AZORES  - DAY THREE - Terceira Central

Blogs: Day 1 - Getting There | Day 2 - Central | Day 3 East | Day 4 West | Day 5 Last Day | Day 6 To Pico | Day 7 Madalena | Day 8 Pico Mountain | Day 9 Pico to Faial | Day 10 Pico East | Day 11 Pico North | Day 12 To São Miguel | Day 13 São Miguel North East | Day 14 São Miguel North West | Day 15 São Miguel Furnas | Day 16 São Miguel Pineapples | Day 17 São Miguel Baths | Day 18 São Miguel Filling the Gaps | Day 19 São Miguel ABF

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The Azores is known as the "Hawaii of Europe". It's a temperate tourist destination for Europeans. Temperate because it sits firmly in the middle of the Gulf Stream. January is the coldest month and therefore low season which is why we came. Daytime highs are in the mid 50s/low 60s and lows in the high 40s/low 50s, so you can still deal with it. It's also rainy and windy season, but not crowded and super affordable.

Although the official language is Portuguese, most everyone is pretty fluent in English due to the tourism. Surprisingly, as a remote island chain, it's pretty inexpensive. (Been to Hawaii recently? ARGH!) Groceries tend to run the same or cheaper than the USA as well as restaurant prices. Alcohol is very affordable (Thank God!), beers at just over $1, mid range bottle wine for $5 and whiskey for $13. Only gas is expensive, but no more than the rest of Europe. $6-7 a gallon. The reason for this is that the Azores is pretty self sufficient and exports a lot of food stuffs to Europe mainland.

The population of the 9 islands is 243,000 people and Terceira has 53,000 residents. Azores was settled by the Portuguese in 1427 but subsequent evidence has discovered that the Vikings settled 700 years prior to that.

Like most remote islands, the Azores were created by volcanoes and today we visited a still active area. You can see the steam coming out of rock fissures. The island is notorious for its earthquakes and volcano eruptions. The last volcanic eruption was in 1957. In 1522 an earthquake caused a land slide that killed 5,000 people and flattened the entire capital city.

There was this lovely overlook really showing you the vastness of the agriculture on this tiny island. The island is only 18 miles long and 11 miles wide.  Serra do Cume as this beautiful patchwork of grasslands is called, surrounds one of the biggest craters of the Azorean archipelago.

We also visited Angra do Heroísmo, a capitol city founded in 1450 and the entire city is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Definitely a challenge to drive as roads are very narrow, very busy and very confusing! Everything just curves, turns, dead ends, it's pretty nuts.  Wendy only went ballistic 3 times.  I'm very proud of her for not just leaving the car and walking away.  LOL

What would Portugal be without the famous Bull Fighting sport! Here's the ring and it's a national sport here. Bull fights are only in May through October and there is one fight every single day.  Bulls have to rest 8 days before another fight by law, so that's a lot bull(s)!!!

There are a lot of small fishing ports here as seafood is a big industry. This one, surprisingly, is named "Porto Do Pescas" which translated means Port of Fish!

...and finally...

We were warned that cows on the road were really something to look out for. NO KIDDING! Today we got into a cow jam!!

Wendy's World:

OMG!  I've literally never laughed so hard as our car was enveloped by cows and apparently it is only on this island.  And it's a thing!  I'm a member of an Azores travel group and whomever posts the most "Cow Traffic Jam" pictures during their stay in Terceira --- WINS!   OK, we don't really win anything, it's just the prestige!  Queen Cow Jam!!!  That's my goal!

Remember the Pastel de Nata I wrote of yesterday - WE FOUND SOME!!!  As I always eat dessert first (on the odd occasion I actually have dessert) and it was simply wonderful!  If you ever find yourself in a bakery that sells these wonderful pieces of yum (sometimes called Egg Tarts) do yourself an indulgent favor and just eat it! You may also find them in Chinese Dim Sum restaurants. 

Boa Noite Amigos.  Tomorrow is another day of exploration and hopefully Cow Jams!!