The Azores: Small dots of bright green on the map

"Oh my word, just look at this: a native laurel! This is just absolutely magical!" A quivering peak of botanical ecstasy had been noisily attained by one of our party. As so often with such experiences, though, anticlimax soon followed. My companion lost his footing and took an inelegant tumble on the sloping path. No harm was done but had the damage been worse I imagined composing the letter to ...