Sao Miguel, Azores

Well, we have made it to the last port before the “crossing” and arrival at Port Canaveral.  We have sailed 2,638.3 nautical miles from Copenhagen to Sao Miguel, and it is 2,820 nautical miles to Port Canaveral.  So we are about half-way home.

I said “made It” because the passage from Lisbon to Sao Miguel was very rough.  Waves were from 7.5 to 12 feet.  And gale winds were blowing so high at Sao Miguel with ocean swells of 30 feet that cruise ships were unable to land there for two days prior to our landing.

Here’s the beautiful sunrise that greeted us as we sailed into port:

And view of the port city, Ponta Delgada.

I was off the ship early for a full day’s excursion around the island.  What an interesting place this is!!  I really wasn’t expecting much, but I was surprised at the variety of landscape, industry, and towns that this one island has to offer.  (Nine islands make up the Azores, all formed from volcanic lava flows, and located where two major plates of the earth come together and move.  Sao Miguel is the largest.)

They say they have two earthquakes a day, but they are so slight that they are not felt.  However, in the past, there have been major earthquakes, like the one in 1588, which caused a landslide, destroying the oldest town on the island.  The remnants of past earthquakes and landslides can be seen like these fences of lava rock which can be found around the island.  They were used to separate orange groves. 

Exportation of oranges was the major industry of the island from the end of the 17^th century to the first half of the 18^th century.  About a third of the arable soil was filled up with orange groves.  As time went by, easier access to oranges grown in Sicily and Valencia and a deadly disease destroyed this business.

The orange industry was replaced little by little with tea, pineapple, tobacco, chicory and hydrangeas.  They grow the pineapples in green houses where they are marketed as organic fruit.  I had some as a desert for lunch and it was very sweet and juicy.

You see thousands of hydrangeas everywhere.  Hedges of them line the road.  Because of the pH of the soil, they are either white or blue. 

Also along the road, you see clumps of pink amaryllis. 

One plant that is causing a lot of problems here is the ginger lily which is a non-native plant and is overtaking the country-side.  I guess you could call it Sao Miguel’s cudzu.  The guide mentioned that there are about 3,000 native plants on the island, but over 6,000 non-native ones, some of which are really causing problems.

While on the subject of plants, one of the places we visited was Terra Nostra which is a garden created by Thomas Hickling, first US Consul of the Azores. 

It is filled with interesting huge fern trees and has a feel of a sub-tropical rain forest.  It is damp and muggy, but is strangely beautiful.

  In the center is a pool of yellow-colored water (from the iron content) which is supplied by warm springs from the volcanoes.  Here people swim  along with black swans.

Near the town of Furnas, boiling water inside the cauldron is evident from the steam billowing out of the ground, much like at Yellowstone.

The local people use “hot holes” like this much like crock pots to cook stew which takes about six hours.  I had some of this stew (though not cooked in this manner) for lunch.  It is called, cozido.  It was a delicious platter of all kinds of meat—chicken, pork, beef, sausages—and vegetables carrots, potatoes, cabbage, and kale.

Water is a constant presence all over Sao Miguel from rivers like at Ribeira Grande

 Or lakes, formed inside craters, which Azoreans call lagoons.  This one was almost hidden by the misty rain which comes and goes throughout the day.

Or black sandy beaches along the south coast.

There are big and little and gardens and parks in all of the island towns.  Some are more decorative like the Paradise Garden in Ribeira Grande.

Others are gathering spots, it seems mostly for men to talk.

The main town is Ponta Delgada.  There is a university here as well as several elementary schools and a high school.  The people of this island are very religious and celebrate many holy days with processions.  There are churches and old convents everywhere.

The town center has characteristic black and white figured plazas and sidewalks with statues or fountains in the center.

Ponta Delgada is where the cruise ship port is.  This was recently built since tourism is on the increase as more and more ships stop on their way across the Atlantic. 

Right at the port is a public swimming area.  Here you can see people enjoying a swim after work or during lunch.

As I said, there is a lot to this island which I have only briefly described. If you want to find out more, go here.

Lisbon and Fatima, Portugal

 Another beautiful sunny day for an excursion ashore.  Before driving the 90 miles to Fatima, we took a “panoramic tour” of Lisbon which simply means a drive around with a guide saying on your left is the Rossio  Square and on your right is Edward VII Park.  Most of the city tours are like this, so most of my photos are taken through highly reflective bus windows…sometimes across the aisle windows.

I was in Lisbon two years ago and did a similar tour, but I am learning that Tour 1 is not Tour 2 which is to say you see a lot of the same things, of course, but you also are taken to different parts of a city depending on your tour guide.  I did see parts of Lisbon today that I did not see before, like a new section that has built up around the area where the 1998 World Exhibition was held.  This area includes high rise apartments, businesses, a huge aquarium, and this new modern train station designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava whose idea was to make it look like fish bones.  It is really beautiful. 

Despite its newness, graffiti is still seen.  Some of it is very well done and covers huge walls, making me wonder if these artists were commissioned to fill this concrete space.

