The Azores have never been on my list of “Must Sees,” but given the weather in the North Atlantic I am thrilled that we came here instead of there. Even though we couldn’t get the ATM to give us Euros and we don’t speak Portuguese, we had a charming visit to Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the Azores with approximately forty-four thousand inhabitants.
Some quick facts gleaned from the flyer the cruise ship distributed: PD was founded by Portuguese settlers in 1507. It is nearly half-way between the Americas and Europe, and you better be happy there as one thousand miles of ocean separates you from any other locale.
The sun shone – for the first time in memory – as we left the ship and headed for the central city. As with other communities surrounded by water (Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Lisbon, even Key West) a giant fortress is one of the first things you see. The one in PD is currently a military museum.
Because we hadn’t been able to book a tour – too many tourists, too few tours on the same day — we strolled the cobblestone streets for a couple hours and assumed we saw the important sites. Earl’s camera was certainly busy.
Wherever we go, I am always struck by the pride of the local people and their efforts to promote that which makes them unique. Ponta Delgada is literally in the middle of nowhere, and as we returned to the ship it was clear that serenity was its sweetest commodity.
More specifics tomorrow.
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