Stonehill College Alumni Travel

The weather didn't deter us as we set out on a few mini vans to see the beautiful landscape of the island - although the fog did hurt our ability to see all of its beauty.  We climbed up through mountains, enjoyed coastal views and even went to Jurassic Park. We saw more churches, amazing hydrangeas, a surfer, waterfalls, hot springs, birds and cows. In fact we were caught in an 'Azorean traffic jam'. We were prepared with rain coats and umbrellas and made the best of the less-than-perfect weather. But our local guides/drivers Carlos and Jose were terrific and kept us on our toes throughout the day. We returned to the hotel around 5:30 and have some time before meeting up for dinner. Then we get a late wake-up call (yeah!) before heading to the airport to return to Lisbon. We heard our fellow travelers had some flight delays but that they all made it home safe - we miss you guys!!!!

Today we said goodbye to our tour director, Gracia, and driver, Carlos when they dropped us off at the airport. For many of us, this was the end of our trip and we headed back to the States. Everyone had such a great time and we look forward to catching up and sharing photos - and stories. Thirteen of us remained on vacation and headed to the Azores! Specifically, we arrived on the island of San Miguel and the city of Ponta Delgada (capital of the Azores). Our hotel is right on the waterfront, overlooking a marina, and walking distance to many of the historic sites. After free time for lunch and exploring, we met with our tour director, Miguel, and a local guide who may not be so local... We began our 90 minute walking tour and made it about 30 minutes before it started to rain and then pour. But we did learn a lot and saw some interesting things, including a few beautiful churches. We will head out for dinner later and hope that the rains stop for tomorrow's bus tour of

On the way to Sintra, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town, and the Portuguese Riviera, our local guide Raphaela enchanted us with information about Sinatra and explained why Lord Byron called the area “a glorious eden” in his Childe Harolde’s Pilgrimage. In Sintra, we got a glimpse into the royal life during a guided tour of the 19 th -century Pena Palace which sits atop a mountain overlooking the Portuguese countryside. Sintra is filled to the brim with other-worldly charm with colorful villas, small shops and impeccable gardens. On our way back to Lisbon we stopped in the old fishing village of Cascais but not before admiring the view from the bus of the coastal scenery in the Portuguese Riviera. What an amazing day in a wonderful part of the country! Tonight we had our farewell dinner before most of us have to pack-up and make the trip back stateside tomorrow. Thirteen travelers will be headed to The Azores for three additional days in Portugal.

Today was one of the most anticipated days of the trip, one where we boarded the bus and headed off to Tomar and Fátima! On the way Fr. Jim helped us prepare for our spiritual journey. First-up was the Convent of Christ Church in Tomar. This 12th-century site served as a fortress for the Knights of Templar and features eight cloisters, which were built between the 15th and 16th centuries. There are many types of architecture throughout the grounds, since every time new areas were added the design changed. Next, our journey took us to Fátima to tour the famed Catholic site where the Virgin Mary appeared six times to three shepherd children. 2017 is the 100 th anniversary of the Marion apparitions and the site was abuzz with pilgrims from all areas of the globe. We had the opportunity to explore the Sancturary of Our Lady of Fátima and present our intentions as we well as learn about the Three Secrets of Fátima. The first secret was a vision of Hell disclosed to the c

This morning we boarded the coach and headed off to the country’s capital, Lisbon! Fr. Chichetto educated us along the way about the reign of Prime Minister Salazar, the dictator for most of the 20th century who was determined to keep the country neutral during World War II. His thought provoking lecture left us all pondering the ideas of progress and revenge.  After a few hours drive, we arrived in the downtown area of Lisbon and had some time for lunch. We met our local guide, Pilar, and then embarked on a sightseeing tour of the capital city! Known for its maritime history with famed explorers like Vasco de Gama (discoverer of the sea route to India) and Ferdinand Magellan (first to circumnavigate the globe) hailing from Portugal, we had the opportunity to visit numerous sites dating back to the Age of Discoveries. First, we entered the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém which was built to honor voyagers by monks who assisted seafarers in transit during the Age of Discover