Portugal

Several months ago we mapped our path back home from Europe and flight prices were not looking good; prices to DC and Baltimore were gross no matter where we flew from. However, after digging deeper we noticed we could fly to a little island chain in the middle of the Atlantic, fly to New York, and then bus home to DC for $400 cheaper than to fly anywhere from Europe. Thus, we decided to fly to the Azores two days early and enter the US from Terceira Island.

Surprise surprise, the Azores are volcanic islands on the mid Atlantic ridge, similar to Hawaii in their size. Terceira is the third largest and also home to a US Air Force base. It contains 4 extinct volcano systems and one dormant; hilariously, the seismic unrest was raised to V3 (out of V6 which is actively erupting) about two weeks before we arrived 😍

We rented a car because it only takes 1.5 hours to circle the whole island and there wasn’t a good bus system. We started driving to Piscina Oceanic which is a public beach with natural pools locked in by old lava. It was Mary’s favorite vibes which are black volcanic rock, ocean, storm clouds, and greenery.

We continued on to the town Angra do Heroísmo which had beautiful colorful streets and hiked on Mounte Brasil. Best part is that Mounte Brasil has a cat colony that was abandoned by owners and now taken care by volunteers. The first kitty we met was a sleepy black teenager who liked being pet. He became our friend instantly even though the other cats weren’t as interested. There were also natural chickens around which Mary chased and caught a baby chick. Kieran was mad, but he never grew up on a farm and doesn’t understand farmers have to chase chickens there as well and it’s not unethical.

Finished out the day with nerdy volcanic activities. Kieran has never been in a lava tunnel / lava tube and there were at least 96 on this island. Lava tunnels form when really hard lava cools but fast, hot lava continues to flow and eventually empty to form tunnels. Mary’s family has been in a few in Hawaii and Iceland and she was excited to share the experience. The Algar do Carvão was really cool because the lava tunnel formed from an existing caldera so we cool look up through a hole in the cone!!! The other tunnel Grutal Natal was a more traditional lava tunnel where you enter from a flat surface. Kieran liked both! We also saw some fumaroles where steam rises from the ground; there was a geologist with a drone measuring gasses in the air due to the increased seismic unrest in the area.

Restaurant:
Bagga Praia da Vitória

Food:
Gazpacho
Pastel de Nata
Sandwhiches

Spots:
Piscina oceanica
Cat Colony on Monte Brasil
Angra do Heroísmo
Algar do Carvão
Furnas Do Enxofre
Gruta NatalЧитать далее