Trip to the Azores: Part Three
December 1st, a State of Mind
One of the things I love about travel is the day-to-day way I touch on a place’s history and culture, even if I’m not in the mood for a museum day. It always leaves me wanting to know more, in case the light touch I’ve experienced is incorrect, or not the whole story. So it was in Ponta Delgada, where some encounters left me with just my best guess, where I hope I’ve got it right. Well, if I don’t, that opens this space up for conversation, right?
The day we chose to wander thoroughly around the Ponta Delgada waterfront was December 1st. This is an important holiday in the Portuguese calendar, “Restoration of Independence Day,” that celebrates the historical moment when the Portuguese ended Spanish rule in 1640. We happened upon the old fort that used to guard Ponta Delgada’s harbour, and something was going on. Multiple people wearing military uniforms were going in and out, so our first instinct was to cross the street and keep a respectful distance from the active military operation. But the signs on the fort (and info in Google Maps) indicate that the fortress is now a military history museum. And we were tempted to go in and see it, but … we just weren’t sure about all the soldiers. I’ve come from America too recently, I prefer to keep distance between myself and soldiers and law enforcement. In hindsight, I guess that there was probably a ceremony or event marking the December 1st holiday.
The harbour had a pretty nice view to the east, and is more industrial to the west, with lots of shipping containers and marine supply docks.
The nicer view
Canadians and Christmas
After turning inland to criss-cross the streets in the central core, we randomly happened upon the Canadian consulate. This is the only consulate we found in all of Ponta Delgada, and it really stuck out. Turns out that Canadians love the Azores, they are the fastest-growing tourist segment and are in the top five international tourism sources. I am now trying to figure this out. I look at a map of Canada, and then I look at places everyone I know wanted to go when I was growing up. Especially, where they wanted to go in January and February when they needed to get away from the winter before they clawed out their eyeballs. The Azores are further north than the Caribbean or Mexico, and I think they’re further away. Why the Azores? I mean, I’m delighted, I think it’s a great choice, but it’s not obvious. And according to both tour guides and a couple of waiters we chatted with, not only are they out-pacing Americans but there is a significant segment who move there and buy houses. Hey, Canadians, what’s going on?
Canadian + consulate
Bonus Tardis library, because it was adorable
We passed the Christmas market several times, which opened on December 1st and really got going. This was a small one, compared to many across Europe, but it had a good crowd. Families were enjoying the carousel, the street decorations, food stalls, and visits with Santa.
Portugal really makes a big deal out of Christmas. Braga held its tree-lighting ceremony while we were away, and apparently it’s a huge crush in the Praça Republica. I’ve already described the Furnas Nativity scenes. The other great Christmas display we encountered was in Povoação’s great town square, where the figures have wonderfully unique and distinct look:
There is a trip in my future, with reporting, naturally, about the Christmas markets in Portugal and Europe. I gather the grandaddy of them all is in Germany, but I need more experience before I try to deal with that crowd.
Food (Before it Hits my Plate)
I’ve already mentioned the 19th century citrus exports. Since that time, the Azores have turned to cattle ranching, and boy do they succeed at it. They are known for the best beef in Portugal, and I have receipts. Well, not literal receipts, I’ve thrown those away. I tried several beef dishes and yes, they are very yummy. It’s grass-fed, so the flavour is incredible, but grass-fed is also leaner so sometimes you have to deal with a bit more gristle. It depends on the cut, and it is totally worth it. They also make incredible cheese. Some of the best cheese in Portugal (I keep hearing about it everywhere) is the São Jorge, or Saint George, made right on San Miguel Island.
The combination of volcanic terrain and agriculture produced another interesting area that we explored (twice) on our tours. The Parque da Ribeira Dos Caldeirões is a river valley (more like a gorge) where a beautiful series of waterfalls cascade over rocks and allow for the building of multiple watermills. In the 19th century, locals built these as agricultural techniques improved, to start grinding their own flour and grains instead of having to import all of it. This was a notable shot in the arm for their economy and changed their standard of living considerably. Today that history is honoured with a scenic park, with both waterfalls and preserved old mills, and also an AirBnB. Or so we were told, I can’t find it on the AirBnB site. But I’m hopeful, and I’m noting this down for a future trip, I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend a night above an old watermill?
