If one dwells in Germany, one has once again time and a fast Internet connection. A good opportunity, Once again the friendly sailor blogs to visit. And on the side of SY ATANGA I became then aware of following action:
On his blog "explore the world" calls Michael to a very beautiful photo parade. “The most beautiful photos of the 1. Half of 2015” is the motto and the following categories are desired: -most beautiful landscape photograph -best animal photo -most beautiful city shooting -best winter picture -most beautiful spring picture -personal favorite picture
The only requirement is, that all photos in the 1. Half of 2015 have originated.
Das war ja genau mein Ding 🙂 Einziger Nachteil war, that the action at 31.7. ended. Well, After all, even eight hours time. Here we go, Pictures were so clearly sufficient. But the selection was difficult.
Landscape photograph
The “Lagoa do Fogo” on the Azores island of Sao Miguel is mostly behind clouds. But on sunny days, he shows his beauty :-).
Animal photo
Is always a great experience to meet dolphins. But to see a mother animal with boys, ist nochmal eine ganze Ecke besser 🙂 Und wenn dann noch die Kamera bereit ist 🙂
City shooting
A city in the State of exception, in the positive sense: Angra celebrates São Joaninas and dressing up finely out.
Winter picture
With winter images, I can not really serve this year. Maybe one with rain counts. Schnee haben wir in diesem Halbjahr nur in weiter Ferne gesehen 🙂
Spring picture
The Hibiscus, This time considered in detail. Der Frühling ist da 🙂
Favorite photo
A windstiller day at sea. And who sails past us? A Portuguese galley. As divers certainly not my favourite animal, but with the distance necessary a really fascinating phenomenon.
Today was a special day, the man actually particularly should celebrate. Ganze zehn Jahre liegt unsere Hochzeit jetzt zurück 🙂 Es ist schon erschreckend, as the time goes by. But my tooth had made as a spanner in the US.
So we had to content ourselves today with the phone. It was a new experience out. Although we had forgotten our anniversary together last year, but separated we've not spent yet it so far.
When I now to look at the pictures, I feel it almost like yesterday. But of course a lot has happened in the last ten years madly. Beautiful and less beautiful, hold the ordinary life. Since good 15 We are with our SUMMER travel months. A very special adventure, that we may experience. Nice to see, that we have adhered actually also quite good in the last ten years :-).
If I'm back in Porto, are we still drink anyway: “For the next ten years!”
This morning it was to get up early, for my taxi to airport was ordered at 6: 30. Now you ask you sure: Why airport?????
The eingeschleppte by Dietmar from Germany a “Plague” was not without a trace passed somehow on me. As well as? We have been Yes the last seven days in cramped together and in the last night of our trip I had with undefined header, Ears- and to fight tooth pain.
The weekend after our arrival we have take therefore also very easy. Dietmar coughed up ever more fiercely to himself. Bei mir hatten sich die undefinierten Schmerzen im Kopf mittlerweile leider in sichere Zahnschmerzen verwandelt 🙁 Irgendwie hatte ich das Gefühl, that it could be something more and I decided, to fly back to Germany. Dentist is never a pleasure, but then I wanted to know that also the same reasonable done. Safe is safe. Und der Zeitpunkt war eigentlich mehr als günstig 🙂 In zwei Wochen wäre ich sowieso das letzte Mal nach Deutschland zurückgeflogen.
My flight went from Porto to Frankfurt-Hahn. From there it should go on with the car after Leverkusen. My rental car booking made yesterday on the Internet was unfortunately still not confirmed have been. When I got off the plane in Frankfurt and went toward the rental car desk, I knew why. All queues and after an hour I knew: Today, I would get a car here :-(.
The connection of the Airport Frankfurt-Hahn to the public transport network is impressive. The next achievable, larger railway station in Mainz. And to Mainz to arrive by bus (Drive an hour and ten minutes). So I went on a little trip and reached Leverkusen against half past five.
