Ruth: We are back on Faial for three days before we go home on Monday. Reunited with our bikes, we headed out with them this morning, climbing halfway to the caldera before we took a forestry road that traverses the flank of the mountain at 500 meters. We choose our...
Gordon: Our host José’s face lit up when we told him we were planning to do the Norte Pequeno hike. “I wrote a book and I promised to deliver a copy to a friend who lives at the fajã on that walk. Could you deliver it to him? He likes to serve...
Ruth: José, our host at the The Tropical Fruit Garden, says that he does go to the store for a few things like sugar, salt and paper napkins, but otherwise he is almost self sufficient. We have been enjoying eating all he has been provided us from his small farm. We...
Ruth: “I could live here” Gord proclaimed as we headed over the top of the island to the trailhead where Gord would start today’s hike. In all the places we have traveled to and loved, we have never really considered moving anywhere permanently. São Jorge has...
Gordon: As our ferry approached the harbour at Velas, on the island of São Jorge, I was struck by how charming it appeared, nestled on a slope between a couple of volcanic cones. This impression remained as we wandered through the historic area near the...
Ruth: The sun returned yesterday, bringing back with it my optimism. My moods have been as volatile as the weather this trip. This morning I woke up after a rough night in which I couldn’t get comfortable. I needed an extra dose of coffee and Buddhism to get me back...
Gordon: Our visit to the Azores has coincided with an extended period of unseasonably poor weather. When we arrived at the beginning of February the locals were talking about the great winter they were enjoying. That changed almost immediately, and since then it...
Ruth: Today was the day we had an “opening” between storms to cycle around the south side of Pico to the port town of Madalena, about 54kms away. With winds blowing at 40kms per hour we set off just as the skies opened up. The rain felt like hail hitting my face....
Ruth: Slowing down is hard for both Gord and I, but probably a good thing for us to try once in a while. Today is the first day I haven’t gone out for either a walk or cycle, other than to pop down to the port and look at the waves. My back is telling me that...
Ruth: We have settled into Casa do Avô Faidoca on Pico Island. We get out most days for a walk and a bike ride, but there is more rain and wind coming so we will be hunkering down for a few days. The difference between the rain and sun is dramatic. We don’t...
Gordon: Today I rode up once again to an elevation of 950 metres on the high plateau. Without the opaque fog and hurricane force winds of my last outing, the experience was quite different. The Azores have been described as Ireland meets Hawaii, a characterization...
Ruth: Weather is so important when travelling, and winter travel is sometimes hard. Today we managed to dodge a couple of major downpours on our way around the eastern tip of Pico. When we spotted the first wall of water bearing down on us we popped into a bus shelter...