The Travels of an Old Lady

  The second most difficult thing this morning was finding the tab to open the little container of butter. It has been a daily challenge. The first most difficult is leaving this lovely place and returning to reality..These photos were taken from the roof top before the wind and rain arrives. Yes, It really is this pretty. Farewell fellow travelers, we are headed to the airport. 

  It is evening here. We have begun packing for the return flight home in the morning. You seem ready to go home but I am struggling with leaving. It seems like we just got here and there are so many more islands and adventures waiting. I hope you leave your vicarious suitcase packed and travel with me again in May.  Some of you know the young woman who will be traveling with me to Madeira Island , May 20th to 30th. Remember Donna (Drahos) Doornbos who married Danny Doornbos? Well it is her birthday and Dan's present to her is the trip. I have never been to Madeira before. It is a part of Portugal, located just above the Canary Islands but not a part of the Azores. We will not hold that against it. It's going to be fun, so plan to go with us. I sat for a while in the plaza in front of the hotel and just listened to the sounds and admired the sights. I have spent a lot of time here. Trying to be a sponge and soak up the memories. This is the Municipal Building...

Once you are here for a while you begin to appreciate the "siesta". In the middle of the afternoon, during the heat we retreat to the air conditioned hotel and take a nap. After finding the bookstore and the day becoming as windy as predicted we headed back to the hotel. The weather has been perfect all week until the wind arrived late yesterday. Rain is predicted for tomorrow and that is when we leave this lovely place. That will make departing easier because we were dreading    saying goodbye. There is one last amazing photo opportunity. We noticed the dinning room is closed for lunch today because of a wedding reception. Lovely flowers, champagne, elegant cake and appetizers all arranged. What we need now is the wedding party. We are going to hang out in the reception area of the dinning room and try to get some photos of the wedding party when they arrive.          The room is ready for guests and wedding cake on table...

  The quest began this morning with a challenging hike up possibly the steepest longest street on this island. We had to stop multiple times to try and catch our breath. How did this ordeal begin?  It began with asking directions at the hotel.....A famous author by the name of Alamo Oliveira was born on this island. He has been recognized by the University of Berkely,  universities  in Portugal and his works translated into multiple languages. He writes poetry and short stories and I wanted a copy of something he wrote in English. Before this trip we did not know he even existed.  In retrospect, we now realize the hotel was giving us directions to the bookstore across the street and just around the corner. But since we were not sure they really understood our destination we relied on the local map. The hotel warned us that on Saturday the shop closes at noon..So off we went, but not to their destination. We headed for...

  This afternoon we went back to the beautiful garden next to the hotel. Three more days of sunshine encouraged new blossoms and there was a mystery to solve. In the center of the garden is a pond with goldfish. In the center of the pond is a bright yellow sculpture. All week we have been mulling over what that is suppose to be. You take a look at it and let me know what you see. It is really quite curious because there is no sign telling who the artist was or what was being represented. I guess if you lived here then your suppose to just know these things. We asked the visitors to the garden what it was and they didn't know either. It might be my imagination but I think one of the creatures has boobs. No kidding, take a close look. We looked at this yellow thing for a long time. In summary we think it is two creatures and that is about all we came up with.The larger creature has hooves and the smaller one definitely boobs. We ...

  The day begins with a collection of photos of the beautiful mosaics you see on the streets and sidewalks. They are cobblestones of black and white volcanic rock. Easy to fix. Is there a hole? Just put a rock in it. Must work well because these have been here since the 15th century and still look pretty good. Take a really close look at the sidewalk photo below. Remember we told you how clean everything is? No trash anywhere. Well, we finally found a piece of paper thrown on the sidewalk, probably by some tourist certainly not the people who live here. We have seen residents of the tiny cottages that line the streets, actually come outside and mop the side walk in front of their front door step. Look closely at the photo and try to find it. Give up?   It is there.  Ok now look at the close up photo below and find it.                              See we told you it was there ! W...

  This is an apology in advance. You only get some brief moments of the music. The video is to long for the blog.....but a tiny taste of the voices and melody are better than none, so here it is. We stopped for a cup of coffee and a pastry at a small local cafe down a narrow lane. There was a patio in the back and about a dozen young men all dressed in black suits and holding musical instruments were seated back there. Their conductor was wearing a long black cape with his suit so it was clear he was their leader.  The young men were part of the University band and come there sometimes to practice. As the trays of beer were delivered they got louder and more fun to watch interact with each other and the music. It was delightful and we were able to record several songs. All of them to long for the blog. So sorry.

