Into every sojourn a little rain must fall. And fall it did on our sojourn today. It fell and fell and fell. In buckets. We were up at 7:30 AM and out the door to start tearing into the capital, Ponta Delgada at 9 AM. "What's a little rain?" we boldly said to each other.
Well, by the time we had seen the major sights at 11:30 AM and headed back to check out of the hotel, we were soaked. 'Two drowned rats' couldn't have described us better. We had bought a brand-new umbrella just before the trip, but when we pulled it out this morning, part of the main apparatus was cracked in half. And we could not find an umbrella to buy anywhere in the city center this morning.
We started our walking tour at the City Hall, where we were allowed to climb the stairs to the top of the bell tower. Although I whacked my head on a low hanging stone near the top, the view was great. From what I can remember anyway. ;-)
Ponta Delgada's City Hall
Ponta's streets are paved in geometric patterns of black and white stones. This Square, in front of the parish church of St. Sebastian, shows the city gates and is a fine example of the geometric paving designa used throughout the city.
Church of St. Senastian and the city gates
Our next stop was the Church of All Saints. With its boxy exterior, you would probably never think it was a church. But inside, the magnificent carvings are really something to write home about. A female pianist was practicing at the front of the church of a grand piano for a concert she is giving tonight. It was great to hear her, it felt like we had a private concert!
Church of All Saints
The amazing carvings at the Church of All Saints
Getting wetter by the minute, we continued on past the 16th century convent and church of St. Andre, arriving at the large covered city market. One of the most common items for sale was pineapple. There are over 7000 hothouses in the Azores growing pineapples, and they deliver over 3 million pineapples every year to European and North American markets.
Some of the 3 million annual pineapples
We left the market and walked through the city center, back to our hotel. We checked out at noon and then got in our rental car and drove to Furnas, where you find thermal pools and boiling mud pots! Yes, it may have been raining, but the rain did nothing to stop the heat coming out of the ground.
Just ourside the town of Furnas, you see an emerald green lake. Adjacent to the lake, there are many geothermal mud pots. Every morning at 4 AM, local restaurants bury pots of stew in the ground in this area, where the natural heat slowly cooks it until noon.
Boiling mud near Furnas
Buried stew pots, ready for lunch
There are 22 thermal baths in the town of Furnas. We found one with water at a temperature of 37 Celsius. I went in, and had the whole place to myself!
Dave, simmering away at 37C
Just before leaving the town, we saw a procession of men, carrying what looked like spears, on their way to the local church in a Lenten ritual.
Our Air Azores flight from Ponta Delgada to the island of Terceira left on time, just after 6 PM. By 7:30 PM, we had arrived at our hotel in Angra do Heroismo. A quick dinner of turkey scaloppine in the hotel restaurant, and then I did a run in the town. The topography is much gentler here than in either Madeira or Sao Miguel. Here's a taste from the air of what tomorrow holds. A "sleep tight" wish from terceira.
No comments:
Post a Comment