Gordon: We had glorious weather today, with a ride to match. All rides from Vila do Porto begin with a climb to 200 metres to the junction that feeds the network of roads on the island. Today we almost immediately dropped back down to the beach in the next bay. It’s...
Resurrecting the trail markers Gordon: The island of Santa Maria has two very different halves: a gently rolling, rather arid west, and a green, mountainous east. We have spent the last couple of days cycling and walking around the western half.Yesterday we cycled to...
The view from Pico Alto. A good spot for an orange. The frog chorus at our lunch spot. Ruth: I first picked up the nickname Mocanitsa in Romania. That’s their pet name for the narrow gauge steam engine that climbs up into the heights of the Carpathian...
Figueiral Cave(limestone quarry) Gordon: Santa Maria is the only island in the Azores to have a marked trail running all around it. The trail is 78 kms long and is generally walked in four or five days. Portugal uses the same naming and marking conventions as other...
São Bras Ruth: The hostels in the Azores are frequently repurposed monasteries or convents located in the old neighborhoods, often near the port. We have been noticing them on other islands and admiring the historic buildings in which they are located. For the first...
Gordon: Over the last few days we have had the pleasure of walking the Levada trail. This 8 km path follows a concrete lined ditch (the Levada) that collected and transported water to a pool for use in a hydroelectric generating station. The literature describes the...
Ruth: Returning to see the site of the 1957-58 eruption that both transformed and extended the north end of Faial island is still awesome on a second and third visit. What is less exciting for writers and readers is a second blog on the subject. I will include our...
Gordon: We have had some unsettled weather lately, with high winds and rain, some of biblical intensity. The rain seldom lasts all day, however, allowing us to walk for a few hours each day. And the temperatures remain ridiculously pleasant: it is always between 19...
Ruth: The tropical rains have put our outside dining and daily snorkelling on hold, hopefully only temporarily. Even when the forecast looks ominous, we are still able to capitalize on the sunny and dry periods that materialize when we need them. And this is tropical...
Orisao Gordon: I was hanging some laundry on the line at our hotel this morning when I noticed an orange tree with abundant green fruit. Looking around, I realized that the clothesline is set in a tropical fruit garden. In addition to the oranges, there are several...
Porto Pim The view from our apartment balcony of Pico. Eating on the balcony. The lower floor of our little apartment at Verde Mar. Ruth: Although Gord and I travel a lot, we only return to a handful of places. The Azores are on that list and it is lovely knowing I...
The Pico Vineyards near Madalena. A grape growing out of a crack in the Lava. Maria Gordon:Somewhere at the North End of Pico Island, AD 1449“And here, my love, is our new vineyard.”“This wasteland of black rock? Are you kidding, João?”“Maria, with a little labour we...