Hey Brian,

I've spent a fair amount of time in Portugal and Brazil over the years, the Portuguese culture has always been one of my favorites, so I have no doubt I'd love those islands...

An Atlantic Circle of sorts is on my list, for sure, we shall see... The trip I'd have in mind would probably exclude going all the way to Europe, however. I've already seen so much of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline of Europe back in the good old days, and when it was a bit more affordable, so re-visiting much of southern Europe by boat is not a high priority for me now...

Although they're one of the most popular waystations in the Atlantic, virtually everyone who goes to the Azores seems to wish they had more time to spend there, and really 'cruise' the islands... That's what I would prefer to do, confine an Atlantic circle to the islands, Madeira is another place that has always been high on my list... Then the Canaries, perhaps a stop in Agadir, Morocco on the way, and finally the Cape Verdes, which sounds like another fascinating place, and a great jumping off spot for heading back home via the Caribbean...

So, we shall see... But, you're right, time's a wasting... (grin)

best regards,

Jon