Travel Days and Settling In
We were up early and Mary drove us to the train station in Sarnia. We took VIARail to Union Station, then the UP train to the airport. We were too early to check in and clear security so we had a nice lunch at the Sheraton. We celebrated finally getting through security and to the ‘good’ side of the airport with a beer. Our flight was delayed by two hours. We won’t bore you with the details other than to say that we’ll definitely consider upgrading our seats next time.
It felt good to get on Pico at the end of our journey. The peace and quiet here is hard to explain. Other than the rise and fall of the ocean and bird calls, it’s eerily quiet. We continue to marvel at the landscape.
Weather Worries
Based on our month on Pico last year, we knew to expect ever-changing weather out here in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The temperature does not vary much, but the sky does. Since arriving, we have seen sideways rain, driven by onshore winds like nothing we experienced last year. Luckily our little home is cozy and comfortable. When the rain stops, we get outside.
Land of Rainbows
During the epic wind and rain event over the past three days, our internet cable eventually snapped and we have been without wifi! The repair has been arranged so we should be back online soon.
We awoke to blue skies and sunshine and drove to Lajes for coffee and wifi.
Intense Rain and Intermittent Sunshine
Over the past few days, we’ve visited Lajes and Madalena, and also driven
the west end of the island from Sao Mateus to Sao Roque, exploring the little
communities along the way.
On our way to Lajes on Monday, we picked up an elderly woman who flagged us
down. She was on her way to pay her water bill. She had lived in Canada for
many years and was happy to meet some Canadians. She even prayed over us! In
exchange for the ride, she left us with a bag of the most delicious oranges.
While in a coffee shop in Lajes, we spent time chatting with a Canadian
woman who moved to Pico 4 years ago. Her late husband was from Pico and she
lives in his family home on the island. She absolutely loves living here and
raved about her quality of life.
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The juciest oranges -
Strolling in Lages -
Lages -
Looking towards the harbour in Lages -
Lages -
This was the first day we’d been able to see all of the mountain. -
A rainy drive into Madalena -
Madalena cafe. Great place to wait out the rain. -
Public pool in Sao Roque. The ocean waves were washing right into the pool. -
Exploring our neighbourhood -
Oceanside walk -
Imagine playing or watching a soccer game on this oceanside field -
Typical home, closed up while unoccupied. -
Looking towards the local swimming area -
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Our beautiful accommodation -
Pico from our backyard -
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Enjoying the patio -
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Sunset from our front yard
East End Drive
Come with us for a drive around the east end of the island.
The weather was a bit dodgy, but we knew we’d be warm and cozy inside the car.
We stopped for coffee at a restaurant called Magma, which is part of a resort called Lava Homes. We were first brought here by Carlos and Laura on our tour last year. It is an incredible place and if you have unlimited funds, you should stay here. Check out their video here: https://youtu.be/V2oplDp34F4
While enjoying our coffee, the most incredible rainbow appeared, and remained for at least 30 minutes. The pictures don’t even begin to show how intense it was, and how close it seemed. You’ll just have to use your imagination.
On our way back from the North side to the South side of the island, we took the ‘up-and-over’ road. Rather than staying on the main route, we took a side road and encountered a large herd of cattle that had escaped. They were having the time of their lives, climbing into the vegetation and eating leaves and shrubs. Even though they’re a bit shy, they are also curious and stare at us as we talk to them. Such gentle creatures.
After a full day of touring, we were happy to come back to our cozy home.
Neighbourhood Walks
Over the past couple of days we stayed close to home, exploring the area by foot. Our longest walk was about 7 km, along the coast road to Prainha do Galeao, then up along the unpaved roads, past the farms and homes that sit up in the hills.
We also partially retraced our steps first taken on a hiking day with Carlos and Laura last year. This hike began behind their beautiful rental home up in the hills of Sao Mateus.
One day, as we were standing on the shore in front of our house, a friendly guy approached us and, after a couple minutes of chatting, we discovered that he is related to the Maciels. On Pico Island, there is no such thing as six degrees of separation. If you say the name Maciel, you will make a connection quickly, especially in Sao Mateus.
See the photos below for a few of the highights.
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These little cabbage butterflies are everywhere right now. -
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Friendly neighbour / Maciel cousin -
Another friendly feline -
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Typical view from our hikes -
Soaking up the heat -
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This horse allowed us to pat her and neighed when we walked away -
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Her baby was very shy and wouldn’t even look at us -
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Shy, little escapee -
Gotta feel the sun when it shines -
We walk past this cow and her baby almost daily and they seem to be getting used to us -
Friendliest cat yet
Lajes do Pico
On Wednesdays our accommodation is cleaned so we get out of their way for a few hours. This week, we decided to spend time in one of our favourite communities, Lajes do Pico, or Lajes for short.
