The Secrets Grandmother Kept by Kathleen Honeycutt
Some of you readers already know this trip is a journey of the heart...part of a longing to know the truth of my paternal Grandmother’s life. The past she never spoke about and to see the village where she was born. “Biscoitos de Calheta, on the island of Sao Jorge, Azores. Her family history in that village goes back to 1660.
There was no easy affordable way for me to get there unless I traveled to Terceira first. The ferry only runs from the larger islands of Sao Miguel and Terceira every 4 days and takes about 4 hours. It has been impossible for me to book an inter island flight until I was actually in the Azores, or it would cost a small fortune....Today I rode the .30 cent bus to downtown Agra do Heroismo to a small travel agency. The young lady who assisted me found me a round trip flight and 1 night at the only 4 star hotel in Velas, on Sao Jorge . The total cost in USD was $154.00. So tomorrow morning I will fly there, stay one night and fly back in the late afternoon, Rain is forecast for tomorrow but in the Azores it can change quickly. Sometimes all four seasons in one day.
Sao Jorge is an island of cliffs, crags and “fajas”. Fajas are small plains originally created by lava or landslides. There are over 40 and some of them can only be reached by walking. The old village of Biscoitos may fall in that category. The young lady at the travel agency first had difficulty identifying where it was located in comparison to the area now called Calheta. The island is narrow with high dark cliffs because of the central mountain ranges that run almost the whole length of the island. Like fingers reaching into the sea the Fajas reach out toward the Atlantic. Many small villages are located on these fajas where the rich volcanic soil grows enormous Yams, melons, grapes, figs, etc. It is famous for the local cheese and a an abundance of clams, limpets, muscles and barnacles.
I still have so many unanswered questions about her life and her family. She was the Grandmother who never smiled. She lived with many fears and they seemed to rob her of joy. When she died we discovered she had created a new name and identity for herself when she came to the United States as a “picture” bride. So ten years ago I began trying to find out who she really was and why she behaved the way she did. Tomorrow I hope to find some of those answers and more......
The more is being able to stand in the village she literally escaped from and thank God for rescuing her.....because in doing so He also rescued me and my family.
I would like to laugh for her into the face of the wind coming off the sea....
(There are several stories I have written about the search for her secrets If you are interested you can find them on my other blog: findinggrandmother.blogspot.com )
Look for the stories dated: July 5, 6, 7,8,9 and 10
The photo above is of Grandmother Maria Adelaide Silveira Soars, the Grandmother who kept secrets. It is one of her "picture bride" photos. Taken about 1909. The photo of an older couple is of my great, great grandparents: Joao Faustine da Silveria & wife Rosa Augusta da Azevdo. Both born in 1827 in Biscoitos in front of a wall of their home.
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