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.

lifting a fishing boat 

A secret room in the are gallery
you use a small flashlight to view the art work

Adding a new king pin Turks Head

a parting shot of Pico

a few 'common' dolphins

Flores, Azores 2017

Flores, Azores

June 7-12, 2017

Cruisers crossing the Atlantic to Europe usually make a stop on at least one of the nine islands called the Azores.  Located just beyond halfway between the Americas and Europe.  All the islands are volcanic, some active.  Inhabited since the 15th century, primarily by the Portuguese who discovered them.  

From the sea, the rugged terrain that rises steeply out of the sea suggests what awaits us in Flores.  Green forests and pastures high on the bluffs.   A few small harbors fortified by man with break walls allow marine traffic to seek shelter.   We rafted off another boat, common practice in these small marinas. The island is relatively small, 12 x15 km.  Most islanders speak Portuguese, restaurants and shops usually employ at least one local who speaks english.  The translation app on our phones assisting when necessary.  

We took a day to decompress and sort out our damp gear and clothes.  The cockpit looked like the boat threw up its contents from below.  We dug through boat lockers for our warm weather clothes, the daytime temps being generally in the low 60’s.  After adjusting to land and getting our bearings we celebrated with dinner out.  Local food, home grown and cooked would follow us through out these enchanting islands.   Small shops selling local produce, including bananas and oranges grown in micro climates nestled throughout the area.  Portuguese rolls, bread and cheeses accompany most meals.  Grass feed beef tender and succulent.  

A car tour took us through some amazing landscapes.  Each village or pasture a painting waiting for an artists palette.  A woman milking a cow in a small field by her home.  Cattle being ushered to new pastures up and down the country hillsides and lanes.  Mountain top lakes filling in calderas.  Rivers running to the sea falling off cliffs creating long spills of waterfalls.  

The fields are lined with volcanic stones ordered into walls forming a patchwork quilt of greens. The homes built of the same stones, some covered in white plaster others black as the mountains they came from.  Red doors and window trim dramatically constant natures colors. Flores in english means flowers and the island certainly provides an abundance of them.  Every garden and roadside park are drenched in bushes and bouquets of various colors.  Unfortunately the famous hydrangeas were just starting to bloom (early June); not yet at their peak.  They were introduced with the early settlers and have become an icon known to those who visit the island group.  They grow along side the stone walls that dissect the fields and hills.  The blooms ranging from whites, pale blue and brilliant violet. Green always encompassing the backdrop.  

It feels as if we are in a Hobbit movie setting.  An ancient, unspoiled land.  The few areas where the lava flows (Fajas) leveled out and met the sea are prime real estate for small villages and habitation.  Nearly all buildings are topped with red / orang clay tiles, again making a delightful contrast to the very green landscape. 

The miradouro’s (view points) along the well maintained roads offer spectacular views.  One of Flores’ most famous points of interest is Pipe Organ outcrop.  A volcanic structure that appeared to be… pipe organs.  

A stop at a picturesque creek with a charming black and white cottage brought out the keeper of the mill, still operating for historical purposes.  The river water is channels under the cottage and passes through a water wheel that turns a grinding wheel which produces corn flour.  She demonstrated the process and allowed us to make a small purchase of the finished product.  

The whaling museum  was very informative.  A former whale processing station, the building and mechanical engines restored for viewing purposes.  The whaling industry officially halted in the mid to late 1980’s forcing many to find new careers.  One of which is a popular but short tourist season for whale / dolphin watching.  

One of the boats berthing near us is on a climate exposition around the world.  Sabine and R… have been traveling for over 16 years aboard S/v Pacamama (inca for mother earth).  Along the way they bore 5 children, one more incubating!  They have given presentations to over 100,000 school children on the effects of climate change.  Their destinations are often remote, less traveled islands and lands.  For more information about their incredible journey, visit TopToTop.org… it’s quite a story.