A funny thing happened on the way to the garden....

Yes,  this morning Ian suggested that we visit the third of the major city gardens, but on our way we passed by a door which we had usually seen closed.  The sign by the door said 'Museu Carlos Machado'.  It turned out that this was the first of three museums started by Mr. Machado.  This was a sacred museum in a former convent featuring the most intricate altar wood carving in Portugal.  A significant claim, but it certainly topped any that I have seen.

The second museum was down the block and featured natural history.  In the front lobby was a stuffed white shark and upstairs there were thousands of birds, dozens of mammals, vials of fish, even snakes and stuffed lizards.

After lunch, we tackled the third museum which displayed sculptures of Canto do Maya.  He worked in clay and was mostly interested in the human form.

At least as interesting as the displays were the two gentlemen who walked around with us (making sure we didn't touch anything) but who were eager to discuss their exhibits and just about anything else that we wanted to ask.  We came away just before 5 pm with better perspectives on Azorean culture and the everyday life of the people, past and present.  A day well worth our 7 euro investment.  And the garden will be there another time.