Exploring Horta

Trip Start May 29, 2010
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Trip End Nov 01, 2010


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Flag of Portugal  , Azores,
Saturday, June 5, 2010

Arriving to the volcanic island of Horta was breathtaking. I really wasn't sure what to expect but it was a surprise for sure as we sailed into the harbor. It was so green and the buildings and houses were staggered up the mountainside. The harbor is lined with sail boats and old ships that have seen better days. It is as if time has stopped on this little island in the middle of the Atlantic. Once docked Katie, Kathy and I went out to explore the small town to see where we could grab a bite to eat. We strolled through the town and stopped off at Peter's Cafe. It's an old pub with mostly sailors for patrons. Kathy was able to speak some of the language in order to place a takeout order for the crew.
The next day in Horta we setup a tour to see the island. Our tour guide was Tony. A very nice man who was so excited to show us around. It was a beautiful day to go for a drive. He took us everywhere. Each lookout was better then the last
Azores
Azores
. Its so hard to explain how pretty this island is so you will just have to check out my pictures. He stopped off at a cafe so we could grab a drink and some very famous sweet bread. The bread was amazing, it has a hint of lemon flavor but its like a really dense coffee cake....so good! Later after our tour we went out to dinner as a crew to Peter's Cafe again. We sat outside and were very entertained by the sailors next to us. I don't think I have ever had a dining experience like that one. Most of the men...well all of the men were pretty far gone and were very much enjoying each others company. They were singing songs, arm wrestling and trying to out do one another with story after story. Our crew basically watched as if we were at a dinner theater...they were a pretty rough crowd. All we could do was laugh.
The next day we were off to sea but before we could head out we had to leave our mark. The captain had asked me to graffiti the harbor wall where our boat was docked. This is a tradition for crew to sign the wall with the boat's name and have the crew sign it. So I made a stencil and painted our boat's name and put the year. Never thought I would be putting my painting skills to use. It was sad to say goodbye to Horta but it was such a pleasure to experience such a place. Hopefully one day I can go back and stay for a while.
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