After Four Days, Landfall in the Azores

 15 April 2024 - Ponta Delgada, Azores

We had four days at sea, bouncing around on this behemoth of a ship in 70 mph winds and cold rain (the last day). The outdoor decks were closed off and we did not get to make use of our balcony.  Lots of card and game playing in the various areas of the ship.  And, of course, eating at the wide variety of restaurants. It is hard to imagine the forces that would cause a ship of this size to suddenly shift and lift.  I kept thinking of our immigrant ancestors and what they had to go through to get to the new country. Respect to them!

It was partly cloudy, but not raining when we got off the ship to explore Ponta Delgada. It was a pleasant few hours on land. One more day at sea, then we follow the coastline of Portugal, Spain, France and Italy for six days, ending in Rome.

Russ in front of the statue of Gonzalo Velho Cabral. Gonzalo was a monk and explorer and large landowner in the Azores.  He is credited with discovery of several of the Azores islands.

Gates in the main square which separate the waterfront from the old town.  The black stones are volcanic.  Originally built in 1753, the gates were moved to this location in 1953. Buildings are whitewashed, typical of Portugal traditional buildings.

A typical street in the Old Town. Buildings are three to four stories high.  Painted white or pastel colors with little grillwork features at the windows. Spring was just coming, most of the tree were still bare.

Igreja de São Sebastião is a 16th-century traditional-style church with a bell tower.

The inside had several side chapels and quite a bit of gold leaf.

Our Lady of Fatima is featured prominently in the churches we visited.

Blue tiles are a feature of Portuguese tile work.  Tin is used to create the color.  The color choice was influenced by the Dutch. Tile murals are used everywhere and many document historical or religious events.  This particular one documents the annunciation of Victoria.

The streets of the Old Town are black and white cobblestone with each street showcasing a particular pattern.  We learned that the tiles are very slippery when wet and many towns, including Ponta Delgada, are choosing to replace them with more modern non-slippery material.  A lot of people are not happy about that.

Another typical Portuguese feature, hands for door knobs.

The day was cloudy, so we did not have a clear view of the mountains, but they look very green with lots of farm fields.

Even though the winds have calmed down, the waters are still bouncy.

The outskirts of this largest town in the Azores has lots of modern buildings. Housing is pretty dense, mostly apartments.  We didn’t see a lot of home with large yards.