  Barefoot and using his best moves! The photos we want to share with you tonight were taken through a store window where they were proudly on display.  These are not staged photos. They truly captured some of the moments of the Roped Bullfights. Every year on this island there are more than 200 of these events. Be sure to look at how close the crowd is to all this activity. One article describing the spectators claimed they all watched from windows and balconies. However it appears only the smart ones do that.   It begins with the firing of a rocket. In the photos you will see The Capinha, that is the spontaneous participant who fights the bull often using an umbrella or piece of clothing. Seriously men who were just watching the spectacle will suddenly dash into the street in a show of bravery holding an umbrella. I know it’s hard to believe, but here are the photos. On his knees imploring the bull to turn around so he can threaten the bull with that dangerous...

  All along the old walls are seats where you can stop and rest . After climbing the 3 blocks uphill to revisit the museum we found ourselves in no hurry to get up. This seat over looks a small garden and is high enough to catch the breeze from the sea.  This morning we returned to the museum looking for answers as to who Joao Cardoza was. The sign announces that this is the tomb of Joao Cardoza and his heirs. Only rich, respected or famous people are laid to rest inside such an impressive church. His family most likely purchased many masses to release his soul from the fires of Purgatory. Perhaps they provided donations to build the church or purchase linens for the altar. Incredible as it sounds, no one knew who they were! Not the docents nor the administrator of the museum. Can you imagine having people buried in your church and all you know is the name of the family nothing else? They tried to help us find out by searching the internet. I did that last ...

  There are shady trees with benches. You can sit and admire the designs on the sidewalk and street. People pause to greet one another with a smile and customary hug. Mothers pass with babies in strollers out for a walk. Children in chattering groups on their way to school. Old men and women just sit in the sun and nap. I am one of them. This city is hilly. A short four block walk to the harbor is down hill and similar to climbing Mt. Everest on the way back. Once I make the climb I find a bench. People passing think I am napping. No one suspects this particular bench is a time machine. When I close my eyes and the soft sounds of the language are carried in the breeze I hear the past. The first five years of my life I lived on a ranch with my paternal grandmother. She was Azorean Portuguese and refused to speak English .  Somewhere in my brain I am fluent but not when I open my mouth to speak. Those pathways don’t quite make the circuit. With eyes closed people think I am slee...

  We have a quest. We would like to know exactly who is buried under that glass in the floor in the church of the Convent of St. Francis? There is a sign and the name on it is  Jazigo de Joao Cardoza e herdeiros. Herdeiros means heirs. So there is a whole group under glass. There is no other information on the sign. It is like, “Why of course everyone knows who these people are!” We don’t and it bugs us. We really would like to know. You cannot use a flash in the museum and we honored the rules. But no one said anything about not using a flash light. It was necessary because the underside of the glass has condensation and you cannot see anything. My cell phone has a flashlight and I was hoping for a glimpse of the occupants. Like perhaps a finger pointing at me. So when the docent left us alone for a few minutes we got down close to the glass and tried to see anything. No luck. Just dirt was all we could see. You have to be someone very special and respected to be buried in...

  Ever feel the need for a real adventure? Ever looked at a door and wondered what is on the other side? I double dare you to walk through this one and up the stairs. Sound’s like a Hitchcock movie, huh. Can’t you just feel the mystery . I looked at it a really looong time…then I heard a door close at the top of those stairs and all the bravery left me. It would be hard to dash back down those steps with my cane. I relunctanly  made the trip with my imagination. Closed garden gates affect me the same way.  Tomorrow I will search for open gates and mysterious closed ones. Nearly every home with a yard has a secret garden here. I know they are private but perhaps no one will notice me on my tip toes trying to smell the flowers and holding the camera above the fence.... Here are some interesting doors that called to me. Which one would you slip through? Door # 1. is above. Door # 2. Door # 3. Door # 4 (requires a pogo stick)

  If only these balconies could talk to us.....how many serenades were sung by lovers and how many ladies tossed roses to their sweethearts from these heights? The best view of the Hold Ghost Festival procession was from this location. They watched with excitement as treasure ships arrived. They watched in fear when pirates entered the harbor and anger when the Spanish Armada arrived to capture their islands. And they cheered the gallantry of the men who challenged the bulls on a rope.  Here are some of the balconies found in the capitol city on Terceira.