End good – Everything good. Und morgen früh geht es dann zum Zahnarzt meines Vertrauens 🙂
In the penultimate night at sea on the way to Porto came's unfortunately just as it was announced: namely stormy! It ended with the peace of mind. Despite gereffter sailing we ran between seven and eight nodes, really very nice, But if we continue sailed with this rate, would we, arrive in the morning at two o'clock in Porto. Not enough, It would be pitch black. Also low tide would prevail at this time. Two circumstances, that we wanted to avoid in any case for safety reasons.
Our last sea day brought us some rest, but just so's the darkness again right around could go at breaking. With gusts up to 30 Node and Messier until partly also sinister sea, We rushed our goal against. First to arrive after sunrise in Porto, had set the course Dietmar, we sailed until midnight of towards the North-East, and later would turn South towards Porto, to extend the distance.
The sea was rough. Early morning, a large wave caught us so adversely from the side, that it flooded the whole cockpit with cold water of the Atlantic Ocean. Obwohl sie vorher noch von dem am Seezaun befestigten Bananaboot abgebremst und abgelenkt worden war 🙂 Durch die Wucht der Welle wurde die sehr massive Stütze zusammen mit dem Bananaboot um gut einen halben Meter nach innen gedrückt. The water ran partly from the cockpit through the stairs in the boat. In addition, the water was pressed even by the force of the wave through the vents on the ceiling in the shower. The breakers have even thrown and power off the 220V. That was already a bash and we were once again very pleased, dass wir ein so stabiles Schiff besitzen 🙂 Gut, that just at this moment nobody was outside on the deck…. At least that would have been a very refreshing shower.
I was somehow quite struck that night. Undefined header, Dental- and ear pain made me tired and cranky. So Dietmar gave me night awake free today and I was allowed to have neatly shake me till sunrise in the bunk.
In the morning, six type land was in sight at last as planned. Portugal presented itself at its fresh. 16° stood on our thermometers, but it was the Sun in a cloudless sky. When we arrived in the Douro River, were many fishing boats on the way. The wind eased and relaxed we could put the buzzer in the port. Now once a proper breakfast, then a hot shower and then another well-deserved round “Mattresses Horch service” 🙂
Last night had to someone honestly all hard and ironed all waves of the Atlantic Ocean. He lay before us like a duck pond. Ursache war der komplett fehlende Wind 🙁 So lief bei uns schon seit gestern Abend der Motor, denn an segeln war mit vier Knoten Wind aus umlaufenden Richtungen wirklich nicht zu denken 🙁 Aber heute Abend soll er wiederkommen 🙂 Das hat der Wetterbericht zumindest so versprochen. So we took advantage of the pleasant day on board without angle and with little rocking, to make it clear to ship and I cooked in for the rest of the trip. In quiet conditions, there were sausages with potato salad for lunch. A dish with many people, the I me traveling so far not dared. Already around noon, we could set sail again and now just before midnight we Jet with more than seven knots our goal contrary to. Let's see, whether we still manage, the last two low-wind days to compensate and to arrive Friday evening in Porto ?!
Since Wednesday noon, the captain is back on board and now we have the disease introduced from Germany (Cold) well in hand.
So we decided this afternoon at four o'clock, tomorrow to take the plunge on the Portuguese mainland, Since the weather during the next week should be much less favourable.
Bustle of events followed the decision, but now all is well prepared for the 800 Nautical miles distance. We will keep you up to date and submit the reports of the last week in the Azores, Once yogesh Porto have reached.
