Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Portugal

Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Portugal Friday, April 28, 2017 The seas remained lumpy through the night prior to reaching he Azores. During that time, I did feel a “Heart Tug” as we passed about 300 miles north of Funchal, Madeira, the origin of my first pacemaker. Most of you know of that story with us being taken off the ship there for the necessary implantation of my first pace-a-maker. It was built by a French company, that was owned by an Italian company and installed by a Portuguese doctor within hours of our arrival in Funchal. The fact that it could only be read with a French computer led to some interesting sequences during subsequent doctor visits in the USA. Ponta Delgado is on Sao Miquel Island, the largest of the nine islands in the Azores archipelago. These islands have their own microcli- mate and because of its location in the mid Atlantic Ocean, the seawater temperature is very constant. These waters gets contributions from the cold north Atlantic and the Gulf Stream affected southern portions. Hence it is a real cafeteria for fish of all sorts and whaling was a big part of its economy until Portugal outlawed it in 1974. But fishing persists as does a whale watching tourism attraction as eve- ry type of whale migrates through these waters. The atmospheric temperature is also very mild. Homes do not have heating, maybe one fireplace at most. The islands are volcanic in origin and most of the islands have numerous lakes—really craters remaining after volcanic reactions. These are probably the cleanest, or close to it, islands in the world. There is absolutely no industry here. 60% of their power comes from hydroelectric sources, 40% from geothermal. The only polluters on the islands are the cars and the diesel en- gines on the fishing boats. It reminds me a little of Iceland South. The three major industries are dairy farming and products, fishing, and tourism. Because the air and water are so clean, the dairy products in the form of beef, cheese and milk are among the worlds finest. The cows are really pampered. They never go in barns, the farm- ers have portable milking machines that go to the cows twice a day. We can attest to the wonderful cheeses and beef there. The morning of our arrival was cool and cloudy. We boarded buses to visit the crater lakes area of the island. The green in the valleys speaks for itself. Azealia's are in bloom now, hydrangeas are due in May. One of the many lakes we visited that provide for fresh water and hydroelectric power. We visited the town of Seven Craters (Sete Cidades), a small village that exuded peace and tranquility, starting with its church. The use of tiles is shown here in the church, but it is prevalent throughout the islands. Homes are num- bered, named and sometimes the owners favorite saint are all tiled. And they are cat friendly. A very small chapel near the town center. The city square in Ponta Delgado. The architecture in the cities is highlighted by the use of the dark volcanic rock to frame so many of the widows, arches and structures. The sidewalks and pavements are literally works of art. They are all photographed, catalogued and stored in the library, so that if damaged, they can be restored to original conditions. This city is the sister city of Fall River, Mass. During the days of whaling, American ships would call here for provisions, but also to reduce the whale carcasses to oil and blubber. The Azoreans were hired to help, but then eventually, many went back to our New England on the whaling ships. Hence the significant population of Portuguese in New England. The three arches shown, part of the city’s original walls, were reproduced here, disassembled and reassembled in Fall River as a symbol of the sisterhood of the two cities. More detail of the pavement. The sun has come out and it is actually very warm as we walked the streets of Ponta Delgado. This is the harbor, with an aquatic center right there. You may be able to see the buoys for ocean swim- ming to the left of center. Year round, water sports such as open ocean swim- ming, scuba diving and kayaking are done. The water temperature in the ocean is a pretty constant 68 to 70 degrees. Looking the other way in the harbor, toward downtown. It has been a happy day. We will certainly remember the cleanliness, the artistic pavements, the wonderful cheeses, sampled above, and the ecological focus of these islands. For instance, if you cut down a stand of forest for lumber, by law you must reseed that land within one year or be heavily fined. Yes, the government provides the seedlings, but the land owner must provide the labor and get it done within the year. We departed Ponta Delgado on time and the seas were choppy, but not a real factor in the 120 mile overnight run to Horta. .

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