Whaling was an important industry to this village until the 1980s when it was outlawed. The infrastructure used for processing the whales has been turned into a museum documenting the industry, including the original cast iron equipment used for whaling. For approximately six Canadian dollars we had a private tour with a knowledgable guide.
In the summer, whale watching tours run from Lajes.
See below for some sights from Lajes.
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Harbour sights -
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Lunch stop -
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There’s a steep drop to the water from here -
Whaling museum. The sign reads Oils and Flour, which were the main products from the whales. -
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Fort of Santa Catarina, in Lajes. The only military buildiing on Pico. Built in the 18th century as a precaution against Napoleon. -
Lookout window -
These are growing wild all over the island. -
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Looking towards the ocean -
Looking towards the mountain -
This is the local swimming pool, a short walk from our accomodation
Taking Advantage of a Sunny Day
Our first stop was the swimming area across from last year’s hotel. We had great luck finding sea glass then, and hoped for the same this year. We went at low tide and the glass was easy picking.
Next, we headed for Cachorro. The shoreline along this village is dramatic, to put it mildly. There are human-made walkways between the towers of lava rock, allowing you to get an overhead view as the waves crash amongst the formations. It’s exciting and unsettling, but an experience not to be missed. Last year when we visited Cachorro, several cats came to visit us. Unfortunately this year we saw exactly zero cats.
Since last year, when we spent a day hiking with Carlos and Laura, we’d known about an old whale spotting tower in the area of our accommodation. With the sky blue and the sun shining, we set out to find it. From our house, this is a perfect hike. It follows the coast for a bit, then passes by vineyards and farms, and eventually into a wooded area where we found three old whale spotting towers. It seems that they improved each iteration. The middle one was open to explore and it was easy to imagine a whale spotter spending his days alone, searching the water for whales. We learned during our trip to the museum earlier this week that, when a whale was seen, the spotter would shoot a flare into the air. Then, the whalers would race to the boat sheds, launch their boats and work together to find and spear the whale.
It was a great day on Pico Island!
A Day in the Mountains
The day dawned bright, sunny and wind-free. Pico was peeking and we had some catching up to do in terms of exploring on foot. We decided to drive the mountain roads and find some places to wander around. It was an epic day of sights, sounds and a lot of silence.
We drove the mountain road to the east end of the island, which we had not yet seen on a clear day. Stunning! This area is a 30 km volcanic ridge, with approximately 200 volcanic cones, covered in peat moss and grasses.
The roads are mostly passable, even in our tiny rental car, but almost no barriers exist, so there was a bit of breath holding. Absolutely worth it though! The vistas are incredible and there is absolute silence.
This drive is not to be missed if you like scary drives and peaceful nature.
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These beauties grow in gardens and along the roads -
This plant is commonly used in gorgeous hedges -
Moving his cattle to another pasture -
Up we go… -
Pine wood lot -
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The bird song in this forest was beautiful -
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The island of Faial in the distance -
We happened upon this cave -
Steve convinced Sue to go inside… -
…and through -
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Made it out! -
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He loves walking right on the edge -
Lunch stop – Lagoa do Capitão -
Along the volcanic ridge -
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Much of this area is protected, and re-forestation efforts are taking place, with explanation boards to read -
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Another lagoa -
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Good overview of this area. Note the road we’d driven on the left side -
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This picture best captures the views, the bright green ground cover and the serene setting -
There are cows on the top of this cone -
A mama and her baby
Sunny Day, New Friends, Great Hike
The weather was perfect today so a proper hike was in order. We chose one we had not done before – 9 km beginning in Calheta do Nesquim. It was rated medium difficulty, but for these 60 somethings from flat southwestern Ontario, we rate it challenging but doable. It’s not the distance; it’s the steep ascents and descents that challenged us. The surfaces ranged from pavement to loose gravel to wobbly cobbles, making for many potential ankles turns. Slowly and steadily we made our way up for some glorious views over the fields and villages.
While still in the village, walking along the street, we happened upon a lovely couple. Within a couple of sentences they asked if we are Canadian, and as so often happens here, an almost hour-long visit ensued. By the end of the hour, we had toured their entire immaculate home, including all of outbuildings, and their adega. At the adega, we were poured shots of something sweet and delicious, made from fruit and ‘moonshine’. The tour continued as they showed us their many impressive gardens. It’s these encounters that enrich our explorations of this magical place. We left with a bag of bananas.
As always, the photos don’t show how steep the inclines are or capture the magnitude of the views.
Adventures in the Azores 