On the first, We wanted to drive for Furnas some murky day of my mother with us on board. Here there are fumaroles as well as various hot springs. Particularly worth seeing that should but old Terra Nostra hotel with its large park, and the giant, be warm thermal bathing lake. The visit had been laid warmly us by various sailors at the heart. Also it has to get us, nur dunkle Badekleidung mitzunehmen und sich von der Farbe des Thermalwassers bloß nicht abschrecken zu lassen 🙂 Das konnte ja heiter werden 🙂
The main attraction of Sao Miguel is signposted at all conceivable corners of the island. We took along the way on the North Coast. After several photo stops at the many, ausgeschilderten “Miradoren” We reached the midday ” Lagoa the Furnas”. Auf dem Parkplatz wurden wir direkt gebührend empfangen 🙂
Unfortunately we had even no treats for the young lady. We wanted to change that in the future but. Aber im Moment standen wir einfach nur mit leeren Händen da 🙁
We headed up once to the fumaroles. For this, it needed no sign, you had to follow only the columns of steam and the smell of the sources.
So, we have also witnessed a “According to guide of special spectacle”. There were pots with “Cozido” buried in the hot Earth, to heat these underground. Cozido is a stew of various meats- and sausages with vegetables, You can make it without volcanic activity and which is generally very popular in Porugal. Hoffentlich bekommt es hier keine zu kräftige Schwefelnote 🙂
After an extensive tour, we had the urgent need for fresh air. Am Seeufer hatte der Gestank ein Ende 🙂 Hier stand auch ein Imbisswagen, the something special in the its range had. Cat dry food ! 🙂 So konnten wir bei unserer Rückkehr zum Auto die Fellnasen doch noch glücklich machen.
Satisfied, we continued in the city centre of Furnas. Parking spaces were scarce unfortunately, but we finally found one in front of the local soccer stadium. So we walked a short distance through the city to the Terra Nostra Park Hotels. The entrance was quite expensive for Azorean ratios with six euro per person, but it was well worth it. The park with Lakes, Is beautifully landscaped creeks and caves. Everywhere it flourished in a wide variety of shapes and colors.
Only the thermal lake, with an opaque “Brown broth” was filled, had we leave still left. It is a special pleasure???? We were still not convinced and once needed a small strengthening. The bar of the Terra Notras was wonderfully suited hotels. Nach leckeren Sandwiches und einem Gläschen Wein waren wir bereit für die Herausforderung 🙂
Und es war toll 🙂 Mindestens “Bath tubs” warm 🙂 und total entspannend. Who can claim, Once in a 30 x 50 Meters large bathtube in about one and a half metres water depth and swim to be ? 🙂
You should watch only on the sea monster. Die können einen ganz schön in die Füße beißen 🙂
After the bath, we found, that not only dark swimsuit, but also dark towels by advantage would have been. But why is there finally washing machines?
On our last vantage point we got rid even the remaining cat food, which we had purchased this afternoon. Apparently the wild cats around the vantage points around have settled and with good reason: Denn an jedem Aussichtpunkt ist auch gleich ein Picknick-Platz 🙂 Und wenn nicht zufällig irgendwelche Touristen Katzenfutter dabei haben, something from here sure often times for the hungry Pack. So the gang was at home but not so mopsig like our German cats, but fortunately still far away from a malnutrition.
Dietmar was already on Tuesday morning in wanderlust. On Wednesday morning, he would (At last) fly to Germany and to take part in the 25 H race of VW fun Cup at Spa. I wanted to take advantage of his absence, um einmal wieder richtig Urlaub zu machen 🙂 Und damit ich nicht so einsam sein würde, had I invited especially love family visiting from Germany: meine Mutter 🙂
Anyway, far too many people lived on Sao Miguel and especially Ponta Delgada to Dietmar taste. According to the other islands, it was also a little culture shock for us. Here live together as many people as the other eight Islands on Sao Miguel. Ich war aber am Dienstag trotzdem auf Inselerkundung eingestellt und wollte mit dem vorbestellten Mietwagen lieber früher als später aufbrechen 🙂
Nevertheless, was already clearly but then after lunch, When we were finally on the way. Our excursion was at first under a lucky star. The weather was pretty much to be desired and when I me right on the edge of the city of Ponta Delgada also still firmly proceeded, war der Ausflug eigentlich gelaufen 🙁 So beschlossen wir für uns, an diesem Nachmittag besser getrennte Weg zu gehen 🙂 Ich ließ meinen Mann mit seiner “Ring mood” am Hafen zurück und machte mich alleine auf die Socken 🙂
Sao Miguel is the island of hot springs and it steams and stinks in many different places.
