Sao Jorge

Hike Pico Topo

Taxi to the start point and then a 5 km hike upwards along a dirt road built in 1944. On the way up we didn’t do the Montoso Cave which involved ropes and climbing gear. We continued up to Morro Pelado and then to Pico da Esperança (Hope peak -the highest point on Sao Jorge 1053 m). Picnic lunch at Hope Peak and afterwards continued along the road but now downwards towards Norte Grande , here we stopped for an Ice lolly! The final hike down to the Faja was VERY steep and was the only access in 1947. It did have rock steps but was extremely slippery –but it was a much shorter route that the road! Almost at the end a small detour to Simão Dias Pool which had larva columns and niches. The Restaurant at Sea level sold nice cool beers. There are no links to google for this hike since the net for the island only shows contours

Fayal, Horta

15th Day of rest & Recovery the Nav Chair broke and the image folders have now been renumbered. A sunny day so did some washing.

16th July Slipped for Fayal –Horta. Wonderful sail across just enough wind to keep the engine off and smooth enough for full enjoyment. Engine now need a hammer blow to encourage it to start. We have decided that this means it is too unreliable for emergencies and so will take it in for new brushes and order a new one from GB.

19th Visited the Whale Museum. Which showed the industry before whaling was banned. Our guide was a marine biologist who was sympathetic to the subject and also discussed the turtle problem which he was working on. Leather-backed turtles are born in America and have a difficult life from the start, so it doesn’t help when they spend their adolescence in the Azores only to be hooked on a long line meant for fish. The Turtle numbers has fallen dramatically since long line fishing became popular and of course now that the Azores are in the Common Market it means that other member countries can come closer and also do the turtles some damage. Surprisingly Turtles eat Jelly –fish (which we have seen by the thousand out at sea!) so why they even go for a long line is beyond me !

20th General Sightseeing around Horta, while taking the nav chair in to be repaired,

22nd Hired a car for the day and did the Capelo to Capelinhos walk Gave the car keys to Esther & Otto half way along. Then went to the Capelinhos Museum to learn about plate tectonics and volcanoes. The 3-D film was really superb.

24th hired mountain bikes which were taken to the top on the Caldeira and unloaded. We had expected to cycle around the rim but after starting off Ester and I decided it was ridiculous to try. Needless to say Otto and Malcolm battled on and arrived back shattered! Martin & Jean forgot to tell us that you are supposed to WALK the rim and THEN cycle back to Horta ! The guy at Peters’ Sport was gob smacked when he heard that Malcolm and Otto had actually done it !! The free-wheel down was awesome 18KM from the top down and was it fast. I was overtaken by a car at one point but kept pace with it for a fair distance afterwards.

26th Took the ferry to Pico Island where we hired another car and toured around. The spectacular scenery along the forestry road down the centre of the island will not show in the photos but I have included a selection.

The rest of our stay has been spent renewing the paintwork on our picture. The whole of the harbour wall and marina is covered with reminders of all the yachts which have been here. Piano herself has been twice before but the paintwork had deteriorated so I have brightened it up I do hope Yan & Ghislaine approve of it