The Azores archipelago consists of nine islands in the mid Atlantic, located just less than two hours flying time from Lisbon, on mainland Portugal. With a total area of 2335 square kilometres literally every one of these islands have the most fantastic fishing potential imaginable even though being the most underdeveloped potential in the modern fishing world.

The volcanic structure of the archipelago has created the high inland lakes, the extinct craters and those ominous looking volcanic cones that are now so verdantly green. The climate creates this luxurious undergrowth of vegetation and riot of wild flowers, tempered by the islands’ position on the latitude, and the regulating influence of the Gulfstream. The mean air temperature for the year is 17C, with a maximum of 21C, and a minimum of 14C.

The atmosphere, free from pollution, allows the amateur and professional photographer to snap away merrily. Tones are enhanced by the ever changing clouds, and the rays of the sun change Pico especially, from a bland silhouette to a plaster moulding of prehistoric times. Many of the high pressure weather systems start here, known as the Azores anticyclone belt. The wind, considering it has the entire north Atlantic to race over unhindered, is only some 12.2km per hour.

Ideal for the sailing enthusiast, (the islands are used as provisioning points by trans-Atlantic sailors) and ideal, of course, for fishing. The weather changes very quickly. It can rain and blow in the morning, then be still with a clear blue sky in the evenings. The combination of these natural conditions allows a prolific growth of vegetation, which, as well as interesting native species that are elsewhere extinct, includes various exotic plants and trees from all over the world. Game is still abundant. Buzzards, that gave the islands their name, still visit the islands. Livestock breeding is now one of the mainstays of the islanders, which together with the agriculture, wines and other industries makes tourism a joy.

Unspoiled by pollution, and undamaged by the commercialism of the rest of Europe, these islands really are one of the few places left in the world where you can get away from it all. According to the recent census there is a resident population of 287,000. Many years ago the Nova Scotia whaling boats would stop in the Azores to take on men, as the locals were among the finest and most fearless whalers of the day, with a reputation for reliability that preceded them worldwide. Looking at the islands separately they all have something unique to commend them.

This is a guest post from Tom of the website ActiveBackpacker.

Whenever you head off overseas, it’s always important that you have a solid plan in place as to how you are going to be withdrawing cash from the ATM’s over there, and how you are going to access your money in general.

If you don’t, you will find that the fees and costs will add up faster than you can blink.

I’ve travelled and backpacked Europe extensively, so I can definitely help out and provide a few decent tips when it comes to withdrawing money without burning a hole in your budget.

The real problems with most bank cards or credit cards when you are withdrawing funds from an overseas country are that they will charge you all sorts of fees. These fees will generally include: Foreign currency conversion fees, cash advance fees AS WELL AS international transaction fees.

All of these fees will really add up, so the best trick is to simply find a product that will provide you at least 2 of those 3 fees for free.

I personally have a travel credit card which charges me none of those fees (the best solution- but I need to ensure I am always paying off my card), but not everyone has access to something like that.
So don’t just use your local bank card, I’m telling you right now there is a great chance the fees incurred by yourself will be simply ridiculous. Shop around, and find a card that is going to provide you with some major advantages for withdrawing funds in another country.

Don’t bother with traveler’s checks. They are antiquated and a waste of time – everywhere in Europe will have ATM’s with the Visa or MasterCard symbols (or look for the one that has MAESTRO or CIRRUS on it).

I also carry around two points of access to my money back home, so I’ll bring along a bank card as a back up to my travel credit card for example. I suggest you don’t store these in the same place as each other (for obvious reasons – in case you lose one!).

If you can ultimately get a card that is low on foreign conversion and cash advance fees, you are going to be way ahead of the pack. It also means you can withdraw LESS from the ATM (because you are not being charged ridiculous amounts for each withdrawal) thus reducing the risk of carrying and losing lots of cash whilst traveling.

Anyway it’s all a little bit common sense, but I hope this article has provided some valuable tips when it comes to how to go about accessing your money whilst traveling Europe.

The Aletsch Glacier flows down the valley from its beginning high in a pass between two massive mountains, the Jungfrau and the Monch. Located in south-central Switzerland, it measures some 15 miles (25 kilometers) in length and encompasses about 50 square miles (130 square kilometers), making it both the longest and the largest glacier in the Alps.

Glaciers are often thought of as rivers of ice—rivers that are made of snow that has compacted under pressure. Like ordinary rivers, they have their sources, tributaries, and outlets. In the case of the Aletsch, three ice streams—the Great Aletsch Firn (fern is the name used for compacted snow), the Jungfrau Firn, and the Ewigschneefeld (“Eternal Snow Field”) —come together in the region called the Concordia Platz. From this point the great glacier moves south toward the Rhone Valley, flowing at an average rate of 500 to 650 feet (150 to 200 meters) per year.

Along the way small tributary glaciers feed into the main glacier. However, most of the tributary glaciers are melting back and have become disconnected from the main glacier, so that ice from them no longer reaches the Aletsch.

On its left bank the Aletsch Glacier forms a wall, damming up the waters of a small tributary valley and creating a lake called the Marjelensee. In the past the lake sometimes drained unexpectedly into channels beneath the ice, but now the drainage has been controlled to avoid flooding.

The last big ice advance occurred in the 17th century, but today there is not enough snow to compensate for loss by melting. Since 1892 the terminal snout of the Aletsch has receded more than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters), and the glacier now occupies only about half of its former basin. Traces of irrigation canals, which were dug into the old valley floor and then buried by the ice during the late Middle Ages, have now become visible again. Along the sides of the glacier a line of boulders and rocky debris (lateral moraines) shows the former extent of the ice.

But even at its present size, the Aletsch Glacier stores a tremendous amount of water. In fact the Massa River, which is a tributary of the Rhone, consists entirely of meltwater from the Aletsch. Though in winter the stream almost runs dry, its torrential summer flow supplies a seasonally operated hydroelectric station.

At one time difficult to reach, the Aletsch region now attracts many visitors, who can take a tram up the side of the Jungfrau to the highest point in Europe that is reachable by rail. Also, several cable cars run up from the Rhone Valley to vantage points above the glacier itself.

The glacier provides exceptional terrain for skiers, even in spring, and the Aletschhom (the highest peak in its basin) offers a challenge to the most experienced mountain climbers. In addition, there is a nature reserve (the Aletschwald), as well as two resorts at Belalp and Riederalp, which provide accommodations for visitors interested in glacier excursions. The beautiful scenery and the pure air are clearly reasons enough for visiting Switzerland’s Aletsch Glacier for an adventure.