Columbus Monuments on Santa Maria

B

First of all, Columbus never got off the ship.

His sailors did. And visited a chapel, to pay tribute to the god that helped them to survive the storms across the Atlantic.

The only thing that is left is the doorway.

There is a cross at the top of the hill. Which can be seen from the doorway. Legend has it that the chapel was to be built at the top of the hill.  But the stones moved to the bottom each night, until the builders gave up and decided that God wanted the chapel to be placed somewhere else. 

 Interference of elements like gravity or creative workers are not recorded.

Santa Maria Blues Fest: Maria Joao

Held in Anjos, this Blues festival has been growing every year.

It is run by a group translated as "The Slaves of the Little Jail". Every year there is a reenactment. 

I think it's an interesting parallel because American Blues came out of the slave tradition. Even decades afterwards, there was little recourse for an African American man, other than music.

Walden; Ou A Vida Nos Bosques

My biggest fear when traveling is to run out of books. I call it "Abibliophobia".

The second biggest concern is to run out of books in English. But as my language skills improve, books in Portuguese can become teaching tools. At least that's what I tell myself.

But finally, I ran across Walden in translation! 

I grew up next to this pond (or 8 miles away), and learned how to swim there.  I have loved Henry David Thoreau since I can remember.  And somehow his philosophy matched very well with my mother's sense of nature. She'd talk about the Azores and how to live in harmony with the Earth.

Somehow, this book was never anything new to me, although I am constantly surprised at how many people are challenged by his message.

Go live by a body of water. Enjoy the world around you, big & small. Be quiet & enjoy the silence.

Dark Side of Portuguese History

Portuguese history is long and complicated.  The longer I am here, the more persistent it seems to be. You can laugh off an inappropriate joke or two.  But sometimes, the Portuguese are on the wrong side of history.

It includes the Nobel Prize winning scientist who invented the lobotomy.

Also years of colonialism all over the world.

Also disrespect for women (and "people from the colonies"), it does not SEEM to be overt. But it remains in the jokes I hear, and the critiques my uncle gives to the women on the street when he is in his car. And I am next to him. 

It is all a perfectly natural part of life here, and I am the outsider who is witnessing it. I was trying hard not to act shocked, but it has been persistent enough & I can't take it anymore.

Where is the line between "it's just a joke!" And someone testing your tolerance or trying for the shock value?  I've even heard jokes that insert a rascist spin.

A captain & his 3 sailors are on a sinking ship. The lifeboat will only hold 3, and the captain doesn't believe in going down with the ship.  He asks each a question to determine who can come.

"What was the worst shipwreck of civilian passengers during peacetime?"

"The Titanic", one answers. He gets on.

"How many people were killed?"

The second sailor offers the number (in the thousands) and gets on.

The captain then turns to the third sailor and says:"Name them!"

I have heard that joke before, as above.  The way my uncle told it, the third sailor was black.

Ugh.

Hiking Trail from Vila to Praia Formosa Competed!!

It was amazing!! From the main town, to the best beach, it is about 3-4 hours on the trail.

DO NOT go when it is a hot & sunny day, or if you have to, go early in the morning. I am here to report that I survived, even though we left at 3:30.

There is No Shade.

Also, as a person who hates bugs & poison ivy, I had a great time. No bugs (except flies in the caves) and no poison ivy, just a few vines with thorns here & there.

The trail is not well traveled, except by cows or goats. Make sure you go with people (and a GPS), even though we were well prepared-there were many points on the trail where we thought we were lost or that seemed like dead ends. I crawled under barbed wire at one point (beware of the caca de vaca!!) and at the end, we gave up and went to the road/miradouro-viewpoint (and saw to our surprise that the trail markets were indicating a trail along the road!)

All in all, it was hard but amazing! (Again, hard going uphill in direct sun but most of the trail was flat-ish)

Starbucks in Lisbon

Primeiro!

The cafes here are awesome. You can get a shot of espresso for .50 to .60 cents and sit as long as you want.

Secondly, the coffee they use in the Starbucks in Lisbon is Delta Brand. Which is the same brand that most cafes use. You pay Starbucks prices.

Just know all that going in.

There is a very helpful sketch at the front of each drink and why you should pay so much.

They do not keep the varieties of milk out by the sugars, because here it is an unusual request. They have everything on hand & will make you whatever you want.

All I wanted was a drip coffee (cafe con sacque) which they had to brew special for me. It was the largest coffee I've had here, but called a Tall back home.

It was worth it. I haven't had that much caffeine at one time in a while and it made me happy. Double espressos from now on!

