of SETUBAL.