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.

Bermuda

 10 April 2024 - Tropical Day in Bermuda

Finally a day which does not require a jacket! Beautiful day to spend sometime on this island.  Russ went on a snorkeling tour (because it is hard to do that in Chicago), and I wandered around the area. Definitely geared towards water sports, bars and restaurants with a sprinkling of tourists stores.  Still, it was nice to explore a pretty area on a warm, sunny day.

Built by the British in the early 1800s to ensure British Empire domination in the area (after being kicked out of the U.S.), the Dockyard is now repurposed for tourism. This was the starting point for the British Navy’s sack of Washington, D.C.

Our ship is huge! It can carry close to 4500 passengers and is sold out.  It wasn’t too bad getting on and off, they have the process honed well. Lots of water slides and rope courses on the upper decks, but the weather hasn’t been conducive to using them.

Another cruise ship moored behind us.  I think we are the only two visiting the area today.

Old (circa early 1800s) storage buildings. 

One of the larger buildings in the dockyards, the watchtower, has been converted to a shopping mall.  Local artisans were selling all sorts of very nice stuff.

The limestone for the buildings was quarried originally by slaves, then convicts.

Some of the local wildlife.

First time I’ve seen palm trees in a while.

Don’t know what kind of tree this is, perhaps some kind of date tree?

Originally a barracks for the British Marines in the 1800s, this became the Casement Prison, Bermuda’s prison until the 90s.  It is in the process of restoration by the museum.

The waters around the island are a beautiful shade of blue, but Russ reported that the temperature was cold, not Hawaii warm.

Fuel and oil storage tanks in background.  A small boat marine in the front.

The Bermuda Maritime Museum, opened in 1975 by Queen Elizabeth.

Coral reefs surround the islands. The shallow waters caused many shipwrecks. Bermuda is the shipwreck capital of the world with around 300 shipwrecks.

The scuba boat moored over a shipwreck and the group was able to snorkel up close with the fishes.

Russ got a little too close with a jelly fish.  He kind of forgot that they travel in groups and he was staring at one up close and personal when a nearby jelly ran into him.

There were a fair number of tropical fish in the area. The boat had a glass bottom so those who didn’t want to be in the water could still enjoy viewing the shipwreck.

A view of our ship from the snorkeling boat. When we leave Bermuda, we have four days at sea before making land again in the Azores.