SV Inishnee: Sao Jorge, Azores 2017

The crews of Inish and Inishnee departed for Sao Jorge (George) and yet another adventure. Several whale were spotted in the channel between Pico and Faial en route to Sao Jorge. Fin whale we believe. Pilot whales and large pod s of dolphins frequented the boats throughout the passage.
Sao Jorge is long and narrow, a days sail from Faial. Pleasant conditions, light winds building to a decent breeze made for comfortable travel. The marina in Velas. Small and accommodating.

We found a berth and tied to our very own finger pier. Freedom to come and go at will. The Harbor master, Jose an ambassador for the island helpful and energetic. Hot showers and a warm meal rounded out the day. Irish luck continuing, we happened to arrive for on Sao Jorge for one of their many summer celebrations.

There we met Maria, an expat from Velas whose primary residence is in California, told us there is a celebration or festival every weekend all summer long. Maria owns and operates a language school based in California with satellite offices in several countries. Her summers are spent in Sao Jorge, reconnecting with her roots and teaching Portuguese to immersion students. Maria was delightful to meet and joyfully shared her heritage with us explaining some of the events and customs associated with them. Many having religious overtones as this festival did.

There were concerts performed by a local orchestras, followed by heaps and mounds of free local cheese, sweet bread and homemade wine.

One of the interesting customs we encountered was the local ‘lottery’. You pay a small fee for X number of tickets sold in increments of 10. These tickets. billettes’ are 2x2 inches, and meticulously rolled, corner to corner into a toothpick size tube. THOUSANDS of them. A few have a number written in side which corresponds to a prize… Maria, not wanting to ‘chance it’, purchased a 2 euro bag of 50 billets containing a guaranteed winner along with a 1 euro bag with 100… no guarantee tickets. We sat and unrolled, and unrolled and unrolled, laughing at ourselves. The losing tickets are mindlessly tossed on the ground to be swept up in the small hours of the morning by the cleaning crew. Maria won 3 prizes! We made out way to the collection site. A small garage with all the prizes on display, numbered and cataloged. The winning tickets were presents, recorded in the ledger and located among the horde of options. Maria’s booty: an embroidered kitchen towel, a fabric placement and fishnet stockings! The prizes having been donated by local stores and towns people.

Sunday marker the procession of crowns to the church with an accompanying orchestra. The crowns made of silver, coveted by the village and the church. The crown bearers lead the procession, selected others hold ‘corral” made of wooden dowels carried at knee level surrounding the crown bearers. After mass, the procession returns the crowns to their alter. One individual is also “crowned’ for the day and they get to wear the crown for a special feast and celebration.

We toured the island with Crew Inish, Sao Jorge is a long, narrow island described as a stone ship anchored in a deep sea.

Jim at the
Whale spotting station

Approximately 65 x 7 km. The tourist office providing excellent information on island ‘not to be missed’ sites. Many ports and villages along the way. We drove to the north end of the island, a lighthouse and whale (former) spotting station. The entire area enveloped in cloud, only snippets of the sea and neighboring Pico could be seen through momentary openings in the cloud bank. We toured a commercial cheese factory and made a purchase of 3 kilos )(from a 12 kilo wheel)… 20 euros. A semi hard cheese with parmesan undertones. Excellent with wine! Sao Jorge’s upper reaches are prime dairy and cattle country. It was here Kathy discovered the means for milking the cows having seen no industrial facilities for this in any of the islands as yet. A very small farm milks by hand in the field. Large operations have a traveling milk shed able to accommodate 6-8 cows. The cows end the shed and are hooked to electronic pumpers then sent off to pasture again. ALL cows and cattle are grass feed, supplemented in the winter rainy season with summer harvested hay.

Several stops to see artisan handicraft: weavings, pottery, lacework and a fine art studio featuring local painters and sculptures. A long switch back road took us to a small village were coffee is grown along with passion fruit, bananas, garden vegetables, grapes and corn. We took a pass on purchasing island coffee, a scant 1 cp of beans for 10 euros… The shop also housed a second floor with looms where bedspreads are woven. On display antique spreads 130 -150 years old.

We followed another switch back to the sea where we pondered a small village. Very quaint. Accessible only by foot. The road ends at a steep embankment were the steps begin. A few hundred yards below lie the village. The only vehicles were boats. All goods must be lugged down the steps to their destination.

Another village we were told about only accessible by foot path, takes 2 hours to descend. The inhabitants clinging to the ‘old ways’ are reminiscent of medieval times. Another visit perhaps.