The Island of Flowers 39:20.0N 30:43.0W Sailed from Newport 1891 miles and to go to Terceira 174 miles
Ellatrout3
Wed 23 Jul 2014 17:24
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Flores: It truely is an Island of Flowers. Yesterday
I hired an old banger for 30 euros all in and drove around the island. Oh!
look at that I kept saying to myself and stopping the car every few minutes, I
don't know how I'm going to sort out all the pictures I took. As you climbed up
the mountain the road was evermore bordered by banks of hydraingers, great
avenues of flowers. Beyond the hedge row there were fields marked out with
wide borders of flowers and then on the steep upland there was more.
The hydraingers seemed to prefer the higher altitude, and it was high, my ears
popped several times up and down. It wasn't only hydraingers of course,there
were many other brightly coloured flowers that I recognised but could not recall
the name, particularly through the villages where they grow in the gardens and
on the roadside.
The villages are very small with no more than 40 or 50
people, each with its own church and many traditional houses still occupied.
Although modern dwellings are springing up everywhere, it will soon
change. They seem to have benefited from European money, the roads are
very good, better than ours at home and money has been spent on town centres,
its a real mixture of old and new. Its well worth a visit especially if
you like walking (hill walking!!?)
Lajes marina is tiny, room for about 20 yachts of ocean
going size plus 20 or 30 small boat pontoons for the local people. Its a
real play ground for the locals and visitors. The younger generation diving
off the harbour walls or swimming off the beach which adjoins the
marina and the young men practicing in their whale boats presumably for
some inter island competion? All very pleasant.
I left at first light this morning heading for Praia de
Vitoria, Terceira as fast as I can as there is a deep low low coming in ju7st to
the north which I do not want to get involved with. I couldn't wait for it
to pass otherwise I would not have been in Terceira when the family
arrived. If it slips further south than forecast I could have a few
unpleasant hours. Fingers crossed it won't and I get into Praia de Vitoria
ahead of it. You will probably gather from the typing I am beating to
windward and so my key board is very bouncy!
I'm very glad I stopped at Lajes and saw the Island
especially as it was Fiesta time, I would certainly come again if the
opportunity arose.
Love Poppa/Dad/Roger
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