 

Preparations for Imperios in Sao Miguel

If you are traveling from Lisbon to Santa Maria, it is highly likely that you will have a  stopover in Sao Miguel. 

Especially if you fly with Ryan Air.  We left Lisbon at 9 and arrived in Sao Miguel at 12 (2 hours plus the 1 hour time difference). Our flight to Santa Maria would leave at 6:45, so we had the full afternoon. 

Usually, I am/we are lucky enough to call a family member to come pick me up and maybe we have lunch. Today was no    different, except that I saw something unusual in the main square.

 

It was a giant crown, complete with lights.

I've seen these in the hands of little children during processions. I've seen the arrangement in the gathering hall at the end; representing each town/community/fregesia.  

Proportionally, I've seen really large ones, and really tiny ones.

I've never seen any THIS big.

Could it be that São Miguel likes to show off? ;)

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Flying to Santa Maria was beautiful, as always. 15 minutes in the air (or 3 hours by boat) it may not have the above, but it is still beautiful in scale.

Expo Cable Cars, Just Like Flying!

If you find yourself in the Expo '98, be sure to ride/fly on the cable cars!!

You are impossibly high and have a great view & orientation of the entire Expo area.   Get on near the aquarium and ride all the way over the various gardens (there is a display of each kind of zone) and also exhibit buildings.

And when you are done, you can go to the Vasco de Gama Mall, and get back by taking a bus, train or metro at the huge transportation hub across the street.

*Not sure if the aquarium is fabulous or not, although it looks incredible from the outside. I only had time to visit the gift shop. :(

Look for the submerged icon of the Expo, right outside.

Divertida-Mente

I just saw the film "Inside Out" in Faro. In Portuguese. The biggest news is that I cried. 

No, wait, that's not news at all.

The news is that I understood it enough to cry.  There were a few words here and there, but for the most part I got it, and even a bunch of the jokes too!

For someone who still has trouble following a grown up conversation in Portuguese, I was happy to recognize at least one measure of success.

Tavira, Algarve

Tavira is the Venice of the Algarve. 

(Except it is not sinking)

I found festa decorations and a public square performance piece about a shipwreck.

Gorgeous town by the side of the river.

Hotel Faro Cafe at Midnight

If it is a very hot night in Faro, and it is highly likely that it will be very hot in July, go to the highest spot you can find.

For me, I was lucky enough to know the granddaughter of the most famous chef of the Hotel Faro.  He's long since retired, but the spot is still incredible.

We came on a Sunday night and practically had the place to ourselves. 

We sat outside & enjoyed the breeze. And the view of the pier. And the Old Moorish town.

You don't have to stay at a luxury hotel to have a luxurious experience.

The service was good, friendly and speedy.  And when I asked for a gelao, (my favorite cafe word, a small latte) and a glass of ice, the waiter didn't blink. However, he brought me a double espresso (abatanado) instead, he brought steamed milk & cinnamon to the table. I never thought I'd be a coffee snob, but the cafe drinks are never more than 1.50 Euros.

Happiness indeed.

Life is all about being able to deal with mistakes. If it's too hot, find a cool spot, if your coffee order is wrong, they fix it with a smile. 

Farol/Lighthouse Island

Spent the day on a beach island. As if the regular Algarve wasn't party central enough.

The Moorish Influence on Faro

Walking through Faro today, getting lost by myself and wandering with family, I was amazed by what I had forgotten and what I remembered.

The immediate area around where I am staying is layered with family history.  Decades of generations of cousins living here.  And I am still trying to find the place where my father proposed to my mother!

Ketchup Americano and A Portuguesa

After a day of visiting Lisbon & taking the train to Faro, I arrived happily at my uncle's  house.

And was most surprised to find 2 kinds of ketchup on the table. (I was surprised to find it here at all!)

And then there was this:

Isto e mas piquante. 

This one is more spicy! ;)

Michaelense Museums and Factories

On my way to the mainland, I took a puddle jumper from Santa Maria to São Miguel early in the morning & left late at night.

That meant that most of the day was spent touring the island with my uncle, who knows lots of secret spots.

One of the best spots was the Museum of Immigration. Because guess what they have right outside? An impression of Dightin Rock!!

The exhibits are in both English & Portuguese. And had lots of familiar looking memorabilia.

And it's free!!

Walking Trails, Vila do Porto, Santa Maria-My Journey

I was looking at the trailhead just yesterday.  In my lazy way I thought, I'll get to it one of these days. 

