On the last day of August I was trolling around the bands looking to fill band slots for the DXCC Challenge award. I’ve a long way to go having only recently eclipsed the 500 mark. A thousand are needed for the basic award and some of the top DXers in the world have over three-thousand so it’s a heady goal but a lofty achievement if and when it’s realized.

I saw a station in the Azores islands calling CQ on 12 meters using FT8. Soon after I had CS8ABF in the log. Though I have worked stations in the Azores on other bands and modes, this was a new one for me on 12 meters so I was happy to have snagged Rui on São Miguel. He confirmed our contact quickly via LoTW for which I’m always most grateful.

At the conclusion of most radio sessions I often click through the QRZ.com listings for the stations worked. It’s a nice way to make these contacts a bit more personal and I enjoy gleaning photos and the backstory of those operators worked.

As it turns out, CS8ABF is practically an ambassador for the Azores! His QRZ page includes copious amounts of promotional material about the islands along with a large cache of photos and even a video promoting travel to the Azores. Clicking along I soon found myself reading about the Azorean tea that’s grown and harvested there.

Intrigued, I did a little follow-up and quickly discovered the Gorreana Tea Factory:

“The oldest tea plantation in Europe. We cultivate this wonderful product that is tea since 1883, keeping, since then, the original traditions of the Orient as well as the ancient qualities that have been in our family for five generations. We invite you to know us better through our website and we hope you’ll visit us while on the island of S. Miguel (Azores)”.

It wouldn’t do to have gathered this intel without sampling the tea so I placed a small order for Gorreana Organic Black Tea via Amazon. That soon arrived and I find it to be tasty and relaxing.

I’d still love to visit the islands someday, but for now, working the Azores on the radio while sipping tea from there is as close as I can get without a plane ticket.