Category Archives: Faial

Welcome to the island of cheese

Since we have last night executes, did you say, that we would have to leave the port of Horta at the latest morning at eight o'clock. Also klingelte der Wecker schon um sieben 🙁 Der Morgen war regnerisch und wir noch nicht richtig motiviert, but the way to Velas on the island of Sao Jorge was not so far.

When we tried to start the engine, We got only a tired buzz to hear. After a week at anchor, the batteries were probably quite empty. Das sollte eigentlich nicht passieren 🙁 Erfreulicherweise ließ sich aber wenigsten der Generator starten und nach fünf Minuten hatten wir die Batterien so weit geladen, that the engine again jumped on. Am Thema Energiemanagement müssen wir bis zur Karibik noch etwas arbeiten 🙂 Solche Pannen sollten einem nur einmal passieren 🙂

Directly after the entrance of the port could we set sail and made with half wind wonderful ride. Because we forgot quickly cloudy weather. But between the islands of Pico and Sao Jorge, the pleasure of sailing was already over, because the wind was so distracted by the Islands, he blew us from the front on the nose.

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We liked the new island by sea. Fast 40 Kilometres long, but never wider than seven kilometres is it from 300 (!!!) each, small volcanic cones. From a distance we could see the lush and green meadows, the by 25.000 to 30.000 Dairy cows are populated. Come on each island's inhabitants (9000) statistisch fast drei Kühe 🙂 Hier auf der Insel wird der bekannte “São Jorge” Cheese produced, We have the in Portugal and appreciate on Faial have learned.

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The port was small and cozy. Picturesque steep front of the, Green rock face he was well protected at the edge of the island capital of Velas. We had called yesterday, us to secure a berth in the Marina. So we were comfortably alongside directly behind the outer breakwater. The entire system is well maintained. Showers and sanitary facilities are like new and also the two washing machines can be seen. Since we could not resist, our clothes again without regard to water consumption (:-)) to wash ashore. Then tomorrow we would tackle this task.

While Dietmar einklarierte us, I cooked ever something tasty for lunch. The harbour master was just as nice and helpful, How did yesterday on the phone. The police also, She looked later on the SUMMER past, bid farewell with the words: If we had any questions or requests, could we always like to look at them. So viel Herzlichkeit und Hilfsbereitschaft 🙂 Da kommt man gern an!

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After dinner, we started the exploration tour in the city. Small, well maintained and well manageable Velas lies at the foot of the Green volcanic crater. Supermarket, Car rental companies and of course many other shops were easy to find and really well sorted (for a small island)

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Saturday night, a Festival should take place in the city. Already the harbour master had told us about this. We found the location of the event ever in any case. Because we wanted to look tomorrow evening most definitely times past.

After a refreshing Panaché (Portuguese for cyclists :-)) in a rustic bar with local, passionate card players we did welcoming us with a video on the buzzer.

Saturday was the big laundry day as planned :-). Around noon, our SUMMER once again looked like a luxury wash stand. All three machines laundry hung everywhere on the ship. Now the wind and the Sun had to dry only. The weather forecast was actually also quite reasonably priced.

Around eight o'clock we had thrown both of us properly in shell and willing, Village life to shake up. We had not yet left the port, as the first profitable showers drove us back to the SUMMER. Therefore we wanted to wait rather, denn so lange konnte der Schauer ja nicht dauern 🙂

Slightly annoyed, I watched as my almost-dry laundry was getting wetter and wet. That would have been really unnecessary now. I found them before actually clean enough.

Nach über einer Stunde hatte es sich eingeregnet 🙁 Das würde wohl nichts mehr mit der Fiesta :-(. Whenever we thought just to get out of the boat, immediately picked up the wind and the diminishing rain was back to his best. Then it should be probably. The next Festival is determined. Sure!

No planning without weather forecast

If you anchor, do you have always the weather forecast in the eye. We had let the last few days something grind. So we stood on Thursday morning to five o'clock almost perpendicular in bed as the wind with almost 25 Node through the port was blowing and the waves unpleasantly loud applauded the Tailboard, our SUMMER.

After we had assured us, that the anchor kept us safe at our location, We filed yesterday a second round of sleep with ear plugs after the tiring ride.

Nach dem Frühstück war dann Hafenkino angesagt 🙂 Gleich als erstes kam ein großer Containerfrachter mit Lotse in den Hafen.

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Fear and worry was the poor little anchor trailer and he took the escape. Maybe even better, You should be as “Crumb” not with the “Cake” anlegen 🙂

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Throughout the day were more than 25 Boats and catamarans here in Horta and in the meantime it was like in a Dovecote.

