Today was the day then, the “about water”-Exploration to start. Hochmotiviert kümmerten wir uns erst einmal um ein Auto und waren am frühen Nachmittag wie geplant mobil 🙂 Bus fahren ist auf Santa Maria wohl möglich, aber doch eher schwierig 🙂 Da das Wetter heute noch nicht so prickelnd war, extra so we rented the car, that we could do something tomorrow morning even :-). Sicherheitshalber 🙂

The island of Santa Maria is a really beautiful and informative travel guide. Many points of interest are shown there clean numbered with photos and described in detail. The only drawback: You can find anywhere, wo sich die Orte auf der Insel verstecken 🙁

However, since the roads on the island are only very sparsely signposted, We were not always there anyway, wo wir eigentlich hin wollten 🙂

By chance we stumbled on our Holy Seniora of Fatima Chapel. Were actually in search of the red sand desert, that somewhere in the North of the island hidden was. Big it might not be so comfortable. Let's see, ob wir die noch finden würden 🙂

Today, the weather had read clearly the weather and the rain clouds, in the afternoon the rain should bring, were there already. But it was still dry and warm, nur die Aussicht war etwas eingeschränkt 🙁 Schade, because the coast is really impressive with the rugged cliffs and the Caribbean turquoise water. Das kommt jetzt auf den Bilder nicht ganz so deutlich heraus 🙂

Is on Santa Maria, as well as on Pico, Wine grown on all slopes. The houses are painted here generally white and nearly all well maintained.

Our last destination on our tour was in the northeast of the island of São Lourenço. From a vantage point overlooking probably large parts of the East coast on sunny days.

When then the announced rain, We finished our trip and drove back to Vila do Porto Marina. In the evening we had with Steffen, arranged for his parents and the rest of the team of Wahoo diving for dinner. For this we wanted us in Maia in the restaurant “O Grota” meet. Actually only off 1. Opened July, The landlady for us but made an exception.

After our rain break on the boat we headed to half on the way. Unfortunately, it was still raining :-(. Aber wir wollten ja nur Essen und das an einem Tisch der hoffentlich im Haus steht 🙂 Der Weg über die kleine Insel zog sich kräftig in die Länge und nachdem wir länger hinter einer Herde Kühe festgesteckt hatten, We came across “UN-German” actually a bit too late. There, but all in the “Cow jam” have plugged, fiel es gar nicht weiter auf 🙂 – Inselleben eben 🙂

The evening was fun and the food excellent. There was an old family recipe in the pot with potatoes fish, Geschmorrt tomatoes and spices. Very tasty, aber ich persönlich bevorzuge bei dieser Zubereitungsweise eher Tintenfisch 🙂 Da muss man nicht so viele “Fish bones” im Heuhaufen suchen 🙂

The next morning, early, we made on the way towards Santo Espírito. There should be the best bakery on the island and we wanted to have breakfast there too. Although Santo Espírito consists only of a few farmhouses and a church, had we ask only in a bar after the bakery. But the searching was really worth. Wenig später saßen wir mit unseren Leckereien in Maia am Wasser in der Sonne und ließen es uns schmecken 🙂

In the back of the bakery were several looms, where hand-crafted fine blankets and towels are manufactured, just like in old times.

Maia is a beautiful village on the East Coast. Last night was not even noticed us from sheer rain. Bei Sonnenschein sah die Welt sowieso gleich ganz anders aus 🙂

At the end of the village, you can find a waterfall next to the obligatory picnic area. Despite the rain of the last few days, the water was not very economical, from the rock face good 110 Trickled meters in depth. The winter was a little too dry on Santa Maria. Trotzdem ein toller Ort 🙂

The vineyards of the village pull up accurate and clean the mountain slopes is. Create the walls must have been a very hard work for men :-(. But it looks really great.

The Lighthouse is located at the Southeast tip of the island “Ponta de Castelo” and the old and abandoned whaling station of Santa Maria. Gut dass diese Tiere generell nur noch mit der Kamera gejagt werden dürfen 🙂

If you have a cloud-free day in the Azores, should you go directly to the next mountain and enjoy the view. You never know, When the opportunity comes again. 🙂 Der höchste Berg auf Santa Maria ist der Pico Alto mit knapp 600 Meters.

Von der kleinen Aussichtsplattform kann man rundherum die Ganze Insel sehen 🙂

Before we had to return the rental car we bought some fresh things do Porto in Vila, and promptly fired him then at the airport.

Here are the towers for the air traffic control from the “Present and past” in lockstep next to each other. Why also tear down, es ist doch genug Platz da 🙂