My first exploration led to the next hot spring and the associated fumaroles. Good, that's no “Smell photography” are, denn die Schwefelgase können schon recht unangenehm stinken 🙂
Unfortunately you could in the place visited by me, use the water of the sources just in a not particularly inviting bath house in old bathtubs. So also no one gave this “Pleasure” Hin. Such an uncomfortable day a warm bath would have been something great, especially for sailors without bath on board.
But in Furnas, which should be possible in the next few days. Other sailors had raved about this place and very recommended visit. It is then for the next few days on the to-to list.
So I brought even a little criss -cross through the western part of the island, aber das Wetter trieb mich dann doch zurück zum Hafen 🙂 Ab morgen soll aber wieder die Sonne scheinen. Best conditions, with my mother make the island uncertain.
Wednesday after breakfast we made our way to the airport. He was just around the corner and the Marina in the flight path. Good, that here mass tourism still not arrived. Die Lärmbelästigung hielt sich somit in einem akzeptablen Rahmen 🙂
Dietmar would disappear with same machine direction Germany, with my mother angekommt. Everything was perfectly organised. So we drank a farewell coffee at the airport, caught my mom in the “Arrival” AB, put the Dietmar “Departures” off and were an hour later back on the buzzer.
After the luggage and the souvenirs from Germany safe on the boat were stowed, We had to get into the holiday mood, a lunch in the restaurant at the port taste us. After such a long time, there is of course much to tell – especially, wenn Frauen unter sich sind 🙂
My mother was just as eager and curious to the island as I. Deshalb vertrödelten wir keine Zeit 🙂 Dietmar kaum weg als wir auch schon mit dem Mietwagen unterwegs waren.
Our first destination was the fog Lake, It is located pretty much in the middle of the island. In my travel guide, he was described as especially beautiful, If there above the clouds spoil one not the view. Und heute sah es sehr vielversprechend aus 🙂
The Lake was actually scary beautiful. Down on the shore, one could also observe even a few a few people while bathing. Leider fehlte uns sowohl für die Wandertour als auch für ein Bad die nötige Ausrüstung 🙁 Aber aufgeschoben ist ja nicht aufgehoben.
Außerdem schoben sich doch hier oben schon wieder ein paar lästige Wolken vor die bestellte Sonne 🙁 Daher flüchteten wir lieber hinunter an die Küste und ließen am Strand noch ein bisschen die Füße im Wasser baumeln.
Back in Ponta Delgada's continued in the old town. Here we had to find out more, What of with the “Holy Spirit”-Festival has to, the of the 9. up to 12. July will be celebrated in the city.
Preparations were in any case already in full swing. The city centre was beautifully adorned with flags and pennants.
A large Crown was built on the square in front of the gate of the city. After dinner we made unsafe the Internet on the SUMMER to find out, What to see will be here in the next few days. The website was quickly found, aber sie war leider nur in portugiesischer Sprache verfügbar 🙁 Das Problem war für uns ja nicht neu. Tomorrow we will try, with the help of “Leo” some clarity in the matter to bring. It would also be nice, auch etwas über die Hintergründe der Festivität zu erfahren 🙂 Aber Eile mit Weile. Tomorrow is another day.
In the Azores, there is, as already on the island of Porto Santo, the tradition, that there angekommende glider with a small or larger artwork on the harbour wall perpetuate. This open air Gallery in Horta on Faial island is particularly gorgeous.