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Da musste Platz geschaffen werden 🙂 Und den meisten Platz an der Kaimauer nahm eindeutig der schweizer Dreimaster ein. So out with it! In the side winds, He ruled today, certainly no simple task. But in the second attempt with the help of two “Tractors” entstand eine große Lücke für den dringend benötigten Platz 🙂

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Aber nicht lange 🙂

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So it was the day quite turbulent, It was never really alone even at anchor and was even in larger, orbiting time in smaller arches.

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After all, no one came alongside or drove us one “Bump” in the boat. An den Stegen gab es zwischenzeitlich schon mal leichte Blessuren und Kratzer 🙁

Dietmar made it clear the dinghy in the afternoon and drove ashore. In addition to some little things in the yacht shop he wanted to take care of a car for our trip on the island of Pico. Tomorrow morning we wanted to take the ferry over.

As a precaution, I checked the weather first. Oops, What was that? Uncomfortable much wind was announced for Saturday for the island of Faial. At anchor we wanted not so much experience that after last night, but here in the port, now arguably the last place was occupied. My call in time reached Dietmar, before he had booked the rental car. Sometimes it is simply super, dass ein Besuch im Yachtshop eigentlich immer etwas länger dauert 🙂 So änderten wir spontan unsere Pläne: Tomorrow we continue after Velas on the island of Sao Jorge. Um nicht vor einem besetzen Hafen zu liegen haben wir dann sicherheitshalber noch telefonisch einen Platz für uns reserviert 🙂

Since we have adopted us earlier than planned from Faial and Horta, not even handed it, um uns ordentlich an der Hafenmauer mit einem gemalten Bild zu verewigen 🙁

But my time enough yet for a little trip to the Guia Hill right on the Harbour, While Dietmar took to the formalities of the check out.

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Ein Blick zurück über die ganze Insel Faial 🙂

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Or in the Cadeirinhas :-), the upstream volcanic crater

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Or rather to the neighbouring island of Pico the Green Vulkan.

Actually no matter, everything was beautiful. Back at the port I caught up with Dietmar and we drank a farewell beer at Peters sports bar and enjoyed the views of the Harbour. Here, the entire sailing world met really. Beautiful, das wir auch hier sein durften 🙂

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The luck of the Earth…..

What should I wear only???? This typically female question tormented not only me, After we had made the ride in a day for the next day. Auf Reiten waren wir an Bord irgendwie nicht eingestellt 🙂

But the next morning we had found something both, the is “horse riding suitable” felt. If our assessment was right, würde sich dann im Laufe des Tages zeigen 🙂

With the car we drove today tomorrow then more directly directly to the stud by patio. To 9: 30 we would meet our guide Diogo and the other fellow riders Alex. Of the two only best had been reported us. It was after a short briefing on the route then finally, our horses.

With or. on this young lady, I should spend the day today: At “Diana” was the name of the program, a little Princess as she stood in the beech. One of the best "Cruzado Portuguese" Mares of the Azores, cute, reliable and willing.

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Also Dietmar would spend the day with a young lady, except here I hope the name would not program. “Devil” described on the Internet as the cool lady, a black beauty without stable airs. That sounded so promising.

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The starting point of our day's ride was not of Justice but, but a coupling in the West of the island. Two horses had spent there the last night. So, we invited the two ladies on the trailer behind the Land Rover and drove off. At an intersection somewhere in the nowhere Diogo parked the trailer. On the other side of the road, we could make out two horse heads in the thicket. Die beiden warteten schon ungeduldig auf ihr Frühstück 🙂

After a good portion pellets were cleaned all horses and saddle. After the last declarations, it was then: Upgrade and get rid of. Good, that the “Cruzado Portuguese” not so great are advised. So we both were no more embarrassments in the saddle.

Riding is somehow but as “Cycling”, man verlernt es nicht 🙂 So folgten wir erst einmal der Hauptstraße, What was not a problem with the really safe horses (not for cars, TRUCK or even garbage truck :-)) This gave us a good feeling ever. Unfortunately you never know, how well horses are trained, until you're really on it.

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Then it was on to sand- and gravel roads to the sea. Diogo shows us many beautiful corners of the island, die wir ohne ihn wahrscheinlich nie gefunden hätten 🙂 Auch die Trab- and Gallop tracks were well chosen. The horses went forward willingly and diligently, could be kept but also easily again, What is unfortunately not always of course, as we well know from your own experience.

