We have decided that the Açores is officially our favorite cruising area. The people, wine, cheese, topography, weather, and cost add up to the best of the best. Here is a photo journal of four of the nine islands.
Horta on Faial:
Here is our marina from the plane
Alembic sandwiched between a British and French boat
Gorgeous natural cove
Hiking out a peninsula
A band outside
A band inside
Getting a tooth repaired
Bill’s design for Alembic
Twenty miles east is Velas on São Jorge:
The Matador excites the bull at the bull fight
Two Teams, one from Portugal, one from California, parade around at the start
The Cavaleiros is ready
The Portuguese Team gives a gift
The forcados tame the bull with their hands
Creeping to the edge for a picture below
Looking straight down gives you the butterflies
The cliff from the side
Bill stands away from the edge
Hydrangeas are everywhere
An awesome surf camp
This person must have been tiny!
Mamas tending their young
The farmer’s home
Beachside huts
Another ornate church
Alembic is the fifth one down the line
Another 52 miles east is Angra do Heroismo on Terceira:
A spectacular waterfall
The succulents are Huge!
Bouganvillea Archway
This fern stood like a palm tree
We stayed in the anchorage
Old fashioned dancers
This church had many functions over the years, one being a hospital
The marina was full; we are the one on the right
Blue Yonder and Alembic shared many harbors together
David and Marilyn of Blue Yonder
Our favorite Tea spot shaded on the sidewalk
The Madona led a parade while we were in Terceira
The cathedral artifacts survived an earthquake and a fire
Whaleboat race
The cliffs make a nice backdrop
We head to the Corrida a Corda (running by rope)
This bull is on a rope held by 6 men
They push the poor thing over the wall
He comes out unharmed, ready to charge
Back on Alembic for more projects
Exploring Algar do Carvão, a lava tube
Amazing roof of cave
Volcanic vent
Enormous Cathedral
Anchored beside us was Pinocchio, a Canadian family with seven children sailing the world
Saying Goodbye to Blue Yonder, who we have traveled with since Bermuda
One Hundred Miles southeast is Ponta Delgada on São Miguel:
Jenny and Simon on Fenicia
Bill and Laurie from Toodle-Oo
An Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci lit up beside us
silly art
More Churches
Horseback in the rain
A natural Hot Spring
My hydrangea garden home
Bill’s tiny stone house
Practicing snuggling an infant
A delightful Polish family was on a boat beside Alembic
Bill helped on Flying
Flying’s spreaders needed to come down for replacement
Captain David and his son Albert helped from below
Saying Goodbye to the Açores