I did observe that it must be Monday, wash day, since I saw a lot of laundry hanging out of the windows, even in really posh sections of the city.  This is a common sight throughout Europe, since they either don’t have driers, or if they do, they prefer the fresh air and sun to do the job.  This window was  in Alfama quarter, the oldest part of the city near the pier where we were docked.

I won’t repeat information or photos of Lisbon in this post.  If you are interested, look at my post in the archives.  To find it, look in the column on the right, find year 2009 in the Archives, click on the > and a menu will drop down, then select month of April,  another box will drop down.  Go down the list and click on “Lisbon and Esteril, Portugal”.

I was glad that we were going to Fatima on a Monday because it would not be as crowded as, say, on a Sunday. (The last time I arrived in Portugal it was Easter Sunday, so it was impossible to get into this mammoth square, much less the basilica, because of the thousands of worshipers.)

Through the center of this square, you see a path made of marble.  It is here that some make their way the entire length of the plaza on their knees as a sign of devotion or adoration.  Today, I saw this man doing that accompanied by a child.

There are three main structures on the plaza.  First is the basilica itself.  Inside is where the children who saw the apparition are buried.  The line in front of the altar are people who want to get a glimpse of the tomb.

The second structure is built over the place where the children saw the apparition.  The marble column next to this priest who was leading the saying of the rosary as I went by is supposedly where the Blessed Virgin appeared.  It is reported that about four million people visit this Chapel of the Apparitions each year.

Next to this is a place where people light candles. Some of the candles are over six feet long.

Opposite the basilica next to a huge cross is a new, very modernistic church which can hold over 9,000 people.

At all religious places like this which draws millions of people every year, you will find an abundance of souvenir shops. Here’s one strip of them. There are many more.

They sell rosaries, candles, key chains, holy cards, statues, and so on. I’m sure collectively they make millions each year. 

I had a quick lunch in this little side café.

And then we were on our way back to the ship.

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges, Belgium—September 23, 2011

The second stop on our cruise was ZeeBrugge, Belgium, the port for Bruges.  Between the 7^th and 8^th century a settlement was established on the banks of the Zwinn.  A port of international standing in the 13^th century, Bruges fell into economic decline two centuries later when the river silted, and it was no longer a port.

Later, it became a city of great splendor, a city without rival as a center for the arts.  The architecture of Bruges,  styles spanning nine centuries often found in a single square, makes an essential contribution to the artistic patrimony of Europe. 

Wandering through squares, narrow cobble streets, parks, and along canals, you can see so much in a four hour walk and a thirty-minute canal boat ride.  Here are some of those sights:

                                                           Love Lake   

According to legend, since 1448 swans have been shown special favors here. Rebel citizens of Bruges holding Maximilian, Archduke of Austria prisoner, condemned his servant to death.  The Archduke consented to meet rebel demands, but in reprisal for the death of his servant, condemned the citizens of Bruges to take care of the swans until the end of time.  White swans belong to the city and are marked on the beak with a capital B and the date of birth.

 Bruges has elegant horses that pull the sightseeing carriages at a fast clip around the narrow streets. They know the way by heart and will not stop for man or beast.  They are considered more dangerous to pedestrians than the bicycles and cars.

Sometimes a dog can be seen riding along-side the driver.  This cute pooch peeked at me while his horse had stopped for a rest and a drink.

Here’s a scene called, The “Rozenhoedkaai”, which  attracts painters and photographers.  

The “Brug” was built as a fortress.  The famous Bell Tower, THE landmark of Bruges, can be seen rising behind it.

 On this square are the law courts built in classical style, the former Records Office/then police station, built in Flemish Renaissance style.  The Gothic town hall built in 1376 became the model for other town halls.

The Chapel of Blood completes this square.

Going through a gate a short distance away is the Main Square (Grand-Place).  A number of buildings with corbie-stepped gables flank the square.  These were originally guildhalls. 

Two magnificent houses face this square, as well as one house known as the “cat house” because of this stone cat on the roof which marks the spot.

You can see so many architectural delights as you go through the town by boat where you pass under a number of low bridges.

While riding on one of these boats, I even saw a doggie in a window watching the tourists go by.

Too bad I didn't see him soon enough to get a full view of his face.

I had some time  to window shop to look at famous Belgian Chocolate which was tempting me at every turn.

Lace is still made here.  The most sought after Bruges lace is created with the “sorciere” stitch which requires from 300 to 700 bobbins.  Like those wooden shoes, lace is mostly machine-made these days, although a few still know how to do it.

After walking over 5 miles, I was ready for lunch.  I found this wonderful little restaurant on the narrowest street in the city.  It was called, Maliesherbes, and seated only 16 people.  I later learned that this little restaurant is featured in a series of novels written by someone named Aspe.  That’s all I got, no first name, nor any titles, but I will find out more about this when I get home.

I had a delicious salad, a tasty tureen of fish soup with cheese, and a glass of wine.  This photo maybe doesn’t look appetizing, but believe me it was the best meal I have had on this trip. 

On our walk back to the bus through a park, I saw these girls enjoying a picnic and the early fall weather.

This day trip ranks up there as one of the best I have ever experienced.