Bucket List

In 2007, there was a movie called Bucket List about  two terminally ill guys who leave the cancer ward and have a bunch of adventures that they have always wanted.  No terminal illness here, but the idea that 'life is finite and if there are things that you want to do, you should do them now' is something that many people in my age group are thinking about.  I have not made a formal list, but there are some things that I have wanted to do for a long time and I should get on them.

In the spring of 1954, my parents, along with their 2.5 yr, 1.5 yr and 0.5 yr children, crossed the Atlantic on the Arosa Kulm, leaving from Bremerhaven and arriving in Halifax.  I have the paperwork to show I was the 2.5 yr child that came with them.  For many years now, I have wanted to make that return journey on a ship.  Travel insurance becomes very expensive after 75, so now was the time.  Scouring the internet, with the criteria of arriving in Germany and no leaving out of the US, I found a cruise on the MSC Virtuosa leaving Fort de France, Martinique and ending up in Hamburg, Germany 13 days later.  We stop in Guadeloupe, St. Martin and Ponta Delgada for a day each time, but the rest of the voyage is the open ocean.  

Last fall when I made the decision to book this trip, I asked around to various friends and family members to see if anyone wanted to make the voyage with me.  There were no takers, especially not Ian who gets seasick!  So I paid the single supplement and made the booking.  Then in February, Joanna's work situation changed drastically and when I laughingly suggested that she could go across the ocean with me, she considered and a few days later, said yes.  So we changed the booking and yesterday we took an early flight from Toronto to Montreal, where we connected with a flight to Martinique.  I don't travel on the day that the cruise starts -- asking for trouble with delayed planes and lost luggage.  We spent last night in a basic hotel on the waterfront, close enough to the cruise terminal to walk, and at noon today we were in the line for processing our embarkation.  And here we are in our very nicely appointed cabin, relaxing after checking in at the emergency muster station and having a lovely lunch from a buffet which had everything you could want.  We have unpacked and are relaxing.

All aboard for an adventure!

The Garden

 The garden of Eden.  Even for those who do not believe in a literal garden, the image is of a place of beauty, innocence and serenity.  I have always felt that a garden is good for the soul, as well as the body.  

Wikipedia describes Terra Nostra Park as a botanical paradise.  Blame those Portuguese sailors who, while exploring the world, brought back all kinds of species and planted then on Sao Miguel island where anything grows.  So within steps of each other flourish tree ferns from New Zealand, eucalyptus from Australia, magnolias from the southern United States, cycads from South Africa, azaleas from China, oaks from Ontario, puhutakawa from New Zealand, taro from Hawaii, pines from Norfolk Island and camellias from Japan.  

It is the latter which drew me to the park yesterday.  February and March are camellia season and in addition to the hundreds of specimens in the park, there was a Camellia show in Furnas.  For two days and for an entry cost of 1 euro, one can see the spectacular variety of form and colour of the camellia.  Many of the samples came from the Terra Nostra Park.  I have been to the show in other years and the blossoms presented this year did not disappoint.

But there was something new which fascinated me.  In the middle of the floral displays, there were sliced 'logs' of highly decorative material.  The outside of the logs were patterned.  I had to know what they were.  Going to the lady at the entrance who took me to the gentleman who was the curator of the show, I learned that the logs were stems of tree ferns.  The ferns had not been cut for the show, but stems of plants which had died were used.  The inside of the logs was still full, though it decays quickly to reveal a hollow stem.  

And, the reason I guessed, was a little vase that I got in New Zealand about 38 years ago, which is on the shadowbox in our bathroom, second shelf on the right hand side.

So, there is always something new to learn, some new beauty to appreciate!

The latest Battle of Ponta Delgada

 The first battle of Ponta Delgada was (according to Brittanica AI):

Fought on July 26, 1582, off the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, the Battle of Ponta Delgada was a Spanish victory that ended Portuguese resistance to the takeover of their country by Spain’s king Philip II.

