The Island of Faial in the Azores July 17 - 27, 2012

Europe » Portugal » Azores » Faial
July 27th 2012

Published: July 27th 2012

The Azores Archipelago is made up of 9 islands. When we first planned our trip to the Azores we had hoped to visit all of them, but as we took 3 weeks to explore Flores and we have already been in Faial for over a week we are sure we won’t be able to get to them all. They are divided into 3 general areas – the western area consists of Flores and Corvo, the central group is made up of Faial, Pi... Read Full Entry

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Bob & Janice Waller

s v Tsamaya

Like so many others we love to travel and we love to sail so cruising makes a lot of sense. Janice has retired from Cornell as a business manager and Bob has retired from South Seneca school district as the high school principal. It's time to sell the house, get rid of whatever doesn't fit on our 40 foot Caliber LRC named Tsamaya (this means Travel Well in Setswana) and set off to see the world. Our reasons for publishing this blog is twofold, first to keep in touch with our friends and family and secondly to share our experiences. If you would like to receive notification when we have added ... full info

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What you find on a boat!

And we thought we had everything on our boat! This one contains a pet duck which seems to get quite the royal treatment.

A Busy Marina

We were fortunate to get a slip to ourselves in the marina – these weren’t as lucky as they had to raft 4 boats deep. This is one way to get to know your neighbor as you have to climb over their boats to get to the breakwall.

Music & Dancing

The 2nd night we were in Horta we enjoyed a great concert in the park. They played a wide variety of music which included the Boogle Woogle Bugle Boy and the theme song from the TV show the Jetson’s. What a great night as we even got a chance to dance!

The Horta Musuem

The Horta Museum is currently housed in what used to be the Jesuit College right in Horta itself.

Need Anything?

We found that there was a “super” store in Horta - it has everything from groceries to hardware to camping gear and anything else you may need.

They Recycle Here!

We were pleasantly surprised to know that they recycle in the Azores and have it set up everywhere you go so it makes for easy for people to do.

An Evening View

We were taking our evening stroll looking at the boat artwork on the walls and sidewalks and enjoyed the evening view of the city of Horta.

Pico is Hiding

Under all those clouds is the mountain on Pico – hard to believe you could lose a mountain this big!

Porto Pim

Here you see the fortified gate of Porto Pim which was built in the 17th century.

The beach is close by

The beach is just a short walk from the town of Horta and is well used. It is made up of very fine black sand.

the Whale Processing Plant

The white building in the background used to be the whale processing facility, but is now a museum and marine center

Technically Quite Advanced

The whale processing plant was opened in 1943 and closed its doors in 1974. It not only produced whale oil, but also bone meal and meat meal for fertilizer and a food additive for cattle. It was quite technologically advanced for its time. A model of a sperm whale hangs overhead in the background to show its size.

Lighthouse Collage

A number of photos taken at the lighthouse at Capelinhos where a volcano erupted in 1957/58

Volcanoes creating beauty

As the geologist that guided us on the tour stated, many think of a volcano as being destructive, yet in many ways it is quite beautiful and actually added land to the island of Faial.

Some of the New Land

As the geologist that guided us on the tour stated, many think of a volcano as being destructive, yet in many ways it is quite beautiful and actually added land to the island of Faial.

Destructive or Constructive?

Volcanoes are usually thought of in negative terms, but you can also see the beauty created by them here.

A view from top of the lighthouse

A view from the top of the lighthouse looking through the windows.

Looking in One Direction

In one direction you see the black soil with some green growth coming back.

The Opposite Direction

If you turn around, you see the lush green hills behind.

Whale Look Out on the Hill

The white building on the hill was used for spotting whales for those that hunted them.

Close Up of Look Out Shelter

A close up of the look-out buildings. Whale sightseeing companies continue to use them for spotting the location of whales.

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The Island of Faial in the Azores July 17 - 27, 2012

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