The Caldeirão of Corvo Island , Azores

                

Thinking about how much I miss travelling...and this is the kind of view I would like to set my eyes on next. I did send this card myself but haven't actually visited this place, as 'the island of the crow' is the smallest - and the northernmost of the Azores archipelago. 

I am curious to see where I'll be going next, I have so many ideas buzzing through my brain, but of course it is still difficult to plan or predict. Any idea where you'll be going? :)

Praia Da Vitória, Azores, Portugal

Praia da Vitória, translated as the Beach of the Victory, is a municipality in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. With a population of 21,035 (in 2011), it is the second largest administrative authority on the island of Terceira (after Angra do Heroísmo). Praia da Vitória is a services, fishing and agricultural municipality and boasts a large marina, popular with the yachting community, with the only sizeable sand beach on Terceira.

We left the 'home port' Southampton on the 3rd on a 50-night voyage across the Atlantic, to reach the Azores on the 7th - which meant 3 sea days in between. The crew on board just 'loves' sea days heh. Longest hours, hardly seeing any sun, and often the 'formal nights' when we had to dress up (or in my case done a dress, which is already a huge effort). Rockin' along the notorious Bay of Biscay also included at the beginning of any cruise heading west of Southampton. But! Considering the itinerary, and the opportunity to cross an ocean on a ship, everything is peachy :)

I believe we were planned to dock in Ponta Delgada, but due to bad weather plans needed to change. All the same to me at that stage, just wanted to get off and walk in one direction for longer than one minute! There were locals dressed in traditional clothes playing music and dancing for out benefit. I found some postcards & stamps but no mailbox - a very friendly lady in the shop offered to post mail for me :)

Faial Island, The Azores

Faial Island  is one of the islands in the Azores group that form the Triangle (the other two being Pico and Sao Jorge), and is the smallest and westernmost of the three. The initial postcard shows the general views, the second its capital Horta and the third the paintings that cover its walls and walkways, left there by the many sailing crews that stop on their way across the Atlantic.

The fourth is the islands centre or Caldeira, the crater of a stratovolcano integrated into the dispersed Parque Natural do Faial.

Views Of The Azores

 

 

I was home this last week and got some great mail - here sent by my friend who sailed to the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, and located about 1500 km west of Lisbon and about 1900 km southeast of Newfoundland.

The view cards show:

*Montanha do Pico, a stratovolcano which is the tallest mountain in Portugal. Thank you wikipedia for making me realise that Pico Island vineyards are on the Unesco list - or rather that its the part of the Azores :) though this wouldnt qualify...so close!

*Poço da Alagoinha on Flores Island (and phoa this wasnt so easy to find) also known as Lagoa dos Patos, a permanent puddle under a waterfall. So lush!

*Sperm-whale at the south coast of São Miguel Island.

*Hot springs (caldeiras) on São Miguel

Love the variety of postcards and stamps, and there is more to show...
Sent from Horta on Faial island, a primary stop for yachts crossing the Atlantic.