We're only on the Azores for six days, which is relatively short, but we make the most of the days in the atmosphere of the Azores. That atmosphere can be briefly described as cosy full marinas with many long-distance sailors and a beautiful green volcanic landscape with hills, cliffs, lots of hydrangeas and beautiful opportunities for nice walks.
The quays of the marina in Horta are full of paintings by sailors. We are very happy that after the first night of anchoring we can lie in a nice sheltered spot in the marina. Certainly because the wind stays with us all weekend, which makes the anchor bay very restless and the boats lying on the outside of the inner jetty collide enormously with the quay.
The weekend we are mainly busy with cleaning the ship and doing the laundry. I do all the laundry on board because the washing machines in the marina are overcrowded. That goes very well, especially the drying on the railing of the boat in the warm sun with the wind.
We walk quietly along the quays and look for paintings of famous boats. Our own with the Brandaan from 2010 is still there, and also the Barbarossa is still fairly easy to see among the many other paintings of boats we know. We buy paint and the girls and I start working diligently on a new painting of the SeaQuest next to the old painting of the Brandaan in the same style. Of course we will also have dinner at the cafe Peter Sport, a household name among sailors. The girls spend a lot of time in the wifi-room during the day, Marinthe especially to download stuff for the next crossing.
On Monday and Tuesday we rent a car to explore the island. Just like 8 years ago we would like to take that nice walk over the crater rim. When we arrive there it turns out to be a bit colder than we thought (12 degrees and wind); we are not really dressed for that with shorts and a t-shirt. Then we'll come back tomorrow and spend the rest of the day driving around on nice little roads with nice views and the many hydrangea bushes along the side of the road. On the way back we drive past the supermarket and do a lot of shopping to replenish our stock. This is very handy because we can take the car up to the jetty close to the boat.
That evening we had a super nice dinner in a Portuguese fish restaurant with nice conversations. Eline drinks with us for the first time as an 18-year-old with a glass of wine. A great evening!
When we go back to the volcano the next day the crater rim is partly in the fog and there is a strong wind. Yesterday it was very busy with a lot of hikers and now we are alone. Are we going to do this? We persevere and it is a beautiful hike. Once in a while the fog clears and we have a nice view. The heaviest part is in the beginning with a lot of climbing and cold wind, and after that it gets easier and easier. Two hours later we are round. Once back in the harbour we finish the painting and meet the vagabond (a Koopmans 40) with Harrie and Ellen. They have been on the road since 2003 and have seen a lot of beautiful things. Nice to hear their stories and we invite them for a drink at the SeaQuest. In the meantime we watch some soccer every now and then, especially when Belgium and England have to play.
The strong northerly wind is over and a vague weather window should return home. It's not clear yet and that's why we decide to go to Sao Jorge, an island 20 nm further on. We haven't been there yet and that seems to be very nice. That is certainly true! Sao Jorge is incredibly beautiful. It already starts with a beautiful spot in the small marina of Velas under high cliffs where white birds fly around from sunset till night and make a special sound (sounds like they keep saying 'au, au, au' squeaking). You can hear them well but the sound is absolutely not disturbing. The harbourmaster is very friendly. There is a wonderful atmosphere here.
Sao Jorge is an elongated island with high cliffs and lots of green nature. Along the coast there are natural swimming pools in various places between the rocks in the sea. Also close to the harbor. We go there first thing in the morning and Eline is the only one who really goes swimming and snorkeling. Toine tries it for a while but soon finds it too cold. Then we rent a car (an old Nissan Micra) and drive to the starting point of a nice walk. Eventually we walk four hours over 9.5 km and it is a beautiful trip. The first half is a descent through woods and fields with beautiful trees, lots of hydrangeas and beautiful views of the sea. Almost at the bottom we pass a waterfall that ends in a pool where you can swim in. Again only Eline jumping into the cold water, the hero! The second half of the hike runs along the north coast through two villages where you can only come with quads. In the first village we take a break for a drink and a snack. After that it's another 1,5 hour hike to the end point. From there we take a taxi back to the car. The car gets overheated while climbing the steep slope. We are then picked up by a friend in an old jeep and brought to our car. The drivers don't speak a word of English but are very friendly.
In the evening we eat delicious fish (Mira) and steak (the rest) in a restaurant in Calheta and exactly at 8.30 pm we return the car. I would have liked to stay here a bit longer but the sailing home also calls and we would also like to spend some time with the Indian Summer in Southern Brittany. That's why we sail out the next morning for the trip of around 1200 nm back to the European mainland.
I can warmly recommend the Azores as a holiday destination, also for non-sailors. Especially if you like beautiful nature and hiking in a nice temperature. Then don't forget to visit Sao Jorge!
