Caroline writes: Our first glimpse of the Azores was the massive dome of the eastern end of Sao Miguel, crimson in the setting sun.  I had some idea of what to expect, yet I found it awe-inspiring that land seemed to just appear out of nowhere, in the middle of hundreds of miles of water.  Of course, it was volcanic eruptions that created these nine islands and Sao Miguel (the largest island) is different from anywhere else I’ve been to.

The island is a delight of colour and wonder.  For instance, the hydrangeas: individually they have impressive blooms of white and blue and pink and they flower right through the summer. But these hydrangeas are everywhere: flanking so many of the roads for miles and forming hedges to divide the lush pastures. Low humidity and dust-free air intensify the clarity and depth of any view of the most amazing scenery of volcanoes, craters and sweeping views of the sea, with its intense blue contrasting with the colours of the lagoons.

The island boasts pineapple growing (under glass), two tea plantations, hot springs, lots of Friesian cows and delightful towns dominated by ornate church facades and with each street paved in a different style of black and white.

Our stay in Sao Miguel was determined by Ben’s flight home and the arrival of Desirée– our Italian crew, who lives in Germany.  I am impressed that she has the strength of character to just to pitch up and help us deliver the boat to Bermuda.  Desirée did look slightly concerned when Ben wished her good luck as he disappeared through the departure doors at the airport, but she is very competent and has given us a bonus of happily accepting the role of tour guide. Ben did sterling work on the boat, although we unknowingly risked being chased by the Port Police as we left the harbour without permission when we were commissioning the water maker, but all was well in the end.  Certainly the Azoreans generally seem charming and have a very relaxed view on life.

The pictures hopefully give some idea of the landscape – very volcanic, but still with hot springs still showing the power of nature.