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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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 time... Read More

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... Read More

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.... Read More