Island number 32

Now for our 32nd and, at least for a while, last island. We wanted to fill up with diesel before we left do we tied up on the fuel pontoon to do just that and to pay marina fees at the same time.

We were able to sail all the way with the wind starting out at 10 knots and getting to 13/14 overnight. It was a quiet night with one cargo ship and a couple of fishing boats passing. The dawn watch brought a pod of dolphins and several yachts heading for the same place and we were tied up in Ponta Delgarda, Sao Miguel, by ten past eight in the morning.

Ralph and I had been here 8 years ago with a group of friends waiting for Erica to arrive in the AZAB fleet. Unfortunately, they retired from the race and went to Spain instead but We recognised many landmarks, including our apartment block overlooking the harbour.

Ponta Delgarda is a large town by Azores standards and it has a good bus service across the island and a very helpful tourist information office with lots of walking trail maps.

I was keen to show Mark a couple of things I had enjoyed on my earlier visit; the folders at Sete Cidades, with its twin lakes and the hot sulphur pool at Furnas.

We caught the bus to Sete Cidades from where we planned to take a short taxi ride to the top of the folders and walk around it and then down into the town. Unfortunately nobody had told us that we had to change buses at a small village near Sete Cidades and we didn't understand the driver's Portuguese instructions so we ended up going too far, which meant a taxi ride from further down the road.

Last time we did this walk I remembered that the climb was very steep. Hence the decision to reverse the route this time and walk down -a wise decision without doubt. The views  looking down on the lakes were stunning though. We have seen a lot of beautiful sights on our travels but this
still took our breath away and photographs do not do it justice.

We did lots of walking through a landscape full of stunning flowers.

 We were lucky to have Scruffbag with us when we visited the island's only pottery, a family run affair going back 4 generations where the blue and white pottery is all hand made. Scruffbag was able to use his years working as a technician in college with ceramicist Kate Reynolds to give us a very informative tour.

Another first was our visit to a tea plantation. Tea has been grown here for several hundred years and there are two working plantations left. We walked around the plantation on a 3.5 km trail before sampling a free cup of tea in the factory. the orange pekoe was so delicious that I had to buy some. Scruffbag of course insisted on a coffee, which he had to pay for.

 We had planned to stay in Sao Miguel for a week or two before setting off for the sail to Portugal. Unfortunately the weather had other ides with strong winds on the nose forcing us to remain here. Another two weeks of exploration and another blog entry from Sao Miguel to follow.