We loved the Azores so much we had to go back.
Ruth: As we wait in the airport for our flights to Toronto we are already planning our next trip to the Azores. Gord is plotting roads and trails to circumnavigate São Miguel on foot as I check out the bike options. Of course we are coming back! For one thing we have never been to Corvu and barely explored Terceira and Flores.We used the car ...
The elephant trunk rock near Capelas Ruth: It was raining cats and dogs yesterday, so while I tended to the cats in our cozy bungalow, my slightly crazy but wonderful husband hiked up and over the island to pick up a rental car at the airport 13 kms away. This was a great concession to me. His plan was to have us cycle across the ...
Gordon: We were walking down a small road towards a viewpoint when Ruth suddenly sucked in her breath and clutched my arm. My eyes darted about looking for the threat. “What is it?” I said. “Dead rat” Ruth replied. I relaxed and dismissed the threat, saying “We see those all the time.” And we do. An introduced species, as are all non-marine mammals in the ...
Terra Nostra Ruth: November 10, 2021We climbed to the crater rim above the town of Furnas at 510 meters before diving down the steep road into the town. I will climb a lot to get to hot springs and the ones in the botanical gardens at Furnas are some of the best. November 11, 2021 We left Maia and cycled back to the bungalow in Capelas. With only ...
Mar de Prata Ruth: The good: We are staying in the lovely seaside town of Maia in a tiny little house called Mar de Prata (“Sea of Silver”). The house is perched over a little sand beach with views of the headlands to the east. It is just perfect! Sãozinha, our host, has filled our kitchen with food: fruit, wine, breads, cheese, meat, eggs, homemade fig ...
Gord: “It’s kind of edgy here; there seem to be a lot of 30 something men hanging around and many appear a bit twitchy. The guy that just came out of the washroom was gesturing that someone is shooting up in there. It reminds me of Victoria.”Ruth: “Do you want to finish our sandwich somewhere else?”Gord: “Sure.”Today’s ride took us through the village of Rabo ...
Gord on the track around the caldera rim. Sete Cidades Gordon: I am approaching the end of the third of five levels of the Duolingo course in Portuguese, so I should have some ability to understand simple things that are said to me in Portuguese, right? Not a bit of it. I can read most things, and make simple requests in Portuguese, but I still ...
Ruth: Yesterday we hitched our trailers back on the bikes and rolled down out of Santa Barbara. Our flight to São Miguel was not until seven so we had lots of time to have a meal at the German restaurant in Vila da Porta before heading to the airport to pack up our bikes in their suitcases and check in. The process was quicker than ...
Ruth: Dia de Todos os Santos, or All Saints Day is a national holiday in Portugal. It is the day when people visit the cemetery and bring flowers to remember their departed loved ones. The cemetery in Santo Espírito was a far more colourful place than it had been on our visit two days earlier. Our rides yesterday and today have taken us over the few ...
Gordon: The Azores must have one of the most gentle climates on earth. I did a little research and learned that in the largest town, Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, it has never been colder than 4 degrees Celsius, or hotter than 29. The normal daily range is perhaps 12 to 17 degrees in January, and 21 to 26 in July. There is a few ...