9thJune Horta, Faial 38:31.959N 028:37.525W

Whisper
Noel Dilly
Mon 10 Jun 2013 11:01
9th June - Horta, Faial

A wet miserable looking morning, but we set off enthusiastically in the VW UP! with Mark.  The mist and rain had really set in and visibility was not good, fortunately the roads are incredibly quiet as there are only about 15,000 inhabitants on Faial.  We had planned to walk one of the trails to the Capelinhos volcano, but because of the continuing rain we decided to look at the museum associated with the volcano first.  This volcano erupted from the sea and formed itself in 1957-1958 so it's history is well recorded with film footage and many photographs.  As we drove down to the coast we emerged from the cloud and all around us was dry, with spectacular views of the old lighthouse and volcano.  The museum was closed but would be open in the afternoon.  With two enthusiastic explorers at my side we set off to explore the ash covered cones.  The formation was absolutely fascinating everywhere we looked there was something different to see from volcanic plugs, lava flows and ash cones where grass tufts are beginning to establish vegetation after 50 years.  Noel enjoyed telling Mark and I how the different layers had formed.  We climbed up the three different hills, coming across a colony of breeding Lesser Blackbacked Gulls, who were not pleased to see us as we clambered up the second hill, we retreated and found a spot overlooking the ocean in between the hills and sheltered from the wind.  Above us more gulls stood guard protecting their grey fluffy offspring as they wandered through the grassy banks.  Once we had settled down to eat our lunch the adults stopped circling the air above us and became quiet.

We visited the museum and old lighthouse when they opened.  The museum building was in itself an amazing structure.  Instead of blighting this vast open geological area with an inappropriate building the museum is hidden beneath the ground.  The circular main entrance hall roof which, seen from the outside is a large flat circle framed by a stainless steel ring at ground level.  On the inside it is supported by a central concrete pillar giving it the an amazing  mushroom shape.  Once inside there is so much to see, a cup of coffee was enjoyed in the central hall on comfy sofas with a slide show of local scenes.  The auditorium showed a 3D film with an explanation of how the world began and how the Capelhinos erupted and joined on to the much earlier volcano Costado da Nau where the old lighthouse stood on its cliffs.  We then walked through the different exhibition halls with many interactive displays and wonderful slides and informative.  It is a most wonderful and informative museum, using modern technology to inspire and make the birth of this volcano come alive.    

We then walked out to the light house, which used to be two floors high but since the volcano the first floor was buried under volcanic ash.  We climbed to the top of the lighthouse to enjoy more views of this recently created and almost virgin land. 

Most certainly well worth a visit!


Photographs:
 
1. "Old Lighthouse"
2. "Looking Down on Lava Flow"
3. "Volcanic Plug"
4. "Intrepid Explorers in Volcanic Wilderness"
5. "Lesser Blackback Chick"
6. "Volcanic Landscape"

 

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