We touched
down on the island of Sao Miguel around 6:30 am after a pleasantly uneventful
and easy flight. As we stepped off the plane we were hit with that delicious
and unmistakable ocean breeze that pleasantly signals to your body “Yes, you
are on vacation.” After a brief stop at passport control where, unlike the
Canadian/US border, they don’t ask where you work, why you are coming, how much
money you have, where you are staying, and what your cat’s name is, we
collected our bags and walked out into the arrivals area, where we were met by
Ana’s cousins Paul Fernando and Pedro, as well as her aunt and uncle Genoveva
and Luis. The many months leading up to this trip where I have been diligently
practicing my Portuguese paid off as I effortlessly launched into a
conversation with them, and we discussed the current state of Azorean politics,
new local business activity, recent developments with the Portuguese legal
system, and some new initiatives being pursued by the local school boards.
In reality, I
couldn’t remember how to say “Good morning” so I just stood there sheepishly as
Ana caught up on all the news. That first ten minutes is always a real killer.
Our rental
car provider showed up and drove us to their office in Ponta Delgada, just a
few minutes away, and situated right on the Avenida that divides the oceanfront
from the downtown core. No, “divides” is the wrong word; it actually creates a
wide, inviting, seamless path that connects the downtown with the marvelous
waterfront, all of which has been designed for people, not cars. More to come
on that topic later, as I have a lot to say about European versus Canadian city
design.
This is our
fifth trip to the Azores, but it’s been six years since our last visit. As we
get into the car and pull away, it feels like we have scarcely been gone a
month. Everything feels familiar - the roads, the businesses we pass, the shape
of the ocean, the feel of the air. Although we have never lived here, it truly
does feel like a second home to us, mainly because of the loving, amazing
family we have here, but also because this place is such a natural fit for us -
from the things we like to do, the way we like to live, and the culture we have
developed within our own family that focus so much on family, just like they do
here. This is the first time we have visited in the spring - previously we have
been here in the summer and once in the winter - so this season will be new for
us.
We follow
Paul Fernando to Ana’s uncle Manuel’s house, which is in the village of
Livramento, and is where we will be staying for the duration of our trip. Sao
Miguel is a medium sized, whale-shaped island, that can be crossed east to west
in about two hours and north to south in fifteen minutes at the fastest part,
but don’t let that fool you into thinking there isn’t much here. This island is
literally packed with amazing natural sights and so many things to do -
incredible ocean vistas, hot springs, volcano crater lakes, remote hiking
trails, caves, waterfalls, rivers, diving, fishing, whale and dolphin watching,
natural ocean pools, shopping, museums, restaurants, cafes, bars, rock
climbing, zoos, bird watching, luscious black sand beaches, sailing,
world-class surfing, farmers markets, geothermal cooking (more on that later)
and, since our last visit, a casino has sprung up in the downtown core so you
can add gambling to that list, if that’s something that cranks your engine.
The houses
here are all made of concrete, not wood, with most of the finishing done with
solid surface materials such as ceramic tile and lava rock. They are also not
fitted with heating or cooling systems, so you generally wear your shoes while
inside the house because of the cold floors. The interior temperature varies
with the exterior temperature, so you regulate your own body temperature with
extra clothing instead of extra burned fossil fuels, made possible by living on
islands in the Gulf Stream with a mild year-round climate.
A large contingent
of the family was there to greet us, so we spent a good while visiting, eating
and drinking. Some of Ana’s cousins speak very good English, so I spent time
talking with them, but also listening in on the Portuguese to try and tune my
ear. One of these cousins - Rui, who is a horse trainer and blacksmith and
lives and works in Sweden, was home for a visit and took us for a tour of the
horse ranch next door - a place he has worked on and off for almost 20 years.
The original house was built in the 17th century, and it has been added onto
over the years and now has six rooms for guests, all of whom come to learn
about horse riding. The kids loved touring the ranch and seeing all the massive
horses running around. I’m less enthusiastic about horses, but I did enjoy
seeing the magnificent property and grounds, which included tangerine, banana,
and avocado trees.
After this
we went for a long, leisurely walk around Livramento and down to the beach,
where we found many blue jellyfish washed up on the shore. The temperature was
only about 16 degrees, but when the sun peeked out from behind the scattered
clouds, the heat felt lovely on my bare, white, dry, winterized arms. We
noticed the beach restaurant was open, and full of people, so I said, “Hey, do
you guys want to go for drinks and ice cream? My treat!” Everybody agreed
enthusiastically, and then Ana said, “Do you have your wallet”
“Uh, nope.
Do you have yours?”
“No. Nice
move.”
At that
moment, Rui said, “I have my credit card.”
“I love
taking you out for drinks,” I said.
We had our
first ocean-view sundowner and it was fantastic. At one point two brave young
bikini girls braved the cold ocean water and jumped in for a swim. After our
long, rotten, cold Canadian winter, the sight of bikinis on beaches was welcome
indeed.
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