Portugal
Praia da Vitória

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    • Day 1

      Hostal da Palmiera, Terceira Island

      March 9 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

      Our hostal is perfect. We would easily stay here again as it is spacious and clean, in a very good location and the bedroom and shared living and dining areas are very comfortable. We are a block away from the sandy beach and restaurants and close to a large grocery store. Even though we didn’t rent a car here, there is free parking. The best part is that it is quiet and comfortable.

      I just wanted to put a few photos in.
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    • Day 2

      Praia da Vitória, Terceira Island

      March 10 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

      Tucked away on the eastern side of Terceira Island in the Azores Islands is the picturesque port town of Praia da Vitória. It has a large bay with a long sandy beach and a modern marina that is popular with ocean-crossing vessels.

      The town had a famous victory in 1581 when Spanish troops attempted to seize the island. They were prevented from being successful and eventually driven away by the release of a large herd of cattle onto the sea’s shore. Can you imagine this as a way to stop a battle?

      Our hostal is very close to the airport and just on the outskirts of this little town with a population of 21,000 people. We took a short taxi ride and were thrilled by how warm it was and how clean the air was. Our room is spacious and clean and the common areas that we can use are lovely. Breakfast will be available at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

      We had time to do a little walkabout to the beach area that is one block away and get a simple chicken, fries and salad dinner. It is so quiet here. What a different place from the big city of Madrid. And, a plus…it is much warmer here!!!

      Before going back to the hostel, we noticed a statue high up on a hill. We knew what we were going to do on Sunday. Heading up!

      There is a two hour time difference between Spain and the Azores so soon we were ready for bed. Even though time changes in Ontario today, it doesn’t change here yet.

      In the morning, we met the other people who were staying here. We thought that we were the only ones here as it was so quiet but we were mistaken. There must have been about 12 of us from all over - Spain, Germany, China, Denmark, Canada and somewhere else. We had great breakfast conversations with these interesting people.

      The morning was so nice and warm - T-shirt weather and hats. We went down to the pale- coloured beach towards the harbour, passed the remains of the old fort and took the road up to the monument at the top of a high hill. The views along the way were beautiful.

      Coming down, we took the uneven volcanic stairs. About three hundred of them. It was fun to observe the various activities in the town and in the marina. There was a kids’ bicycle race and diehard people sunning and swimming on the beach. We walked on the beach and got our feet wet but the water seemed pretty cold to us.

      We walked through the pretty town. It is Sunday and people were in the cathedral. Few stores were open and it was quiet. The whole town only has a population of 21,000 people.

      We had a late lunch of two very traditional dishes from Terceira - limpets and alcatra, a beef rump that is slow-cooked in a clay pot with red wine, onions, garlic, cloves, and black peppercorns until it's practically falling-apart tender. Both were delicious!

      Flying to Faial Island tomorrow, but we will be back to Terceira later for a week and with a car. The other guests have kindly filled us in with what to see.
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    • Day 46

      Praia da Vitoria

      February 14, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      Mateus dropped us off in the centre of town which is about 4 km from our house. It’s a very pretty town with a population of 21,000, making it the second largest on the island. We walked throughout town but when we got to the Church of Santa Cruz the minister had just arrived. He welcomed us in, turned on the music and all the lights. He gave us a short tour and explained all the damage that was done in the 1980 earthquake....7.2 on the Richter Scale, killing 61, and injuring over 400. We left a donation. Quite the contrast to the church lady in Angra who wouldn’t allow us in if we didn’t pay, which didn’t seem like a godly approach. Every community has small churches, called Imperio, scattered throughout town for a quick prayer at any time of day. Some are prettier than others.

      I stopped at a small local handicraft shop and bought myself a cork necklace with a small flower made of fish scales. Sounds atrocious but it is actually very delicate. We ended our day trip at a pizza restaurant that had wifi hoping to connect with the world but it wouldn’t connect, which was disappointing. It was a quick 80 cent bus ride home.
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    • Day 2

      Praia da Vitoria erkunden

      July 7, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      Kaum angekommen schon geht es auf Erkundungstour! Entlang des Hafenbeckens finden wir tolle Outdoor-Sportmöglichkeiten. Sportskanone Peter lässt sich da nicht zwei Mal bitten. Auf der Hauptstraße durch das Städchen entdecken wir diese niedliche Kirche - die Camara Municipal ⛪️ Dann aber schnell zurück ins Hotel- das Deutschlandspiel nicht verpassen 🇩🇪🇫🇷Read more

    • Day 202

      Porto Da Praia Da Vitória

      March 20, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

      Slight change of plans after the original change of plans. After changing the itinerary to not include the Azores we are now currently docking in the Azores.
      Yesterday I came across a passenger sitting on the stairs with her head in her hands. When I asked her if everything was okay she said she has pain in her chest and arm. I called the medical centre and waiting with her until they arrived. Today we found out that we were docking in Praia Da Vitória for a medial evacuation. My manager later told me that it's the woman from the stairs. Hopefully she will be okay and get the help she needs.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Praia da Vitória, Praia da Vitoria

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