The current battle:

FactsAzores : Known as the Batalha das Limas, this event takes place on the day of Entrudo (Carnival Tuesday).

Held along the waterfront of Ponta Delgada, it brings together hundreds of participants—on foot or atop trucks—all with one simple goal: to soak their opponents.

Originally, the battle was fought using flowers, which were later replaced by limas—small, handcrafted paraffin containers designed to be filled with water. However, in recent years, these traditional projectiles have been largely replaced by plastic bags, as wax has become more expensive and the production of limas is a time-consuming process.

Each year, the battle requires weeks of preparation, with participants working together to ensure their truck is well-stocked for the fight.

"We use every free moment, even after work, to fill plastic bags with water for the battle. It's been like this for the past three weeks," one participant shared.

His team—"Os Sempre Presentes"—alone prepares 110 kilos of water-filled bags, meticulously stocked by the 25 team members in the weeks leading up to the event.

"That’s several thousand liters of water," noted Pedro Viegas, explaining that each member of the truck contributes financially to cover the costs of participating in the battle.

We stumbled upon this tradition about 8 years ago and have, admittedly, timed our February visits to include the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, as this is the day of the battle. Our apartment has a balcony that overlooks the eastern end of the battle zone, so we invited Clive and Nicole to join us for the day, promising them an experience like they had never seen before.

Preparations begin on Monday with the city bringing in temporary fencing to define the battle zone and limit the scattering of the plastic bags.

Businesses along the route hang plastic mesh or put cardboard over the glass walls. The LED signs are covered and taped.

Tuesday morning, the pedestrian participants start to amass their ammunition with trucks bringing in loads of filled plastic bags and dumping them on the sidewalk. People start to arrive to watch, usually standing behind the fences.

At 1:42 the trucks came into view. The riders usually are wearing helmets and some kind of chest protection for safety. As the trucks come into the zone, the pedestrians start to throw bags up and the riders retaliate. When two trucks come together, the throwing goes back and forth as well as up and down. Horns blare, people shout, there is general mayhem. Over and over the trucks and tractors drive off and return to renew the onslaught. It went on for over 3 hours.

The usual protocol is that if you throw bags or put yourself into the zone, you are fair game to be a target. We had some young people across from our balcony who figured we were also wanting to be involved and several projectiles came our way, two actually flying through the balcony door and splattering on the living room floor.

When it wound down about 5 pm, the city workers started at the eastern edge. First the bags were raked off both sidewalks into the street, then the rakers cleared the roadways, raking to the curbs. The little street sweeper came along and cleaned up the piles. Finally, the guys who run the Gluttons (sidewalk cleaners) went over the area to pick up the balloon fragments.

This morning all is clean, and just the fences are waiting to be removed. Another battle well fought!

Clive and Nicole agreed that it was unlike anything they had ever seen!

If you want to see the full set of pictures I took yesterday, here is the link to the album in my Google photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d8LgFEjG9nFw5aYq6

Sharing the good times

 When we flew to the Azores for the first time in the fall of 2014, we knew nothing and nobody here, in fact, I had to look up where the Azores even were.  But I guess you make connections when you go back time and time again.  

First person here was Carolina.  She is a hotel receptionist at the Gaivota, where we spent many of our holidays.  She is also the person who has kept my bicycle for me since 2018.  She likes maple syrup so I bring her a litre from Costco when I come.

A few years later, while we were still staying at the Gaivota, we met Tony and Germaine.  They are a retired couple from Burlington who have built a lovely house on this island as Germaine was born here.  They do a lot of travelling, with their 2 dogs.  They are very generous  and have invited us to supper several times and to stay over (which we don't do as we love our apartment here on the waterfront).  They have offered to care for my bike this year as Carolina needs to do some renovations at her house.

But last year was the first time that we had friends from home come and join us here.  Steve and Hannah spent a week hiking and sightseeing.  Mark and Anna came and checked out this place after we had promoted it so highly.  Clive and Nicole came and took some day tours with us.

