Pico

Pico can be reached by just a 30 minute ferry from Faial. Our first mission on landing in Pico was to find a cab to take us to Lajes. Trip had been on a hunt for a specific local book about Azorean volcanoes and humanity as a final birthday present for me. Every place where we thought we could buy it was closed or no longer offered it or (the worst) had copies but were not allowed to sell them (???). Local and home friends (thank you Linda and Meghan) had joined the search. It was a local government worker in Ponta Delgada that took up the challenge and found the book in a local Pico bookstore, conveniently emailing Trip the day before we were to go there! Never has a present been more appreciated (I’ve been savoring it, reading bits and pieces each day in the cockpit).

We had enough time after the bookstore for a too-short visit to the local whaling museum. There we saw a video made about the final days of whaling on the island in the late 1960’s, and toured exhibits featuring scrimshaw and the whaling boats themselves.

We had recommendations for a particular winery to visit, and our cab driver dropped us off just as it opened for the afternoon. Over the next few hours we learned about the currals of basalt that provide sunny structure to growing vines and protection from the wind. We tasted 5 different wines that the vineyard produces, along with tapas that included local cheese, homemade blood sausage, and spicy garlic crabs.

Minda and I went to the local wine museum later, while the boys went looking for a beer. We met up for a quick swim in the local watering hole before heading back to the ferry.

The sun was going down, Pico’s summit was in complete view, and it was nearly a full moon. The result? Lots and lots of fabulous photos…..