Unfortunately we had not because of our hasty departure, to leave there a painted business card. Santa Maria we wanted to get here to this. Actually, it was also the place, denn hier sind wir ja zuerst gelandet 🙂
So I've been busy on weekends before and after the dives. Actually, it's not so difficult, eine Hummel an die Wand zu bringen 🙂 Auf Porto Santo war sie mir wirklich gut gelungen 🙂 und hat auch tapfer die letzten Monate überdauert.
But last weekend I've surpassed me unfortunately myself. Our “Sumsi” sah aus wie eine schwangere Auster 🙁 Wer aber schon einmal mit Ölfarbe auf Hafenmauern gemalt hat der weiß, that a subsequent correct is actually impossible. So haben wir unser Wappentier in Santa Maria mit ganz viel Winterspeck verewigt 🙂 Das war wohl leider voll daneben 🙂
Dietmar comment hit me also: “Yes, she looks like a pregnant horses” 🙂 Naja, because I must think through and may not rely also on my artistic freedom me :-). Nobody is perfect…….und etwas mit einer Schablone an die Wand zu sprühen kann ja jeder 🙂
We returned back painted misery finally on Monday morning and left early to Sao Miguel. Peacefully under sail it headed Northwest, and then lunch unfortunately North, because the wind for us had turned pretty unfavorable. We decided in the late afternoon, the last few miles under motor to drive and not gegenan to cross, um nicht im Dunkeln anzukommen 🙂
All of a sudden I heard, how the brake of our troll started to schnarren. This noise was also totally invigorating Dietmar, who wanted to keep taking a NAP in the Salon. Behind the boat, I had see before circling a Yellow-billed Shearwater. Not that we had a bird on the fishing?!?
Unfortunately, that was the case. Anscheinend hatte unser rosa Tintenfischköder einfach zu verlockend ausgesehen 🙁 Schnell nahm ich Fahrt aus dem Boot und drehte es in den Wind. Dietmar cranked out our drivers on board carefully. At least he had not caught the bait, but “the only” tangled in the line.
While gently holding the bird Dietmar, I started with the kitchen scissors to cut the lines tangle. At the beginning, that went really well, probably was the patient still in shock and kept quiet so good. But the “Idyll” was only of short duration. First tried our bird with wings deal to free and when fidget was not having the desired effect, biss er dann kurzerhand mal kräftig zu 🙁 Und zwar zuerst in meinen Finger und dann in Dietmars :-).
(Recreated scene :-))
Well, actually, I could understand him very well. Who will then also like to fish??? 🙂 Trotzdem nützte es ihm nichts 🙂 Erst nachdem wir die Leine vollständig entfernt hatten, We let him back off the boat. In contrast to us he had suffered no other injuries and grumbling disappeared in the distance.
So, for safety's sake, we desinfizierten our wounds. Amazing, wie viel Kraft so ein Vogel im Schnabel hat 🙁 Und scharfe Kanten hat der Schnabel auch 🙁 Die Lust zu Angeln war uns für heute auf jeden Fall gründlich vergangen. Das war ja schon wieder voll daneben gewesen 🙂
We wanted to pull diving technically all register on our last weekend on Santa Maria. On Saturday, a tour was planned after Ambrosia, and Sunday it should then (At last) go Formigas.
