Iron Woman

In Furnas, on the east side of San Miguel, Azores, is Terra Nostra Gardens, where my spavalous travel companion Linda experiences a therapeutic swim in the hot springs, an iron-rich lake.

We stopped here for a spa experience of an orange kind. I hoped my sore back would heal from the mineral-rich waters, but alas, my hair benefited the most, drying into curls that could only come from hot rollers!

As we waded back to land, our bodies turned a shade of tan-in-a-bottle orange. Fortunately, an outdoor shower remedied the situation within minutes. However, throughout the remainder of the day, we both smelled of sulfur, but felt mineral-rich!