Clive and Nicole enjoyed themselves to much that they are back this year.  Clive loves to drive so they rented a car this time and for the last 2 days, we have been all over the island.  

Yesterday it was the tea plantation Goreanna.  Clive loves tea and Ian has taken him some from here for several years.  Since we were there last, the facility has had a major modern addition for tea and gift shop.  There were many more people, including a school tour from England.  But the equipment was all still the same.

From there we proceeded along the north coast to Ribiera dos Caldieros (river of two waterfalls), hidden away in one of the many gullies formed by rivers flowing from the central mountain ridge down to the ocean.  This one is spectacular -- Ian calls it Rivendell because it truly looks like an idyllic movie set.

Going east to the tip of the island, we arrived in Nordeste where, after a pizza lunch, we found the park which we had visited with our tour guide Henrique a number of years ago.  It is beautifully maintained, spectacularly situated on a cliff overlooking black sand beaches and full of unusual plants, another magical spot where the locals can bbq and enjoy a day outside.

Today we went west, starting along the north coast till we came to a narrow road which took us to the edge of the large crater which has 2 lakes and a village inside.  Spectacular views!  

Then, we took the coastal road to Mosteiros and climbed on rocks beside natural swimming pools.  Also, picked up some lovely rocks with olivine crystals in the black lava stone.

Then it was on to Sete Cidades, the village inside the crater.  Lunch was at a spot right beside one of the lakes and after a stroll around the town, we were entertained by a parade of the locals, complete with band.

The drive back along the southwest side of the island has great views, but narrow roads.  I did some of the once on the bike -- not again.

What was great about the last two days, was that not only were we experiencing some of the unique and wonderful spots of the island, but that we were sharing them with friends.  For me, it strengthens the bond when we do something together.

 Long live friendship!!

About as perfect as a day can get

I am no longer a student, so I am not looking for success on a test or assignment.  I no longer work, so I am not looking for professional acknowledgement.  I no longer have little children living with me, so I am not looking for a day of harmony between siblings.   I am no longer 50 so I am not looking for a century ride at 30 kph.

What I am looking for is a rewarding ride on a warm sunny day, through green countryside with flowers,  with some good food and a peaceful place to call home.  Today ticked all those boxes.

I had my usual walk along the oceanfront watching the crashing waves.  Tried a new kind of pear.

I rode up the mountain (mostly, there was one spot where it was so steep that I pushed the bike), down to the north coast where I munched a snack and gazed over the green fields to the ocean.  I went along the north coast for about 12 km and checked out the gallery in Ribiera Grande (no exhibition at this time, but an interesting video showing that the facility used to be the drying houses for tobacco).  Then it was back up the mountain and down to Ponta Delgada.  I found some new wildflowers at the side of the road and brought them back.  It was a sunny 17 degrees today with only a bit of wind.

There was a malasada (lenten doughnut) and then hazelnut ice cream on the balcony while watching the boats.

Supper is going to be 5 different cheeses and some local bread.

I think this qualifies as about as perfect a day as I can imagine at this stage of life.

How would your garden grow?

Keeping with the theme of  living like a local, I keep thinking of what I would put in my garden if I had a plot of land, sort of the size of our lot at home.  In terms of location, a garden that size would probably put me in the suburbs here as city plots are quite small.  But if I am imagining, I can imagine big!

There would be no space for a Norfolk Island Pine, which is sad, but they grow big and beautiful and so, need to stay in a park.

My favourite rhododendrons and azaleas would be represented and I would not clip them into a hedge.

I would have a camellia (or two).  They bloom in February and are not cold hardy, which makes them a plant that Canadians are not interested in.  

Of course there would be a bird of paradise -- probably an orange one (so common) and in a back corner, a white one (they grow so tall and take so long to bloom).

I love my little sago palm at home, so there would be one in my yard.  There is a succulent here with the strangest flower, I would need one of those.  

