Also Ordinary Life

 Recognizing that most of my blogs are glowing accounts of what we find here, this one shows a bit of the less shiny side of life, evident here as everywhere.  There were specifically three things yesterday that brought out this realization.

The first, and the only one for which I took a picture, is roadkill of a little hedgehog.  Mostly what I have seen squashed on the pavement are rodents -- medium size and the other day there was a blond cat.  But this little guy reminded me that fast cars, though they may be small, are deadly to little creatures.  And a danger to big creatures.  I wear my high vis bright coral shirt when riding.  In fact, I bought a second shirt like it at Decathlon at the beginning of our trip.  The cars are considerate of cyclists, but being seen always improves the odds.

The second was a parade.  In a normal year, yesterday should have been the day for the children's Carnaval parade, but as mentioned previously, the big gatherings are not happening this year.  The parade I saw yesterday, was a small one.  It was in a small town on the north shore that I cycled through to reach the Observatory.  The highschool-aged young men were all dressed in camo fatigues and some were masked with gruesome zombie masks.  They were singing and also dragging along some iron pieces.  One greeted me politely, but the atmosphere of that parade was certainly not the fun-filled exhibition of the children's parade that we have seen in other years.

The third was the bellowing of a cow.  She was not just mooing for fun, this was distress and when I was riding up the mountain, I heard the sound and saw the vet truck in the field, I figured she was giving birth.  Sure enough, she was lying on the ground, tied very tightly at the head to a post and being attended to by some guys and a young lady in PPE with bloody gloves which reached past her elbows.  But beside her back legs lay a wet black lump which didn't move.  Cows are very important on this island and they all have at least two tags in their ears, so it is evident they are extremely well cared for, but tragedies still happen.

Look carefully in the middle of the picture.  You will see the usual way to graze young steers -- cow circles!

Ordinary life

Well, I guess one can't really call it ordinary life when we are so far from home, but I wanted to talk about what is normal for us here.

The apartment is lovely.  We have a spacious bedroom, full bath with bidet, well stocked little kitchen, dining table, living room area with a sofa bed couch, another small bedroom off the living area which faces the front of the building and a nice sized balcony with table and chairs.  The cleaning ladies will come every day, but we usually get cleaning only every second day.  

Breakfast comes with the room, and there is something very nice about having a lovely selection prepared by someone else.  There are always eggs -- one or two preparations, bacon and some grilled vegetable.  There is ham and a couple of different cheeses to go with the savouries, including a fresh -- pressed cottage cheese that Ian really likes.  Pancakes are also prepared daily and there are a variety of jams and nutella to accompany them.  There are 6 different sorts of breads including croissants, and the local bread cooked on a griddle, a couple of pastries, mixed fruit, and pineapple (the local stuff), yogurts, and juices.  There is a lovely machine that makes any hot drink you might like, and if that is not fancy enough, the serving girls will make you specialty coffee concoctions from their espresso machine in the back.  We have thought about getting an AirBnB style apartment, but having breakfast included just makes it feel more like a vacation. 

Our view of the harbour is spectacular and we comment about boats that come in.  Thanks to Google, all the boats are listed and so we know if it is a tanker or a container ship, how many beds are on the cruise boats, and where the schooner calls home.  The variety is everything from little outboard motorboats, to sailboats moored in the harbour, to some nice sized yachts, the whale watching boats, the tugs of various sizes and then the big container ships and cruise boats.  Often there is a military boat staying a few days before it is off again on patrol.  Time is money, so there is loading and unloading well into the night and the big ships manage to sneak out at night without waking the whole city.  

The hotel is on the main waterfront road and so gets a fair amount of traffic, but the soundproofing is good, and the bedroom is towards the back of the building.  The promenade along the harbour is about 3.5 km without interruption.  There are further walk/cycle paths to the east of the city, but they come after short breaks where one is forced onto the road or sidewalk.  Since we were here last, the section in Lagoa has been completed and it takes you close to the shore among the big black basalt rocks.  A dune style grass is being planted in clumps in order to help hold the path against erosion by wind and waves.  I walk about 5 km each morning before breakfast, as I get up much earlier than Ian.  Being beside the water is a lovely start to the day, though I have not braved the 16 degree water and gone swimming with the people that venture in each morning about 100 m from our hotel.  I came here to escape the cold.

