Would you like to take another trip?

 

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 called Pacos do Concelho. The plaza is directly in front of it and is lined with benches. The hotel is across the street from the plaza. The building is being renovated and access was limited because of the work taking place.

My hope is that later this year I might be able to return to the Azores. On my wish list is the Island of Sao Jorge. It is the place my fathers mother was born. There is much I do not know about her even though I lived with her as a child. 

It is long and narrow with steep cliffs. On the very top there are farms and windmills. The island is famous for it's delicious spicy cheese. 

One of the books I purchased today by Alamo Oliveira is of his poems. "Ilha de s. Jorge" (Island of St. George) caught my eye and google translated part of it for us.

Here is how his heart described the island:

"Looks easy, as if drawn by hand

    superficially from the sea and suddenly turns

with certainty that it will never be round.

    A drop of paint comes out the top with divine carelessness,

original sins shadow as viewed above,

    the exclamation point."

(The drop of paint refers to the volcano on the island.)

As some of you know, many of my trips here have been to discover hidden family history and better understand relationships. So in many ways these have been journeys of the heart. One day I would like to put these memories and adventures into a book. The Grandmother from Sao Jorge is one of the mysteries. 

Meanwhile I find encouragement in the words of Alamo Oliveira:

"They urgently ask the sea for the poem, like a blue paper background, the calligraphy moves and conceals speech, in it's liquid immensity destinations pass, words evade, commas strangled. Accents violated without tenderness. Verse does not escape the shipwreck of writing."  

(From: Andantes de Pedra e Cal by Alamo Olivera)

I think I am learning what he means.