Beth in Azores Day 10

 This was our last day in the Azores. After another delicious European breakfast at the hotel, I took a quick walk around the botanical gardens.  It was so interesting to see how different it looks with the morning light. 

After we checked out we drove to a lookout point at the top of the volcano above Furnas Lake. From there, we could see the area where we had hiked from  a different  perspective. 

Next, we stopped at a lookout point for Lagoa da Fogo or the Fire Lake. It is a spectacular view and often obstructed by low clouds. But, we were very lucky. It is called Fire Lake because there was once an active volcano eruption at this place. 

Our last sightseeing stop was the town of Ribeira Grande.  It is the second largest town on Sao Miguel but significantly smaller than Ponta Delgada. I actually preferred this town as it has interesting historic architecture,  is situated along a beach called Santa Barbara, and also has a lovely small garden in the center of town.

From there, we drove to Ponta Delgada where we had an amazing seafood lunch at a restaurant that is connected to the local culinary school.  The students took excellent care of us.  The food is based on traditional Azorean cuisine but with a contemporary influence.  Very fun.

And then it was on to the airport.  I was very sorry to say goodbye to the Azores.  It is a natural wonderland with friendly people who treasure their land. 

Beth in Azores Day 9

 Today was our final hike. We started in the village of Faial da Terra on the Eastern end of San Miguel Island. Following a forest trail, we hiked past streams and waterfalls. The trail was narrow with quick changes of elevation and sharp switchbacks. The scenery was so impressive but not too many photo ops since we really had to keep an eye on our feet and the trail. 

We passed through the old village of Sanguinho. It was abandoned in the 1970s when its residents moved to America.  But, in recent years a woman from Germany has been restoring the homes and offering them as tourist rentals.  An amazing project.  

In the afternoon I returned to the botanical gardens and then took a stroll around the town of Furnas since this was our last day here.

We had our farewell dinner which was delicious and beautifully presented.  A food experience!

Tomorrow we will do some sightseeing before lunch in Ponta Delgada then on to the airport.  

Beth in Azores Day 8

 Today we walked from our hotel to Lake Furnas, a volcanic lake about 600 feet above sea level.  We walked around the perimeter of the lake with a stop at the research center.  We saw a presentation about the work being done to rehabilitate the lake and watershed area. 

 Next,  we continued on to an area of fumaroles where the steam from volcanic activity is used to cook a meal called cozido. Meats and vegetables are placed in a pot which is buried in the ground for about 6 hours. Then, it is retrieved and brought to a local restaurant.  Our hotel restaurant does this so after the pot was retrieved we walked back to the hotel for a cozido lunch. 

In the afternoon, we had a guided tour of the Terra Nostra botanical gardens.  It's hard to describe how impressive the gardens are. Some of the trees and plants are enormous!

The grounds include a thermal pool. Late in the day the gardens and pool are only available to hotel guests. A bunch of us went to the thermal pool before dinner.  The water contains iron oxide so it is cloudy and doesn't look appealing.  But, the warmth of the water is very relaxing and the minerals are supposed to be great for your skin. Quite an experience!

Tomorrow is our last and most challenging hike.