1984 (4) - Azores Interlude

A busy day at the beach!  

To go to the beginning of this book, Tropic Moon: Memories, click HERE.

The Azores, volcanic in origin, with impressive cliffs and mountain peaks, are thought by some people to be the remains of the legendary continent of Atlantis.  While that may be rather far fetched, the islands do seem to be a bit of paradise stuck out there in the middle of nowhere.  The archipelago consists of nine islands scattered over a distance of 375 miles from Corvo to Santa Maria.

The harbor at Horta where we anchored.

Horta, the main town on the island of Faial, is the only decent, safe port in the whole archipelago and is, therefore, the meeting place for yachts on the west-to-east Atlantic crossing.  We were told that, the year before, in 1983, 600 yachts had visited the Azores.

Horta.

More temperate than tropical, the islands are given over to agriculture.  Viewed from a distance, the hillsides appear to be patchwork quilts of cultivated fields.  During our wanderings on foot, we discovered that windbreaks planted with sugar cane form the distinctive outlines of the fields.  The flowers of the Azores seemed more subdued than Bermuda's.  Rather than riots of color, we found the cool purples, blues and whites of hydrangeas blooming in profusion.

The anchorage is visible in the background.

Fruits and vegetables are grown on the islands.  We feasted on fresh pineapple, yellow plums, large purple grapes, small, thin bananas, and tomatoes, onions, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers and cabbage.  Cheese, locally produced, sold in small or large wheels, and the fresh bread and rolls from the bakery, were special treats.

Local transportation.

The Azores belong to Portugal, and the "coin of the realm" was the escudo.  Yachties, always concerned about money, walk around in shock their first couple days in Horta, exclaiming over how unbelievably cheap everything was.  We found a typical restaurant meal - rolls with butter and cheese, meat or fish with potatoes and rice, sliced tomatoes, a bottle of wine or a couple beers, dessert and tip - to run to about $6.00 for the two of us.  The moorings were free, on a first come, first served basis; it cost us all of 80 cents to clear Customs.

Faial was a marvelous island for hiking.

After our stay of nine months in Nantucket, we were rather well seeped in the lore of the old whaling town, and life aboard the whaling ships.  In Nantucket, whaling was viewed from an historical vantage point, but in the Azores, whaling was still an active lifestyle.  Many mornings we popped our heads out of the hatch to see the whaling longboat (sails and oars, no motor), and its crew being towed out of the harbor - meaning that whales had been spotted offshore.  In the Azores they generally captured about 60 whales a year.  The whales were processed on the island of Pico, a near neighbor to Faial.  Fortunately, with increased environmental awareness, the islanders had decided to give up whaling.  The last whale was taken during our visit in 1984.

The whaling boat, being towed out of the harbor. 
Hard to believe such a small boat was used to capture a whale.