29th May - Porto das Lajes, Flores

 

We discovered that just one of the hiking trails on the island is now open and the start of the trail is within walking distance of the harbour.  We set off after breakfast enjoying the stroll up the hill and out of town.  After about 1km, we turned off the main road, during which time the total amount of vehicles which had passed us by amounted to about a dozen - the local bus, two tractors, a motorbike fixed to a trailer, a dumper truck, several farm trucks and a handful of cars.  Having left the main town we wandered up the lane through a much older village area with small stone cottages and red tiled roofs.  Each cottage having either its own vegetable plot or a flower garden, but basically very rural with old equipment lying in the yards and chained guard dogs, most of them were fast asleep so we did not disturbed the rural tranquillity.  Behind the village the hills rose up with green fields, dry stone walls and cattle happily grazing.  As we strolled along the lane we came to a concrete cattle pen with narrow shutes for the animals to held whilst being attended to by the vet or other purposes. The plaque on the pen indicated that this valuable commodity had been donated to the farming community by a local person.  Further up the lane we came across a mobile milking facility in a field entrance, complete with milk churn, hoses etc.  We met three workmen busy maintaining the edge of the road, they were digging a channel, which would finally be a concrete gully, from the edge of a field where the water was running off the hill, alongside the road down to a brook.  This was hard rocky soil being cut using hand implements, not a digger or pneumatic drill in sight. 

 

Finally, we arrived at our spectacular walk, only about 1.6km long but all down hill and being a one way trail, all the way back up again.  The bottom of the trail ended at the beach and cliff spill, an area where the very first Florian settlers dwelt.  Several tiny cottages are still there and there was evidence of land being kept clear of the bamboo which is taking over.  Again dry stone walls divided the area into tiny fields.  We knew that there were some elusive goats in the area which we did not see, but were surprised to find a herd of cattle, complete with ear tags.  How they will be herded up the narrow steep rocky and in places stone steps, I do not know.  We sat on the cliff edge of the beach and had lunch before slowly climbing back up the hillside and meandering back along the country lane. 

 

I shall never forget the peacefulness of this delightful island, the continuous birdsong, the hydrangea hedgerows, cheery waves from the locals working on their fields and the sheer beauty of it all!  

 

Photographs:    "Half-Way Down to Faja do Lopo Vaz"

                        "Milking Station"

                        "Country Lane, Flores"

                        "Noel's Transport?"