The mill and outbuildings. The center one, upper floor, is the AirBnB OR SO THE RUMOR GOES. The lowest building is the mill, and that one checks out.
AirBnB up the stairs, maybe. Man, I wish we could have seen inside.
Inside the mill. Proof!
As we were leaving the park, the guide gestured out to the north coast which was visible from our road. “Over there is where they found the cocaine.” Um, excuse me? “You know, the cocaine. That Netflix show.” Turns out there is both a documentary and a dramatized series about a large amount of cocaine that washed up on San Miguel Island in 2001. It was … not good for the community. But the Netflix series (“The Turn of the Tide”) was filmed on San Miguel, and gives you an idea of how beautiful this place is.
Food (After it Hits my Plate)
Okay, time for some more food reviews. After our first tour we wanted a lazy day, and this is when we explored the second botanical garden. And being in town, we needed to try a place for lunch. We discovered “Nonna’s Teeth and Tomatoes,” which is an awesome name for a pizza joint, how could we not try it? When we have to share a pizza (we have different preferences), we get a single meat topping of some sort plus mushrooms. The pizza was thin crust, beautifully seasoned, and not at all acidic, which is a risk with tomato sauce, and Marty hates that. This was sooooo good, we ordered another to go and took it back to the room for a pizza and TV evening. 4.5 stars out of 5. It only loses half a star because nothing was as great as A Tasca on this trip. And they had the most awesome waiting area. This couch, MADE OF STONE, was on the curb outside the restaurant:
We did have a couple of negative food experiences, so I suppose I should mention those just to balance things out. We tried a smokehouse on Monday night for some barbecue. I ordered a traditional Azorean steak, and while the steak was decent, there were way too many fries and the traditional sauce did not agree with me. The owner was a friendly guy from Montreal, but he kept asking if we liked the food and it verged on badgering. There was a coffee shop we went to twice, because it had amazingly good coffee … but the owner is some sort of Bitcoin evangelist and he started a political rant at us that lasted a good 10 minutes.
And as I’ve already described, this is a problem for me when we travel, and I haven’t yet figured out how to deal with it. I think I need a hand signal with Marty that means: “Please take over this conversation, for the love of all that’s holy, before I cause an international incident.” Or, y’know, “Your turn.”
Last Day
On our departure day, we had one last lunch where I sorta figured it out. We checked out of our hotel and wanted a place to linger for a bit, because our luck had finally run out. With the weather, I mean. After a completely dry week for walking and touring around, the rain had returned and was sprinkling on and off. Our flight wasn’t until the evening, so a leisurely lunch was called for. We chose the Louvre Michaelense Bar and Bistro (4/5 stars). They had a menu do dia of soup, wine, fish, and coffee for 10 Euros, so I said yes please. Soup and fish were simple and good. The wine was excellent, so I noted the label, and it was Azorean! So add viticulture to the agricultural list I noted previously.
Something like hake, I suspect. I love having no problems with seafood, I never have to ask.
I don’t often find white wines I rave about, so this one is worth noting.
The waiter was from Nepal, and very chatty. When I ran out of conversational energy this time, I excused myself to use the restroom, and I did not hurry back. When I returned he and Marty were still chatting, but thankfully they ignored me. I believe he was some kind of programmer, and they were talking about tech opportunities in Portugal. Very much Marty’s kind of chat. They even exchanged contact info.
As it got towards late afternoon, we took one last stroll around the Christmas market when the rain subsided, then met up with our pre arranged taxi to the airport. And after a two-hour flight and a 45-minute Uber, we were home. And I now have a new favorite place to visit in Portugal. Unfortunately, the three things that come to mind when I think of the Azores are now Canadians, cocaine, and beef, so I definitely think a return trip is warranted to rewrite that. Don’t you agree?
Farewell to the Azores!
