Category: Ports of Call (Page 24 of 39)

Despite the delay in days waiting for the headstay replacement, it worked in our favor to wait for the seas leftover from the storm to ease. Unfortunately, so did the wind. We had a lovely sail for several hours down the coast, but eventually the wind died and we were forced to motor.

Most boats were opting to sail only during the day due to Orca attacks on sailboats that have been occurring for three years now with no end in sight. No one knows why, but they (often juveniles) slam the boat from side to side and chew on the rudder, often completely disabling boats and requiring tows to shore. To reduce the risk, many boats move in water no deeper than 20 meters (60 feet), as attacks only seem to happen in deeper water. This is dangerously close to shore (rocks), and involves looking out for ever present fish traps, and requires movement only during the day.

Many boats make the offshore passage without incident, but it’s the boats getting “attacked” that make the news and stay in our minds. Most of these incidents were happening 80+ miles to the north (where the tuna are currently running), and we have a bottom color (red as opposed to the more appetizing black) as well as a hull/rudder design that should not attract Orcas. Off we went offshore. We saw plenty of dolphins, new jelly fish (barrels), a few birds that actually landed on board, but no Orcas – whew. We were lucky, as a boat was attacked in the same waters just three days after we passed through (so much for theories).

We did make one stop in Peniche, to rest for a couple of hours and wait for the wind to become more favorable again. It was a lovely anchorage that we had to ourselves in front of a dune swept beach. We were able to nap a bit, and then take off again early evening, knowing we would reach the Cascais anchorage in daylight rather than in the dark.

The headstay was down, a new one had been ordered, a storm was rolling through in a few days, so we decided to go visit Porto. It’s only 30 minutes by bus and quite the visit.

We were a bit shell shocked at the size of the city and the crowds, but immediately loved the vibe. This is a city you could walk around for hours (mind the hills). Fabulous architecture, lots of history, stopping here and there for a meal, coffee, or cocktails, and street musicians everywhere. On the other side of the river is where the famous port wine distilleries are. I’m sure we just barely scratched the surface, but had such a lovely couple of days wandering around.

Day two was particularly nice when Trip managed to finagle a spot for us at the Barao Fladgate dining room terrace (reservations were required and they were booked up, but……. We were celebrating our 10 year anniversary early and a divine lunch of local octopus for me and rack of pork for him followed by 30 year tawny port was exactly what we needed. It was off for more walking after that!

Leixoes is the hidden treasure of the Porto region. Not nearly as picturesque as Porto, it’s on the coast with some amazing beaches and a recreational marina protected inside a huge industrial complex. We anchored out the first couple of days before getting chased inside so a commercial dredger could do work where we were.

The restaurants in Leixoes are inexpensive, plentiful, and incredibly tasty. So far we’ve tried fried/grilled sardines, tripe (a local Porto specialty), and cuttlefish. Other than the cuttlefish (I prefer squid), everything has exceeded our expectations!

The beach is long, open and exposed, and we’ve spent many an afternoon here at local bars catching up on Internet stuff and watching the local surf crowd. It was particularly fun to watch just before and after tropical storm Danielle ran up the coast….

Mark and Minda had recently discovered a beach at one of Faial’s few fajas, the steep drops down to basalt flows that are so common on Sao Jorge. This one ended in a black sand beach as well as a basalt swimming hole that we managed to have all to ourselves.

Lijia and George had kindly included us for dinner with Mark and Minda on their last night on the island. We started with all sorts of appetizers and wines from the Azores, including the famous morro cheese (half way between a brie and a burrata), and figs from their backyard. It was almost so much food that we wouldn’t need dinner.

We took a break and wandered down to the field where neighbor Andy was milking his herd. The life of a farmer is hard here on the islands, as you rarely have help (spouses and family have other jobs outside the home), and you often have another job yourself. The cows that day were mostly cooperative and were milked and fed without issue.

It was then off to dinner with the group (which also included Lijia & George’s friends Rosa & Emmanuel) for a most memorable meal at Pasquinhas with a beautiful view. It was a wonderful way to cap off a visit.

After Mark, Minda, George & Lijia flew back to the States, we took the time to engage in one of Horta’s long traditions – painting a small mural about your boat, passage, etc, on the marina walls, benches or walkways. There are at least a thousand paintings all over, so finding a spot faded enough so that it’s completely illegible is tricky, but we persevered.

Legend has it that leaving a mural brings good luck on future journeys.

We started the day with brunch at Porto Pim. The quiche was ok, but more importantly it was loaded with vegetables, which I was craving (the Portuguese like their meat and seafood, not so much the vegetables). The bacalhau fritter on the side was outstanding.