As with most restaurants, masks are mandatory at breakfast when you serve yourself.  And masks are necessary any time you go into a building.  Outside, about 30% of the people are wearing them.  Other than that, there are not really any more COVID effects visible on a daily basis.  I found out today that the Carnaval activities are cancelled again this year -- no parade for the kids, no big masked ball on Saturday night, and no water fight next Tuesday.  So large gatherings are still not happening, but everyday activities are almost back to normal.  

And so we occupy our days with walks and visiting museums and gardens, shopping and cooking a simple soup for supper.  The cheese on the islands is fabulous and so with a pastry for midday snack, soup and bread and cheese for supper work very well.  Wine is abundant and priced from about 2 euros to 10 a bottle and easily accessible as it is sold in the grocery store.  We have a small satellite store of one of the big supermarkets just 2 doors from the hotel.  

I have been cycling.  I got my legs and seat used to riding again with trips along the coast to Lagoa -- about 10 km one way and mostly flat.  But going west or going north involves climbing and the low gears get a serious workout.  I don't ride on the main expressway, but do go on the secondary highways.  There are good shoulders on the roads, and not very much traffic compared to riding at home.  I got a waterbottle cage on my bike this year and so it is outfitted with just about everything I have at home.  Don't have a computer, but this isn't about going far.  

In the evenings I stitch on my delphinium tapestry where I now only have the background to finish.  We watch TV.  Netflix and Disney+ both work here.  It is quite relaxing and very low stress.  I think it is wonderful that we have found a place where both of us are comfortable and can amuse ourselves.  Sure beats February in Hamilton.

Making the best of a mistake

 So today we decided to take a bus tour to Sete Cidades -- that area at the north west of this island where there are two volcanic lakes -- one green and one blue.  We were waiting at the bus stop at 10:40 and no bus came.  It turned out that I had messed up with where to catch the bus and we missed the one we wanted.  So it was check out to see what else there was to do today, it being a nice day.

I called the cave tour people and got in for 2:30.  I cycled up there and arrived at 2.  This time, yes, they had my reservation.  I waited till 2:30 and the tour began with an American family of 4 children and 2 British tourists.  Despite the others on the tour, it was marvelous!  For the past two years I have wanted to do the long tour where one actually crawls around in the lava tubes, but two years ago there were never enough people who signed up for a long tour, and right now, with the pandemic, they are not doing any long tours.  That will have to wait till the next time.  Today's adventure was a taste leaving me wanting more.  

I have never been in a lava tube before.  The other caves that I have visited have been limestone caves where the stalactites and stalagmites grow with time due to mineral deposits.  In the lava tube, there are no mineral deposits, so the formations do not change over time.  Parts of the walls are 'glazed' due to hot lava melting the existing rock creating a smooth shiny surface.  Where the lava cooled more slowly, the rock is the familiar black basalt that one finds all over the island.  In some spots, there are vent holes to the upper lava tube where the pressure below was too great.  

On the surface, there is no evidence of the extensive tunnel system underground.  Cows graze over it, but the farms in that area are forbidden to use heavy machinery so as not to further damage the tunnels which experienced cracking when the highway was built.  

The young man who led our tour was knowledgeable and, I was told, does the long tour.  Let's hope that after the pandemic, that will start again and I can join!

Old adventures revisited

 We have been to this island eight times now, so there aren't many completely new adventures left. But, after two years away, revisiting feels new.

