Terra Nostra
Scot Free III
Frank & Anne
Sun 25 Aug 2024 14:00
Had a stroke of luck, took a wrong turning in Furnas( aptly named) but found Poça da Tia Silvina by pure chance. The hot bubbling thermal pool next to the cold river had been recommended to us by a local. We were lucky enough to have it to ourselves.  Jardim da Alameda was next to it. Amazed at the efforts involved in keeping these gardens so neat and tidy. All the viewpoints were exceptionally well tended too and this particular garden was delightful.  Continued to the hot springs in Furnas, where sweetcorn is regularly cooked in the hot ground. The smell of sulphur was overwhelming- must be awful for the residents.  Then went in search of the Terra Nostra gardens, and ended up parking on the other side of the original gardens, only afterwards realising where we were. It proved to be a lovely spot for a very late picnic lunch. There is an entrance fee for the Terra Nostra if you aren’t a resident of the 5 star hotel. Residents were spotted enjoying a siesta in their bath robes, fast asleep by one of the water features. The grounds are well worth a visit. Many come for the orange coloured thermal pool rich in iron, good for the skin( but certainly not for your clothes!)  The botanical gardens are full of interest, busts, grottoes and a belvedere, many trees, various flowers, including a garden of native Azorean species, an ever- expanding collection of camellias and an avenue of gingko biloba trees amongst many others  The shade of the trees kept us reasonably cool. |