We spent the afternoon out at the Capelinhos Volcano. The Capelinhos volcano eruption started as an underwater eruption in 1957 that created a new island. Within months, by 1958 the continued eruptions and lava flows caused the island to join Faial. The spread of volcanic ash on the island destroyed farmland, and led to the immigration of thousands of families to the US. The land around the volcano is still barren and resembles a moonscape, in comparison to the lush fields elsewhere on the island.

The information center at the lighthouse that survived was remarkable. The videos that showed the progressive explosions that created this part of the island came to life, and then you stepped outside to witness the aftermath in person.

We walked down to yet another local swimming hole from Capelinhos, but determined that the swell was a bit too much that day. We watched one intrepid swimmer, and a bunch of locals sitting sunbathing who would call out if they saw a portuguese-man-o-war. Minda showed me the hook left at the beach where good samaritans pull the jellyfish out of the water and leave them to dry on the rocks, well away from swimmers.

The night was finished off by a fabulous meal back in Porto Pim at Taberna do Pim.

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…..

We’ve had our share of good and meh restaurants in the Azores, but Faial had it all. The service is very peculiar here, we had one restaurant begrudgingly let us back in after dinner to sit at an empty table with a bottle of wine during a sudden rainstorm (why not take additional money from paying customers?). Another very nice place had the most inept, untrained staff, where our experience started with ’we have no fish of the day’ (we were sitting in front of docks where the fishermen unload daily), to the inability to get lights to work as the sun set, leaving us to eat by the glow of the swimming pool (they eventually found us candles). No restaurant has carried our favorite local wine, even though they list it on their menu, and it’s on the shelves in the mercado across the street. You learn to smile at island life and move on.

Two restaurants, however, stood out. Taberna do Pim, at the edge of the beach, found us seats at 9:30 pm in their cozy dining room (who needs the view, we see the water every day). We proceeded to have the best alcatra (pot roast specialty) I’ve had anywhere in the islands, and a steak in the most amazing beer-brandy-mustard sauce that had us licking our plates.

The other was Pasquinas, on the other side of the island with the most spectacular view of both Sao Jorge and Graciosa islands. Mark and Minda’s local friends George and Lijia took us there one night, to show just how good local Portuguese food can be. It was all fabulous, but Minda’s caramel almond mousse and Trip’s passionfruit mousse sealed the deal.

After our unglamorous entry to Horta, we cleared in with the authorities the next morning, and then met up with Mark (Trip’s cousin) and Minda (Mark’s wife). As they had aready been on the island for a few days, they were ready to show us the sites! We sped up the hill and around the coast to Praia do Almoxarife. Faial actually has a few beaches, unlike the others, and this one was covered in delicious black sand. It’s also home to a much nicer and quieter restaurant owned by the same folks that own Peters, the famous sailor’s pub in town. We had the restaurant to ourselves and I tucked into yet another fabulous order of octopus. After a glass of wine or two we wandered down to the beach. We had forgotten our suits that day, but it was still nice to wander into the water to feel how refreshing it is.

We decided to head back into town for the festival (Semana do Mar, Sea Week), but got stopped by a police blockade for the festival. Unfortunately we also needed gas, and it was just a few hundred feet out of reach. Trip and Minda got creative and walked to the station to buy a one gallon container and enough fuel to get them home that night. with that taken care of, we wandered into the festival.

It was wall to wall people eating from food trucks, drinking from 4 oz recycled cups that get re-used, and wandering from performance to performance on different stages. We had a bunch of appetizers – chicken wings, shrimp empanadas, chicharrones, farturas (fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon), and bifanas (pork sandwiches), all washed down by local red wine and beer. The main band was Portuguese, but covered a lot of American classics, so it was a fun listen.

That night and the next morning brought some crazy thunderstorms, the worst the islands have seen in a while. We did fine in the anchorage, but the cracks of thunder were intimidating. Nearby Pico island lost power.

For my actual birthday we took a bit of a risk. It was back to the bus, but this time only to Vila Franco do Campo. Off the bus, then in line to try and buy ferry tickets. Ferry tickets in hand, then in line for the actual ferry. (Whew, didn’t know if we’d make it as tickets looked to be sold out and they only allow 200 people at a time on the island).

The island was once a volcano that blew and sank back into the sea. The crater rim forms the island, but the crater itself is sunk below sea level, and there’s a single cut that allows free flow of the ocean in and out. And by local Azorean tradition, it’s a public beach!

Not a bad way to spend one’s 50th birthday……

Furnas was our next big day trip. Another public bus, another random charge (3.41 per person), another ride through the villages up into Furnas. We first walked around town and found the thermal vents that reek of sulfur and are used to cook a local dish of meat and vegetables. The idea of meat virtually boiled for several hours in sulfuric water did not sound appealing (described as an acquired taste), so we did a much milder lunch.

We wandered the Terra Nostra gardens for a couple of hours, admiring the collections so painstakingly cultivated from all over the world. Then it was back to the thermal baths that Furnas is so famous for.

Iron Studded Thermal Pool