I bought this honey directly from the bee-keeper at the market in Ponta Delgada (Azores). It is the most flavorful honey I have ever had – this particular one is clover – or so he told me! We are enjoying it on the delicious Portuguese bread with salted butter or sharp cheese – as we learned at Taberna Acor….
Yesterday we enjoyed limpets in garlic butter at Restaurante Caravela in Sao Vicente (Madeira). Local flavours abound
The weather forecast called for showers today, but they moved through overnight and we had another beautiful day in which to explore more of this gorgeous island.
We started in Ponta Delgado with a walk to the fort and military museum. The fort dates from the 16th century and is in use today by the Portuguese military. From there a walk to visit the small but beautiful Jardim Antonio Borges (gardens) with many fine tree specimens, grottos and flowering shrubs.
Ponta Delgado is a very walkable and easy town to navigate. The narrow roads are cobbled using the volcanic rock and the pavements all have a mosaic design.
Lunch was at Acores Grill where one chooses from various selections of meat and you grill yourself at the table.
We drove westwards to Sete Cicades and the beautiful crater lakes Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde. Legend is that a princess with green eyes fell in love with a shepherd with blue eyes. The union was not permitted by the King causing the princess and shepherd to cry and cry with their tears forming two lakes, one green and one blue.
Taking dirt roads we ended up in Mosteiros to see the sunset which eluded us in the last few minutes. Nevertheless it was lovely sitting on the black rocks listening to and watching the surf crash onto the rocks and black sand beach.
We were treated to a parade outside the hotel as we were leaving this morning – part of carnival season preceding Lent.
What an extraordinary place this is! The entire island is like a manicured park and workers are out in force trimming the banks, pruning trees and sprucing up the rest areas – which are like mini-parks. I kid you not! all the azaleas along the side of the road have been pruned and shaped!
More spectacular scenery with steep cliffs dropping to the ocean.
Tidy villages dot the landscape with their white and black (volcanic stone) churches.
Like a couple of crazies we took heed of the warning and walked down to the lighthouse (Farol Ponta del Arnel). The walk down was hard enough, but the hike back up had our hearts racing!
We earned the beer!
I love these local pineapples! Terrific market here in Punta Delgada!
We enjoyed the stunning coastline on our short drive from Capelas to Porto Formoso with lots of little side-trips along dirt roads.
We visited Cha Gorreana, the oldest and only remaining tea plantation on São Miguel. The Azores is the only place in Europe where tea is grown, this dating back to the 19th century. This plantation has been in operation since 1833 and still uses machinery from the industrial revolution – but it works! Because of the climate here and lack of insects, the tea plants are absolutely untreated other than pruning. They mature in their sixth year and continue to produce and live for 90 years! Harvest is from March until October. It is a tasty brew indeed!
We arrived in Furnas descending into the crater. A picturesque and very tidy little spa town – all the villages and towns we have passed through have been immaculate. We checked into our hotel Terra Nostra Gardens Hotel which adjoins the beautiful Terra Nostra botanical gardens. A marvelous collection of Camelias and a variety of Azalias were in bloom. We enjoyed the majestic trees, lush greenery and, especially, the palm tree-sized ferns.
And then a relaxing dip in the iron rich thermal pool….. ah!
Dinner at Restaurante Bar Caldeiras & Vulcões – cozido! more later … update! We couldn’t have the cozido because it required a 24-hour prior booking! Oh well! we enjoyed wonderful locally sourced food and wine! We would definitely return.
Four and one-half hours after leaving Boston on a full and bumpy flight we descended in darkness and touched down on a small speck of land in the Atlantic 2,625 km from North America and 1,815 km from mainland Europe (Portugal). São Miguel Island, also referred to locally as “The Green Island”, is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago (9) of the Azores. Jet-lagged, from losing one night of sleep, we set off to explore the famed Lagoa do Fogo (Lagoon of Fire) one of the beautiful crater lakes.
We also visited Monumenta da Caldeira Velha, natural thermal pools set in the mountainside with waterfalls of warm water and one pool with water bubbling through the surface at 160 C. We weren’t prepared to take a dip ourselves, but will likely return – it looks like a great way to spend an hour or so.
The island is small enough that at a central high point, one can see the northern and southern coastlines (approximately 12 km across). It reminds of a cross between western Ireland, Hawaii, and New Zealand. Every untouched surface is covered in green – either moss or ferns – and Camelias, hydrangeas, lilies, Azalias, agapanthus, and much, much more grow abundantly alongside the roads and lanes. Healthy looking cattle graze lazily in paddocks and fields with never a worry that their food supply will end. It is said that cattle outnumber humans on the island!
We ate dinner at Cafe Conto do Cais, a fabulous cafe in an old building, in Capelas.
After spending only 12 hours on this island, I have to say that never in my life have I met such genuinely welcoming and friendly people.