The dive boat was this Saturday morning with seven “Man” loaded, as we front were picked up at the pier. Very nice cozy for us low season divers :-), aber alle waren sehr nett und es herrschte kein Durcheinander 🙂
Arrived at the dive site the following image offered us:
No, that was not a lone shark, der da seine Runden drehte 🙂 Schon an der Wasseroberfläche konnten wir die ersten beiden Mobulas (Manta Rays) see. There was now little hustle and bustle. Jeder wollte zuerst im Wasser sein 🙂 Um allen Tauchern eine auch eine gute Sicht zu ermöglichen, We divided us into two groups. So a half hung on the front of the anchor rope, marketed by Steffen while the other is on the extra line to the stern of the boat “Hung”. Wegen der Strömung sollten wir auch möglichst an der Leine bleiben 🙂 Diese Anweisung galt natürlich auch für Fotografen. But as you can see on this image, nehmen es manche mit den Sicherheitsanweisungen nicht sehr genau 🙁
After a big swarm offshore barracudas and Trevallies, they then came back: die Mobulas 🙂 :-):-)
First two and then a whole swarm. Und sie waren wirklich nicht schüchtern 🙂
Well an hour we enjoyed the impressive spectacle, at least as good as or even better than the first time. An solch beeindruckenden Tieren kann man sich einfach nicht satt sehen 🙂 Auf dem Rückweg machten wir noch einen entspannten Kontrast-Tauchgang an der Küste entlang 🙂
Here were again good eyes, um die Tiere in ihren Felsenverstecken zu entdecken 🙂
Back at the Marina, we were both, Why always, so flat, that we order after dinner shortly after nine in the bed fell. Diving is already sport – irgendwie 🙂
It was also almost no problem on Sunday, that the alarm clock rang at 6: 30. The remaining force was still a fairly sleepy, If also cheerful impression, as we rode around eight o'clock in the boat direction East of the island along.
Then, life in the armed forces but suddenly came. Afield, large flocks of birds have been spotted :-). And where are the birds in action, sind auch fast immer Delfine 🙂 Daher machten wir einen kleinen Umweg, der sich lohnen sollte 🙂
Ein wildes Durcheinander von Vögeln und Delfinen 🙂 Schnell wurden die Schnorchel klar gemacht und es ging mitten hinein ins Gewimmel. We had to hurry because the dolphins had a baby it would appear quite soon again.
About 30 We reach minutes later our then our dive site. The Formigas existing of some boulders in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, they only 5 Protrude metres out of the water. Erfreulicherweise sind sie zur Sicherheit mit einem Leuchtturm bestückt 🙂 Da freut sich doch die Seefahrergemeinde.
During our first dive, we explored the wall on the East side of the islet. Out here at sea all was by and “Green”as nearby land :-). There were so many moray eels, dass wir irgendwann sogar das Zählen einstellten 🙂
Highlight of the dive was but a good 40 Centimeter big dragon head in 25 Meters water depth. Gewöhnlich findet man sonst eigentlich nur die kleineren Exemplare 🙂 Und geduldig war er auch noch 🙂
We made the second dive at the Canyon in the South of the Formigas. The surface of the rock Ridge was also here beautifully covered and numerous small, colorful fish schwommen in their large and colorful diversity through the deep blue.
Our anchor had wanted a particularly safe place in a rock column. That had to be directed naturally once and with the prevailing flow, waren für diese Aufgabe zwei starke Männer nötig 🙂
Und dann ging es endlich los 🙂 Hinter dem nächsten Felsvorsprung lauerte schon der erste Riesen-Zackenbarsch. And it should not stay with the one. We got six copies of imposing animals in almost grown stage to face. So a grouper may have a size of up to 1,60 Reach meter!
And they were also surprisingly tame or rather curious.
Besonders dieser Bursche hier 🙂 Während Dietmar versuchte, to move a beautiful Tiger Moray with camera and flashlight in the right light, the LAD came up so far, dass ihm Dietmar mit den Flossen schon fast auf dem Kopf herumpaddelte 🙂 Das hat ihn aber nicht besonders beeindruckt.
A crowning, with our Star photographer under water almost the time forgot. Pictures of groupers (from the top, from the side, from the front, from the bottom) haben wir jetzt auf jeden Fall genug für die nächste Zeit 🙂
After the dive we sat together beer at the Clube naval still on a round. Es wurde für uns wieder einmal Zeit Abschied zu nehmen 🙁 Immer wieder blöd, especially after a lovely time. Steffen gave us three melons from the island of Santa Maria as a boxed. Da kann ja morgen bei unserer Überfahrt nach Sao Miguel nichts mehr schief gehen 🙂
(Recreated scene :-))
