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Anthony Bourdain Smells Something Funny in the Azores

After Anthony Bourdian's rather bland exploration of Washington, DC, we were glad to hear his next No Reservations stop was a little crazier: The Azores, an archipelago of Portuguese islands set 900 miles off the European coast in the remote Atlantic Ocean. Now that's more like it. It's pretty crazy that this place even exists, let alone that people can easily get to it.

Bourdain got interested in the Azores during his early days working in kitchens across Cape Cod, where apparently, tons of Azorean people live. Who knew? Guess that explains why they've got those direct Boston-Azores flights. It all makes sense now.

But while we were expecting a remote volcanic wonderland, Bourdian makes the Azores look, well, just not as out there as we were hoping. Sure, some of the scenery is amazing, but they drink gin and tonics, eat sausage, and remark how much it's just like America! Not to be selfish, but when we travel that far we're looking for a place that's a little less American. To be fair, the boiling geyser on San Miguel Island sounded pretty far out, but then Bourdain described its smell as reminiscent of "nibbling egg salad out of one of Hulk Hogan's used Speedos."

Well our appetite's gone, but we're still wondering exactly what the Azores are all about. Remote middle-of-nowhere paradise or little piece of America in the Atlantic? Anyone been? Worth the $800 ticket from Boston? Let us know in comments below.

· Anthony Bourdain Can't Find Non-Touristy DC Eats [Jaunted]
· Azores Express Has a Thing for Boston: More Routes [Jaunted]

[Photo: Travel Channel]