Yesterday it was Furnas-- that geothermal area in the middle of the island where the volcanic history is still making its presence felt in terms of boiling cauldrons and steam vents capable of cooking a meal.  As the public bus system is good, I boarded a large coach at 9 am for the almost 2 hour drive to Furnas.  Now, the island is only 63 km end to end, and there are some major highways that go straight, but the bus takes the traditional route through all the little villages on the south coast with streets so narrow that sometimes to get by another vehicle, we had to drive up onto the sidewalk and be about 10 cm from the front of a house.  But the driver must have been a rally car driver.  He zoomed around corners, passed slower vehicles on uphills and downhills and stood his ground when it came time for one of the vehicles facing off to back up.  We got to Furnas on time.  I got my 4.43 euros worth.

Not much has changed in Furnas.  The town part has the steam vents at one end and Park Terra Nostra at the other.  I had a chance to talk to the Swedish girls and show them the boiling waters and steam -- they couldn't experience the smell, just as well.  That primal activity of Mother Earth is impressive, but it was the park which really drew my there yesterday.  It is Camellia season -- February to April, and Park Terra Nostra has over 800 specimens.  They are magnificent.  Coming in colours from white to pink, to red, and even yellow, they are a large blossom with heavy petals -- an imposing flower.  And the park also features azaleas, tree ferns, magnolias, and many trees and cycads from around the world.  The climate here is exceptional and can grow just about everything.

For years I have stayed away from an activity that most of the people who visit the park, enjoy.  But this year, I took along my bathing suit and a large towel and swam in the pool of hot mineral water.  Actually swimming was so draining because of the heat, but the water felt so nice.

The bus ride home, this time going along the north shore, was just as exciting as the morning trip.  Saturday night is not a busy busing night, and most of the time there were less than 5 of us on the bus.

Today's adventure was the first cycle across the island this trip.  I had been up the mountain a few times, but never down the other side necessitating a return climb.  To my surprise, the trip going north was significantly harder than the one coming south in the afternoon.  The bike, which I got tuned up on Friday, worked beautifully -- that was a great investment of 100 euros!  There is a very nice new cycling lane in Ribiera Grande, so I guess I'm not the only one on two wheels.  There weren't many people out on their bikes, but they were friendly with a 'Bom Dia' across the road.  I'm two years older than the last time we were here, and there is always that nagging doubt whether I am still strong enough to do the climbs.  So far thankfully, the answer is yes.

The Compliments Book

 This afternoon it is raining.  No problem.  The angle of the rain is not such that it is wet on the balcony, so I am able to write or stitch or puzzle while watching the city go by, the planes come in and the ships unload.  Very pleasant.

But this morning we were able to go and check out one of our regular haunts -- the Municipal Art Gallery.  I think we have visited there almost every time that we have stayed on the island.  It has changing and varied exhibitions and although sometimes it is too far out or abstract for me to appreciate, every time there has been something on display that I admired.  

Today it was a variety of small drawings done with pen and ink.  I particularly liked a turtle that had been done with pen and ink.  Also, a sculptor had pieces on display demonstrating very good technique and some emotional insight.  I could have done without the 7 pieces of wood hinged together and painted black (4000 euros) and the multimedia items that looked like rotten cardboard and dirt that had been painted black.

But altogether, it was another very positive experience -- free admission too.  At the front they have two books -- one labelled for Complaints, the other for Compliments.  I commented in the latter.

The pop culture on the island is a real mix.  The little kids' ride on the waterfront features vehicles decorated with Frozen, Paw Patrol, Toy Story, Cars, and a bunch of items that I don't know.  The little kid this morning at breakfast had a Marshall stuffie (Paw Patrol dalmatian for those of you who don't know the series).  But so far, my favourite homage was this Jeep I saw yesterday.  

Walking to the Fort

 When we were here two years ago, I started to walk after supper.  The Fort is at one end of the harbour walkway and a convenient distance for an end of the day bit of exercise.  I googled it and it was 1.1 km away from our hotel.  It took about 24 minutes to walk there and back.

