Message from the Azores
Wing and a Prayer
Joy Hughes
Sat 21 Jul 2007 13:02
37:44.41N 25:39.57W
Hello
Hope you are all well and enjoying the summer back home, thought I should
get you up to date with what we have been doing since my last news letter.
We have now been in the Azores for 5 weeks. Prior to arriving here, I had
given little thought to these little islands. A convient stopover on the way
back to Europe I thought a port of call for the lone sailor crossing the
Atlantic oceans. How wrong I was.
The Azores are located 760nm from Lisbon and 2110nm from New York. There are
nine volcanic islands believed to be the remains of the legendary Atlantis.
We visited four, Flores, Faial, Terceira and Sao Miguel. They are
Portuguese, discovered by Diogo de Silves a Portuguese navigator and since
1976 have a Statute of Autonomy from Portugal. With a gentle climate and
fertile soil they are rich in forestry and vegetation. Mainly FLOWERS.
Our first island as mentioned previously was Flores. This had not been the
plan we had intended to land in the famous town of Horta on the island of
Faial. But Andy and Chris needed to get back home and work. Flores was some
130nms nearer, had an airport so we decided to divert to the small harbour
town of Lejes das Flores on the south east tip of the island. Andy and Chris
flew home and Graham and I spent a week in the little harbour on anchor.
Lajes is a picturesque fishing village and port surrounded by green fields
and flowers. It has a beautiful 18th century church. The church of Senhora
do Rosario with a magnificent statue of Nossa Senhora do Rosario and an
elaborate Subtissimo chandelier. A gift from Pope Pius X to the people of
Lajes for the help they gave to the passengers of a shipwreck in 1909.
The island is visited every month by a supply ship so you can so you can
image there isn't a great range of food in the stores. However the eggs and
vegetables couldn't be fresher as all the houses have a small vegetable plot
and keep hens. We even found a pig and a couple of sheep in one yard. A
small Bar and Cafe run by a lady called Paula. (Paula's Café) could arrange
everything for you. Car Hire, Laundry, Taxis plus providing substantial size
meals at very reasonable prices.
We hired a car and did an island tour. It was breathtaking. It seemed as
though you were in a giant park. Great scenery, waterfalls, deep volcanic
lakes, quiet roads lined with flowering Hydrangeas, Azaleas, Ginger Lilies
very colourful. Unspoilt and clean.
The people were very friendly infact we meet a couple from the UK who had
sailed into Lajes last year, bought a house on their credit card and had
returned this summer planning to renovate it. We felt we could have done
that too. It's just such a lovely island.
But move on we must and the next island Faial was an overnight sail. It took
us 26 hours; the weather was fine with winds of up to 22kts. a beam reach,
with a reefed main and jib we did a comfortable 5/7kts. To arrive the
following morning and take a berth in the marina at Horta.
Horta is a very busy town, noisy we hadn't seen any traffic for a month.
Yachts of every nationality crossing the Atlantic call in here. We meet
Americans going to Ireland. Scandinavian, Germans and French returning home
from the Caribbean and the Portuguese who sail over in the summer to cruise
the islands.
Horta became a base for yachts since it had the first marina to be built in
the Azores and is really the only island where you are able to get yacht
services. There is the famous Peters Sports Café, a meeting place for
yachtsmen since it opened in 1953 by Peter Azevedo and now run by his son
Peter as well as refreshments; it sells T shirts, Souvenirs and local
Scrimshaw by the artist John Van Opstal who lives on the island. Scrimshaw
is the old art of etching onto whale bone and then inking it as done by the
whalers in the past.
The sea walls around the marina are covered with messages and paintings left
by yachts who have passed through. The tradition has grown that it is
unlucky to leave Horta without leaving one's mark. So along with other
superstitious cruising folk, I found a space and left my work of art.
So we traveled on to the next island Terceira. A short sail 77nms. We again
decide to do it overnight, the winds were very light and we motored sailed
the second half of the passage arriving at Angra do Heroisma the following
morning. Here it was festival time. The festival of Sao Joan, ten days of
street parades, music, bands in the streets and concerts in the various
squares at night. The famous Bull Run where young bulls run down the main
street and into the harbour. Well not quite, they are controlled to some
extent by a rope collar and a long line on which six large men try and
restrain them to some degree. The bull is allowed to roam down the street
whilst the spectator's generally young men run before the bulls with cloaks
and umbrellas taunting the animal. The bull gives chase and the men scatter.
The bull is quite a match for them and often makes contact, which is greeted
with cheers and laughter. Light hearted fun and the bull isn't hurt.
The festival comes to an end with a great firework display to very loud
music at the harbour. We had a grandstand seats sitting on the back of the
boat in the marina.
Leaving Terceira we finally sailed to our last island Soa Miguel and into
the marina at Ponta Delgardo a passage of about 100nm south west. Winds
again were light and we had to motor sail a large percentage of the time.
Sao Miguel is the largest of the islands and Ponte Delgado the capital of
the Azores group of islands. Here extensive work is being carried out in the
harbour. A new marina is planned for 600 visiting yachts along with a cruise
ship dock, casino and shopping mall due to open 2008. As with most large
towns/cities it is very busy and not very attractive.
Once again it was festival time. The festival of Divino Esperito Santo.
(Divine Holy Spirit) held at weekends on different islands during the
summer. They have a street parade with decorated ox carts and hand out cake
and wine to the people lining the streets. Graham was quite impressed with
the free beer.
Having exhausted the shops in town I persuaded Graham to hire a car for a
couple of days and we drove inland. Now here it is very different, once
again like Flores the roads were quiet and lined with flowering hedges. Very
pretty and peaceful. We drove to the village of Sete Cidades and the twin
lakes. Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde. Two lakes joined by a common junction,
now spanned by a road bridge one side blue water the other green water.
Legend has it that it was created by the tears of a princess and a shepherd
boy who were forbidden to meet, their separate weeping created the lakes
which cannot mix.
On the eastern side of the island is the Furnas Valley an area of volcanic
activity with Hot springs, sulphuric waters and mud geysers. (Said to have
healing properties for all manner of illnesses) Parks and gardens and a deep
lake edged with flowers. Hydrangeas and other flowering plants. Well
maintained and very pretty.
The climate here is such that tea-plantations and vineyards thrive. The
local wine, tea along with cow and goats milk cheeses are available as are
pineapples grown in glass houses. Very sweet they are too. The markets are
full of local fruit and vegetables. Not the uniform Tesco size and shape but
full of flavor. Fish is plentiful as is chicken and pork but I'm afraid
Graham hasn't managed to get a decent steak. The beef is only good for
stewing. I think the cattle are kept for milk. By the time they are
slaughtered they are old and tough.
On balance these islands are really Atlantis and I hope we may return. After
all there are five more islands to visit.
At present we are getting the boat ready for the second leg of our passage
Madeira. A distance of 500nms we expect it to take 5 days and it's supposed
to be a friendly reach. We shall see.
Keep in touch
Joy