When I cycle, there are calla lilies along the side of the road.  I would transplant a few into my garden.  And, of course, I would have one or two of the blue hydrangeas.  Most of them bloom in the summer and early fall, but there are always a few stray blossoms, even in February.

It would be very hard to decide which hibiscus to feature, but there are some amazing double golden and yellow ones here.

And of course, I would not forget fruits!!  The Agriloja this morning had the following trees/shrubs for planting:  kiwi, avocado, red and black raspberries, apricot, apples,  pears, oranges, lemons, limes, kumquat, pistachio, pecans, banana, mango, papaya, goji, gooseberry, pomegranate, plum, cherimoya, fig, medrono (strawberry tree fruit), caviar citrico (finger lime), limao mao de Buda (a citrus fruit like a hand with many fingers),  pitanga (Surinam cherry), blueberries, and grapes.  I think I would need a large garden.

And there are all kinds of seeds for peppers, tomatoes, herbs, squash, lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.

I think I would be a very busy lady.

What do you do?

 A question that keeps coming up when we talk to people about the Azores and how we have now been coming here for a dozen years, is:  What do you do?

Yes, we have done the regular tourist things.  We did the jeep tour to Sete Cidades to see the green and the blue lakes.  We have been there by bus to walk around inside the huge crater when the town now sits.  We have been to the geothermal area of Furnas and walked around the puffing holes.  

We have had the stew that is cooked in the steam holes and bathed in the mineral rich pool at the Terra Nostra Garden.  We have oohed and aahed over the camelias, azaleas, orchids and all the other plants growing happily there.

We have been to museums in Ponta Delgada and Lagoa.  I have visited the observatory outside Ribiera Grande.  We have been to the tea and pineapple plantations.  I have crawled and walked through lava tubes.  I have toured the huge dairy in the middle of the island.

We have seen Nordeste, Povoacao, and Villa Franca do Campo with their original settlement from the mid 1400s. 

So there is lots to see, but we don't work here or volunteer or attend choir or carving clubs, so what do we do?

I walk along the water every morning for an hour.  When the weather is nice, it is going east  all the way to the lime kiln.  When the weather is threatening, I walk around the harbour area where it is sheltered and if it is pouring rain, I walk in the underground parking of the street along the harbour.

We do grocery shopping one day at a time.  There is a market for farm fresh produce and big grocery stores about 1 km away, with good minibus service if it is raining, or if I don't feel like carrying a heavy load all the way.  There are great bakeries for super fresh buns and pastries.  We live simply with usually some kind of lunch out and then soup and sandwiches with marvelous cheese for supper.

Ian brings books and his art materials along with the clarinet.  I have my current stitching (a practise I started about 8 years ago when we went on the Norwegian trip), puzzle books and my blog.  This year I have added crocheting snowflakes to the repertoire of activities for the evening.  

I ride my bicycle.  Carolina, a young lady we met here about 10 years ago, has kept the bike at her place between visits.  She needs to do some renovations this coming year, so I need to find a new spot for storage or give it away.  This year so far, the riding has not been so good.  It has been rainy and very windy limiting the paths/roads that I feel comfortable riding on. 

We visit gardens here in the city: simple ones and elaborate ones.  Most are free and can be enjoyed every day while walking to and from stores, or buildings, or museums.  I walk probably about 10 km per day.

In the evenings, we stay in.  This year it doesn't seem that there are concerts at the Teatro or Colesium that we can get tickets to, but the Museum just announced two concerts for this weekend, in the afternoon.  That much more our style as evening performances start about 9:30!  With excellent internet, we watch movies and shows and documentaries while Ian sketches and I stitch.  It is a very relaxing lifestyle.

 We are avoiding Canadian winter. The other day as sales clerk remarked to me how cold it was.  I told him about the conditions at home and he just shuddered.  Fifteen degrees is not tropical, but it beats -15.  

Is this enough?  Do I feel we are wasting our time?  It is so easy to keep in touch with people with the internet and a phone with a European SIM.  I could watch the ocean forever.  The green all around makes my heart sing.  

Yes, this is enough.