May 12, 2013 - On May 8 we docked at Ponta Delgada on the island of San Miguel which is one of 9 islands making up the Azores. The Azores sit on an active mid Atlantic volcanic range, the most recent eruption in 1957-1958. This eruption was caused by Mt. Capelinhos and expanded Faial Island. San Miguel rests 900 nautical miles off the west coast of Portugal and is the largest island of the Azores. All nine islands have a total population of 230,000 and the islands are a territory of Portugal but have their own government agencies. The Azores were discovered by Diogo de Silves in 1427. The Iberians saw many birds. Mistaking the great birds for hawks the Iberians named the islands Acores meaning hawks. Settlements appeared about mid 1400s. The islands played a part in the world and European history. By the end of the 15th century all nine islands were inhabited and trade was expanding with Portugal. From 1580 to 1640 all Portugal and the Azores were ruled by Spain. The Azores became a rendezvous point for Spanish treasure ships returning to Spain from the new world. They have continued to play a part in the world and European affairs as air bases and communication center during WW11. A 1951 agreement gave the US rights to use defense facilities in the Azores. Evidence of the Azores volcanic activity can be see in the Furnas Valley where steam vents, hot springs and boiling mud pools exist. As in most of our ports there is the Sao Bras Fort (built in 1552) which was just outside the port. Pineapples, tea, sugar beets, and tobacco with hand-made cigars are exported from this island. Pineapples were brought to the island in 1820 but they are grown in greenhouses in a temperature range of 78 to 100 degrees F. It take from 18 to 24 months for a pineapple to mature. No chemicals are used. Oranges were also imported and grow well on the island. San Miguel has an international airport and flights from Montreal and Toronto come from May to October. There are a lot of dairy cows and on our trip around the island we saw the dairy. Japanese Cedar trees have been imported from Canada and are planted to hold the water in the soil and the soil in place. The trees are used in building but it takes about 30 years to mature so the wood can be used. The National Parks Board stocks lakes with fish as many of the lakes are not fed by streams. The islands get about 90 days of rain a year but fresh water is in abundance from under ground. Our tour took us to Sete Cidades which is a small village that is nestled between two crater lakes, the blue lake and the emerald green lake.There are small lakes all over the island that have been formed by centuries of geo-thermal activity or relentless winter surf. Mez visited a tea plantation that had production equipment dating back to before the Civil War from England manufactured by Marshall and Sons of Gainsborough, England. Five o`clock tea is not British in origin but comes from a Portuguese princess who lived in England and enjoyed her tea on Portuguese porcelain. The Dutch also had this custom as formal tea drinkers before the British. In fact, Orange Pekoe Tea is named after the Dutch Royal House of Orange. The famous 12 acre Terra Nostra Gardens of Sao Miguel were constructed by a US Consulate General, Thomas Hickling, and a British gardener. It is more than 200 years old with Sequoias and some Norfolk pines 13 feet in circumferance. In the 1970s school children studied at night using sperm whale oil lanterns. Curiously it was Nantucket whalers who hired and taught Azore fisherman how to hunt whales in the mid 1800s. There are close to 1 million people with Azorian heritage who live in the US.
May 9th we were suppose to stop for a day at Faial Island another island of the Azores and see the town of Horta. The swells for tendering were, as has been mentioned before, too big for the tendering to be done safely so we sailed slowly passed and took pictures of the island. As now we were going to be ahead of schedule the captain made arrangements for us to dock early in Bermuda. We arrived and were cleared in the port of Hamilton by late afternoon allowing many of those wishing to spend the evening having dinner on land. Mez and I had booked a dinner at the Pinnacle Grill on the ship and we enjoyed the view of the town as we ate. Bermuda is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean which is the oldest remaining British overseas territory and is located 1100 miles northeast of Miami.The following day I purchased a day pass and headed for the town of St. George's on the northeast end of the island. Public transit includes both ferries and buses running between the Royal Navy Dockyard and both Hamilton and St. George's. The natives call the buses the "Pink and Blue" as that is the color of the buses. Blue poles designate stops for buses leaving Hamilton and pink designate stops to Hamilton for all of us who are use to cars going on the right side of the road. Bermuda follows the UK in driving habits. Bermuda has history with ties to the Civil War. I walked into an old building in St. George's, a hotel with a museum on the first floor. That building had been an outpost for goods being supplied to the Confederate Army. Bermuda is 20.6 square miles with a population of 64,700 making it the 9th largest population density in the world. Tucker's town is where the wealthy reside. There is a lot to see on this island and as we moved along I was in awe of the local flowers and trees that were growing. A day pass was 15 dollars which also includes the ferries. Getting around was very simple and there are express buses and more scenic routes you can travel. I didn't have a lot of time but we were back from the upper end of the island in about 25 minutes.
Tomorrow morning we dock in Fort Lauderdale and then fly home on Saturday. Cruising is many different concepts to people. Some want to meet others, some want to relax and read, some want to learn and see the world around them and learn about other cultures. This was probably my reason with a little of the others thrown in. No matter what we have picked up from the media, or what our early learning institutions taught us there will always be 2 sides to a story. For those who grew up with the vision of Sir Francis Drake and his explorations around North America and his various discoveries he was not a nice man to many Spanish and Portuguese villages as he looted and killed many people. One of our passengers gave a very interesting talk about the 1967-1968 seizure of the USS Pueblo by the North Koreans and what really happened. He was the navigator on that ship and also was imprisoned by them along with the rest of the crew. For those who have never cruised build up to it by taking a short cruise. Cruises are excellent value and some can be purchased for under 100 dollars a day. Considering room, food, travel, entertainment, hot tubs and pools for that price I would suggest that one should try it.
Anyone wishing more information I can be reached at thowe@shaw.ca . In the subject box please state blog content as I do not open mail from those I do not know. Meanwhile get out and travel and see what a glorious world we share with one another, the animals, the flora, and the starry skies. HAPPY CRUISING!
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