When we got back to Ontario, it seemed a good routine, so after supper, I would still 'walk to the fort'.  The corner of Upper Paradise and Rymal is conveniently 1.1 km from our house, so it was an easy transition.  

Then the pandemic hit and we were encouraged to avoid people, but I could still go for my walk as I rarely met anyone else along the way.  It was a slice of normalcy in an unprecedented time.  I walked that path hundreds of times in the last two years averaging about 5 nights out of 7.  Every time I did the walk, I reminded myself of the walk along the harbour with the lights and sounds of the boats and the city.  For those 24 minutes I was transported back to Ponta Delgada in my mind.  It was easier in the summer than in the winter when I needed to put ice grippers on my boots, but it was a breath of simpler time in all the stress of the pandemic.

So, of course, I walk to the fort every night now.  I feel blessed that I can experience the sea and the life of this city.  I also feel blessed that life has changed to the point where this is possible again. 

Vehicles

 Our balcony has a great view to the street below -- main waterfront road -- and the harbour beyond.  We watched today as two tugs did a 180 degree turn on a huge Norwegian LPG tanker that was almost too long for the width of the harbour.  We are very curious how long it will take before she unloads and heads out again.  Just love the technology that lets me type while sitting on the sea wall,  the name of a ship into a google search and find out who she is, and what she is carrying.

And the same harbour has sailboats, a three masted schooner, whale watching boats, fishing boats, a couple of snazzy looking motor boats and currently a container cargo ship and a military boat.  Yesterday there was a windsurfer zooming around and a sailing school for little boats operating at the end of the harbour.  There is always something happening.

The vehicles on land are also varied.  Most of the cars are smaller which is a good thing when you notice how narrow some of the streets are.  Motorcycles and scooters are very popular as they can run year round.  Ian loves to stop to check out all the different kinds.   There are a few pickup trucks and small flatbeds.  Yesterday they had to close a street for a concrete mixer and pumper truck that needed to get into town for a delivery.  On the day where there was a cruise ship -- one the second this year, there was a horse-drawn carriage to give the tourists a ride.  There are plenty of big buses and they manage in the narrow streets.  The island is well served by 3 bus lines and you can go just about anywhere by bus.  We plan to use it in the next few days to go to Furnas to see the camellias.

But of course, most of the vehicles are the cars.  In the past few years I had come to think that the plates on the cars reflected their age and Carolina confirmed this.  On the right ends of most of the plates are two numbers above and below a line.  It is the year (top) and the month that the car was acquired.  The oldest I have seen is about 1992.  No salt on the roads and not far you can go, so the cars last.  Carolina told us that she had just done an oil change on her car and the next change was in probably in about 2 years!

 

And don't forget the bicycles.  There are not many, but there is a bike share program which actually seems to be well used.  It rained this morning, so today was a walking day.  No problem.

Carolina

Those of you who know me well, are very aware that I do not make friends quickly.  In fact, most of the time I go out of my way not to impose myself on others.  I admire those people who can strike up conversations easily with people and I am fortunate to have married one.  Ian has an engaging manner and is often still speaking to someone, while I have already moved on.

Fortunately, we can both speak easily with Carolina.  We met her several years ago while at this hotel.  She is one of the desk personnel and when we were looking for someone who wanted to store/take and use our bicycles, she volunteered.  

While my green beauty at home is a come-apart bike and fits into a suitcase sized case, the airlines imposed heavy fees to transport bikes, just about the time that I got it.  So, it became much better value to rent bikes where we were going than try to take our own.  That was, until I looked to rent here on the Azores.  15 euros per day -- every day.  Well, when one is here for 3 weeks, that came to over 300 euros.  Yikes!  Enter Decathlon -- sport store for everything you can imagine.  And yes, they have bikes.  In fact, the basic bike I got (8 speeds) was 100 euros.  It was an easy decision and I got lots of riding out of it.  So at the end of our trip, we wanted to give it to someone who would use/appreciate it.  The lovely young lady from the front desk said she would take our bikes.  In fact, she has stored them for several years -- even for the last two when we could not come.  

