Azores

I have departed the Azores and begun my long passage north to Oban, Scotland. I am planning 14 days. However, I have doubts. There are gales crossing the Atlantic Ocean from North America, and south of them where much of my passage will be, there are several High Pressure systems filling in. This means I […]

Of course there is bull fighting on Terceira. It is the more traditional form that you are probably imagining. It is held in an arena like that shown below. I had mixed feeling about this So, I never went to see this. If the matador is so brave and whatever they think he is… Why

Originally, the only access to Angra do Heroismo was from the sea. So, there was a city gate through which all visitors passed. The photo below depicts the city gate for Angra Do Heroismo. The City Gate to Angra do Heroismo from the Sea In 1499, Vasco da Gamma walked through that gate. He was

Last summer was a nightmare. While preparing to leave the Azores I had a severe engine problem with the boat. The engine is a fairly common English engine; a Perkins 4-108M. However, since Britain is not part of the EU, I spent most of the summer waiting for parts to clear customs. Finally, in the

Windmills came to the Azores during the 15th century Portuguese settlement. They were used to pump water and to perform various actions in support of local agriculture.  The windmills that are found on São Miguel island resemble the traditional Dutch-style windmills. These windmills have a cone-shaped stone base and a short, squat tower in the

Lagoa do Fogo is a lake inside the caldera of the Água de Pau Massif stratovolcano. The volcano is located in the center of Sao Miguel island in the Azores. This volcano is the youngest of several volcanoes on the island. It is estimated to be 15,000 years old. The volcano collapse unto itself about 5,000