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. 

Beth in Azores Day 7

 We started with a visit to the Ananases Pineapple Plantation.  It has been a family run business for six generations.  We learned about their organic techniques for growing pineapple in greenhouses. So interesting.  In the gift shop we tasted pineapple liquor. A little sweet but definitely had some heat going down. 

Next we did a 5 mile coastal walk along the northern coast.  We passed through several small villages and walked along beautiful seaside areas. Our route took us along a dirt road that was originally cleared as agricultural access between the villages and the pastures.  Like others we have hiked, these access roads have become popular for hikers as they are very scenic.

After lunch, we visited a tea factory.  Also a family business,  it was begun in the 1800s and continues with many of the same techniques and processes. The fields of tea leaves were amazing to see. Inside, we observed workers at various stages of preparing and packaging the tea.

At the end of the day we arrived at our last hotel, the Terra Nostra Garden hotel in Furnas. It is located on the grounds of a botanical garden that is rated #2 in all of Europe. There is also a thermal pool heated by volcanic activity in the area. 

The hotel is extremely beautiful.  Looking forward to touring the gardens tomorrow. 

Beth in Azores Day 6

 We started with a ride to the northwest end of Sao Miguel to Sete Cidades or Seven Cities. This area contains another caldera, this one much, much larger than the one we saw on Terceira. Within the caldera are two large lakes (Green Lake and Blue Lake) and seven pasture areas between the volcanic peaks. We hiked around part of the rim of the caldera where we could view the most spectacular scenery we have seen so far this week.

On our way back to Ponta Delgada, we stopped in the village of Capelas where there is a very unusual museum filled with collections of Azorean memorabilia and handicrafts. There were also many rooms depicting representations of Azorean life of past centuries. 

Back in Ponta Delgada, a small group of us went to see a restored synagogue which is now  a museum. Thanks to the "before" photos we were really able to appreciate how much had been done to restore the sanctuary.  

In the evening,  several of us went to an authentic Portuguese restaurant nearby where I had a delicious dish of bacalhau (cod), shrimp and Portuguese sausage cooked in a clay pot. 

Beth in Azores Day 5

 Today was a hiking day. We drove about 20 minutes to the Quatro Fabricas da Luz or Four Factories of Light trail. It is situated in a deep forest that was the site of a hydroelectric plant in the early days of renewable energy.

The plants are so thick and lush. We saw giant ginger lily leaves, giant ferns, eucalyptus and much more. Also, waterfalls and streams. And, many hydrangeas which grow so wildly here they are considered weeds!

The hike was challenging, with many narrow trails and lots of changes of elevation. It was a lot of fun and we felt like we were in Jurassic Park.

After the hike, we stopped in Vila Franca do Campo, a small town adjacent to a black sand beach.

In the afternoon,  we had a walking tour of Ponta Delgada.  The architecture here is very different from Angra. Not colonial but a mix of modern and Spanish Gothic.  

Beth Azores in Day 4

 Today was a transition day. Not much hiking but several walks to beautiful overlooks and seaside areas. 

After breakfast we attended a talk by a local geologist.  She spoke about the science  of geothermal energy and the efforts to have more clean energy on Terceira.  Lots of information and very inspiring.  So far, they can supply 34% of their energy with geothermal power plants. 

Then, we boarded our bus together with our group leader, Arianna, and our local expert, Felipe.  Felipe is a naturalist and also an expert on Terceira's history and culture. He has been with us on our hikes and he always has a lot to teach us and talk about.  

The weather in the Azores is  VERY changeable.  It will rain, be sunny or windy without notice.  Today, the forecast was for rain so the plan was to "chase the weather " as our guides say. We set out to look for the sunniest or driest spots and wow, they did a great job!

We started in Sao Sebastian which is the oldest village on Terceira. Next was Sao Mateus on the southern coast.   It was once a whaling village but now it is the only fishing village. 

 Continuing on, we stopped at several lookout points to view the island from different directions.  By then it was lunch time.  We stopped at a restaurant that is part of a golf course that was originally  built in the 1950s for American military personnel based on Terceira.  Now it is a public course and they serve an incredible buffet lunch. 

During the 70s and 80s there was a large American air force presence on Terceira.  The American and British military first came to the island toward the end of WWII when Portugal joined the allied forces. By the 70s, there were 7000 American personnel.  Today, only 200 remain so most of the base is deserted.

Our last stop was Praia da Vitoria. This is the second largest town on Terceira and it has a beautiful marina area. To reach the marina, we walked down 350 stone steps. The view was amazing. In Praia we had time for a little shopping and day drinking.  We had a local beer named after Brianda, a noblewoman who saved her community from the Spanish by releasing bulls to attack them. Google her for the whole story!

From there, we headed to the airport for our flight to Ponta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel where we will stay for the next three days.

More hiking tomorrow.  Can't wait to see how different this island will be.