Carolina and her husband live in a little row house which they have redone inside all on their own.  She said that it was basically an empty shell when they got it and I can believe it, having seen those types of properties along the streets.  They have set up the house to live on the bottom floor and have the upstairs for  their business (now finished) or storage or possibly a rental flat in the future.  It is a cozy space and still a work in progress, but she was delighted to show us around.  There is a balcony on the roof, but no garden.  We had a thousand questions, many of which had to wait till we took her to lunch yesterday as a thank you for storing our bikes.  Husband Ricardo is off working in Switzerland at a hotel, so we did not see him this time.  Being born and raised here on Sao Miguel, Carolina is a perfect person to answer questions of history and life on the island.  Much of what we gleaned from her will appear in future blogs.

Oh, the coverings over the car parks?  Sol Mar is an Azores based grocery chain and recently changed ownership.  The new group wanted to do something nice for their clients.  Now that is customer service.

What's new, Pussycat?

It was a catchy title, wasn't it.  And quite appropriate for today's post.  

One of the things that Ian especially has been waiting to see, is what has changed here since our last visit.  Not only has it been two years, but also a pandemic between our snapshots into the life of this island.

And, surprisingly, not much.  Carolina, who graciously stored our bicycles, told us that just 2 weeks after we left, basically everything on the island shut down.  This hotel where she works, was closed, as were the others on the island.   The police even drove up and down the streets telling people to stay home.  I gather it was quite like our experiences at home.

But now, the hotel is open again with some enhanced cleaning measures.  There is an interesting gadget at the front door that scans your temperature automatically.  One wears a mask inside everywhere except in the apartment itself.  At breakfast, you make your selections and serve yourself, but don't unmask until you sit down to eat.  The same routine goes for other restaurants and cafes.  There has been no checking at shops or restaurants for vax certificates.  

But we did do something different today.  We walked through a cemetery.  People are buried either in little houses with shelves for caskets inside, or, in underground crypts with large concrete slabs over the top with rings so that the tops can be opened.  The family plots are numbered and the rows designated to facilitate easy location.  And this is where the cats come in:  the place has shy felines roaming through it in greater density than we have seen anywhere else here.  

However, one item has struck us in our wanderings.  Two parking lots have been outfitted with large, heavy tent roofs above the spaces for cars.  At the grocery stores they even have lighting.  Were they to keep shoppers and their packages from the rain, or recognizing that people couldn't eat in the restaurants associated with these lots, were they for the convenience of eating in your car?  We will have to investigate further.

Looking Back

 I think this should be called, the dangers of looking back.  Especially when I now have 70 years to look back on, the tendency is to compare -- often unfavourably, the current situation with previous experiences.  I think, in many ways, we remember 'the good old days' quite differently than when we were in those times.  Perspective is a wonderful thing and a necessary thing to keep sanity and move on when going through rough times but let us remember that continually looking back, stops us from moving forward and embracing a future.  I guess that is what children and grandchildren do for us -- they keep us in the every moving present.

We are now on our eighth trip to Ponta Delgada and there is a wonderful familiarity about this hotel (5th stay),  the local cafes, the grocery stores, the fabulous gardens, and the walks, particularly along the ocean.  This trip we were upgraded in our 1 bedroom apartment to a larger apartment on the front of the building with a balcony looking straight onto the harbour 50 meters across the coastal road.  In addition, the layout of the suite has an extra bed off the living room, which I am using as a dressing area making it much easier to get dressed and go for a walk in the morning while Ian continues to sleep.  When checking in yesterday, I was given the card for this room and was somewhat apprehensive about the front of the building as it is over the main road.  But the door to the balcony is great for sound reduction and watching the harbour is fantastic.  Something new turned out even better than the old which we had really liked.  

I have to remind myself that I have not learned everything yet and positive surprises are still possible.  Looking at 70+, I am very mindful that this is now on the downward slope. But a brilliant rainbow still takes my breath away.