Nine years ago, I went on a trip of a lifetime. It seems that I have been on a few trips of a lifetime lately. But this one holds dear to my heart. After the passing of my grandmother, my dad took my step-mom, her parents and me on a trip to Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal.
I am forever grateful to go on this trip and see where my family came from and where my grandmother came from. This island is one of the biggest in the Azores. We went for 10 days and I felt it wasn’t enough time to see the whole island, but it was enough to see half of it. This island is gorgeous. The scenery is magnificent. Ponta Delgada is the main city of São Miguel. It’s the same town that my dad is from.
This is called Doors of the City. One of Ponta Delgada’s symbols, the three-arched Portas da Cidade, was built in 1783 and is adorned with the royal crown and the coat of arms of the city. This curious town gate construction, located at the Largo de Gonçalo Velho Cabral, which is surrounded by arcades and boasts a monument to the discoverer and first governor of the islands, Gonçalo Velho Cabral, marked the entrance to the city until the harbor was extended, as up to then, the square, in which these gates stand, was close to the coast and represented the landing place for all traffic coming in from the sea.
This is a little town called Furnas. This is where my maternal grandmother is from. It was amazing to see where she was born and where she grew up. When she was in I’m guessing her twenties, she moved to another island where she met my grandfather. I wish I were able to show her everything I saw.
This is the hot springs in Furnas. I’ve never seen anything like this or been to the hot springs before, and it was pretty amazing. The hot springs are good for your skin. My skin felt amazing, and I had no problems with my asthma. Don’t wear jewellery because it will tarnish. It does explain why the town smells like rotten eggs.
This is a little town called Villa Franca. This is where we stayed. We stayed at the yellow hotel, and it was right next to a beach and the marina. It was the perfect spot. To have the beach right there. There were at least 5 restaurants all within walking distance, and some festivals happening right beside the hotel. The hotel also came with wifi, but it was a little spotty from time to time. They also had all-you-can-eat breakfast dining, which turns into a restaurant at night.
Not sure of the name of this church. This church is where my paternal grandparents got married. It’s also the same church where my dad, uncle and cousins got baptized in as well. I wanted to see the inside because it looked so gorgeous on the outside, but wasn’t able to.
This little Island is Ilha De Villa Franca, in translation Villa Franca Island. You take a boat, which is about 5 euros, to this amazing little island beach to swim in or snorkel. There are tons of fish, crabs, etc. This will be amazing if you have a waterproof camera. The water was amazing. There is a net up. This way, sharks, dolphins and whales can’t get to the swimming area. The view was just as amazing.
This place is called Sete Cidades which means Seven Cities. What’s amazing about this lake? It used to be a volcano. Also, half of the water is blue and the other half is green. No one knows why it is like that. And the water never mixes, which is pretty amazing.
This pool is in the ocean. The waves can be a little rough and sometimes a little high, which allows the water from the ocean to go into the pool. We got to swim in it, which was a kind of amazing experience.
If you ever want to take a trip to Portugal, take a trip to the Azores Islands. There are amazing people, food, festivals and history. I would love to go back and bring my husband and kids. This way they can see where my family comes from.
Jessy xo
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