Today at 6AM we took a cab to the Aeroporto da Portela, to board the flight at 8AM to the Azores (one of the islands of the Central Group: Terceira, where there is an American Air Force Base). As soon as we got there, we were driven by Andre's mom to a big Christmas lunch ... here are some photos of us going around the island. It is amazing to see the difference from the summer months in the Azores to the winter months.
A little after 8AM, we are flying away from mainland Portugal, and here we see the Serra de Sintra with Guincho Beach and in the background the Tagus estuary.
This country is beautiful
With GMT -1.00, we arrive to a very sunny morning in the Terceira island of the Azorean Archipelago.
Here there is an old quarry that has become an amazing place for birdwatching.
This is the Bay of Praia da Vitória
These are the current beaches at Praia da Vitória. Imagine that some decades ago there were extensive dunes that went way inland. I guess this is one of the normal consequences of building coastal hard defenses … and the evergrowing landuse change that results from development.
These squares are called “serrados” and are pasture lands. In the background is the Serra do Cume.
This is the Ilhéu das Cabras, the remains of a volcano. The name means the little island of goats, because in the old days people would take goats there to eat the grass. In the foreground there are two exotic plant species
One of the problems we noticed throughout the island is the existence of houses that have been expanded or reconstructed without following the traditional characteristics of the Terceira houses … it is a shame to find examples like this throughout the island.
On our way to Salgueiros, the landscape of the island:
Closer to Salgueiros, we see another horror, how can that house be there? Who could approve such a project? It is obvious the visual impacts on the landscape.
The profile of a European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Os Salgueiros is a place with once-natural pools, very used by Azoreans in the summer
These are not really natural
We proceeded from there to Praia da Vitória. The Terceira island has 2 greater cities: Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória. There are great moments in history in both cities.
This church was built in 1456, and rebuilt in 1517 and 1810, after several earthquakes. The triangles in the front mark years of important repairs due to sismic activity.
Inside was dark, and this was the only photo I was able to take.
The next morning, the day was very poetic. This is the view from André’s mom house… with much more ocean to the left and right.
This is the farmost-left view of André’s mom house, and in the distance is the Monte Brasil, in Angra do Heroísmo.
We decided to drive around the island to see the north side. This is at Biscoitos, another area of natural pools, very beautiful place. In the top of that hill is a Whale Watching Point, where André spent countless hours and days searching for cetaceans.
Manela & André
Going east from the Biscoitos
It was very very windy…
… and the waves were amzing.