I was planning a quiet morning, to save up some energy for a trip to my favorite place in the world, São Laurenco. I was just hanging out at my cousin's house, taking pictures of flowers.

Sometimes you get locked out.

Maybe that's a hint you should go for a hike.  Especially if it's a cloudy day.

From the Fort S. de Bras, look for the trailhead on the left side, leading to a ravine.

At the bottom, there is a bridge, so you don't have to wet your feet, like in the old days.  (Direct quote from my Mom!!)

I only walked as far as the gate at the top   of the next hill, which has a terrific view of  the ocean. The path then turns away, in the direction of the very modern windmills.

I plan to do the entire 80 km, probably just a little bit at a time.

San Juaninhos em Santa Maria!

I'm Great annual festival, not as big & crazy as in Terceira. But not bad, either!

Peeking out of my cousin's house on En Cima de Roche, I saw everyone making preparations in his front yard/a public square.

After they had set up a million picnic tables, they began serving some food. Favas & figado (liver)

Then came the band & the group dances, taking over the street.

And then there was food.

And wine.

And more music.

These religious festivals actually encourage you to celebrate life. Not like the Anerican Roman Catholic tradition I am used to. These saints throw the best parties!!

At the end of the night, we were still standing!!

Mare de Agosto presents Escolinha da Mare!

The Mare do Augosto Festival sponsors several events during the year.  For the past 5 or 6 years, it has also encouraged children of the island of Santa Maria to learn music at the Escolinha da Mare. Piano, violin, percussion and band instruments are offered.  Every festival in Portugal has an excellent band. (See any previous or future post about any festival)

On June 28th, it held the event "Sar au Musical da Escolinha da Mare", brought children who are taking music lessons to the auditorium for a presentation.  Kids of all ages performed, both in a full class group and also solo on various instruments.

The afternoon was a blast!  Everything from traditional Portuguese songs to Yankee Doodle & something called "Blow The Man Down".

My favorite was Joana, playing Sonata K331, Primeiro Andamento by Bach.

Or the group singing the theme song of overseas love, "You're So Far Away From Me"!

Walking & Hiking Trails-Vila do Porto, Santa Maria

One of the best ways to see the islands is in an SUV.  Seriously, the hills are very intense and so is the sun.  If you have only a few hours or a few days, get your bearings by taking a guided tour by jeep around the island.  All the islands are bigger than you realize. (This is partly a joke and partly not.  If the trails are your only experience of the islands, you might come away with the idea that the land is rough and unforgiving.  It is, but it also has lots of glorious aspects as well!)

However, if you have the strength and true fortitude to explore the trails, go for it! On Santa Maria alone, they have just finished up an 80km path which takes you in a circle around the island. Broken up into 4 sections of roughly 20km. Let people know where you are going, some of the areas are rarely traveled and have rough terrain, so bring a cellphone if possible or ask people to check in with you at various points on the routes.  And make sure to stop at the beaches for a cafe!! ;)

The trails are magnifIcent, but I haven't found any other online maps yet.  The signs contain valuable info, so take pictures of them before you leave.  The trails are very well marked, and even an inexperienced hiker can do well just by searching for the regular trail markers.

They are well marked and the map is key to understanding what villages you are walking to & from.

The trailhead at Vila do Porto is at En Cima do Roche (The Top of the Rock)

Santa Maria's Dalberto Pombo Science Center

Centro de Interpretacao de Ambiente

Which means the Nature Interpretive Center.

Which means it is awesome.

Make this one of your first stops.  The center gives an excellent context for the nature of the island around you. 

It is based off of the collection of Dalberto Pombo, a Portuguese naturalist who collected specimens of butterflies, insects, birds & fossils.  Beware when you tell Portuguese people you went to the Centro de  Pombo, it could also mean you were in the middle of a pigeon. (pombo= pigeon)

This is the oldest island, 10 million years, the last volcano was 4 million years ago. There is no bird called the Acore, even though that is what the islands are named for (the bird is either extinct or a legend), but look for the Milafre, which is about the size of a hawk. The only bird endemic to the islands. The others are just tourists/migratory.

Ask for an English paper guide to translate the info in the displays.  

Also make sure to ask the receptionist about the films they have available for viewing.  They have Portuguese/ English options (although the one in English was broken the day I was visiting). Watch whatever they have available, watching it in Portuguese is still fascinating.  Plus I had the auditorium all to myself.

This is an eel that always has it's mouth open. Or a sea monster.

Myself and a turtle. Tortaruga!!

All in all, the Centro got me excited to explore the island and look for fossils!  This is the island of details and grand views, make sure not to miss either!!