Unfortunately, I got always the dirt in the face as the last rider at the end of the Group. Aber einer muss ja wohl hinten reiten 🙂 Ich unterstelle den Herren mal keinen Vorsatz, was die Einteilung der Reihenfolge angeht 🙂

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After three hours I knew slowly no longer, auf welchen Teilen meines Popos ich noch sitzen sollte 🙂 Gut, It was time for the lunch break. From our saddle bags we could conjure up today a decent picnic :-). Our picnic was in the immediate vicinity of the lighthouse, the we had yesterday already visited. So we renounced a repetition of the museum visit and were lazy in the Sun, While there formed Alex Fort. This place is the westernmost point of Europe, by the way. But politically not very correctly Faial is located just on the European continental plate, Meanwhile, Flores and Corvo in the West on the American plate located. The African plate is located in the South of the Azores. All plates are drifting apart to 2, 5 cm per year and the Azores in the Centre are you should urgently complete earthquake insurance for his house. Sounds maybe strange, but is so!

After a one hour rest for riders and horses we continued to the end of the world, more specifically in the village of Norte Pequeno and the bar “FIM do Mundo”.

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Here we came up again and have been hosting quite excellent local products. The island of Sao Jorge cheese was very tasty, Fortunately, our next goal is :-. The men enjoyed also the one or the other beer is (but only in very small bottles ;-))

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Our horses enjoy the rest. Sunk to the belly in the green stuff, they could appease their hunger finally. Vorhin am Vulkan war für sie nicht wirklich was zu holen gewesen 🙂

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After about an hour we reached the crossroads again with the coupling. This time the other two were allowed to go home with horse, Diana and Devil remained all alone in the forest. The two obviously enjoyed their freedom, and after the extensive rolling a few funny buck jumps were in there.

We were not so dynamic. While we helped on the farm away to clear just the gear, were then glad, go back to the Marina. A hot shower and then the weary limbs stretch out, mehr wünschten wir uns heute nicht mehr 🙂

Welcome to another world

After we had spent Monday with all sorts of organizational things, as for example of purchasing a car rentals, could go on Tuesday morning at last.

The anticlockwise, we followed along the road on the South coast up to the Western tip of the island. Here in the years 1957/58 to come by a volcanic eruption of new land to the island's area. The old Lighthouse stands since somewhat lost far away from the coast.

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Over a year later Faial was shaken by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions . Many houses were abandoned at this time, some through the thick clouds of ash spill, some destroyed, others remained undamaged. The fruit- and vineyards, they were in this part of the island, conquered then the natural over the years. But often you can see still wine grapes or banana plants between Laurel trees.

Next to the lighthouse, an old whaling port was, which is now used as a natural swimming pool. In the we would like run up but with the SUMMER. A rock“Teeth” In addition to the next certainly some concerns would have prepared us.

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The entire history of the Azores, and also of the volcanic eruption of 1957 is explained in a very modern and informative Museum right. To disfigure the impressive landscape not by a building, can you find built into the Museum below the lighthouse in the background. Von oben kann man nur noch ein bisschen davon sehen 🙂

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The architecture and the design of the Museum is impressive. So it made us really fun, To learn about the Islands.

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But then a strengthening was attached. Everywhere on the island, you will find picnic areas. Unfortunately we had nothing for a picnic. Restaurants and bar were not especially well represented, but sometime around 2 P.m. we had found but have a cookies.

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The grill was the Caribbean standard more, but the food smells really good. During the very long wait, ran together again the water in the mouth us, wenn wieder andere glückliche Gäste ihr Mittagessen erhielten 🙂 Aber irgendwann hatte die Folter eine Ende und wir waren an der Reihe 🙂

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We were sated and happy on the North Coast still a digestive walk. The weather had cleared up now and most of the time the Sun was shining.

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Before we headed back to the port, did we organize even a special trip for tomorrow. On the Internet I discovered here a way to ride out on the island of Faial. The website had an idea of good but we wanted to make us a picture of the horses on the ground. Pferdebesitzer sind ja bekanntlich die anstrengendsten und anspruchsvollsten Kunden 🙂 In der Nähe des Restaurants trafen wir auf eine Gruppe von Reitern. With the obtained directions we wandered around awhile in the first, to us Google maps finally pointed the right way.

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The Office of patio is located in this red windmill – Trail & Lodge (http://en.patio.PT/index.html). Viktor and Anja, both originally come from Germany, have accumulated here on the island in the past twenty years very special. So we decided, morgen einen Ganztagesausritt in den Westen der Insel zu unternehmen 🙂

We did visit the caldera planned for tomorrow then still on the way back. Slightly cloudy although, but great views. Up here, we were still all alone, before it went back in the lively Harbour.

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In the Harbour, the teams of the local sailing club with the traditional whaling boats for the popular races between the islands of trained. Without keel with the large sail area, you need at least six people, to have enough counterweight, so that the large sail area didn't puts the boat on the side. How small the world is actually was aware, als wir hier wieder auf Viktor von Patio stießen 🙂 Der segelt nämlich regelmäßig mit seinen Freunden in Horta 🙂

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Old and new acquaintances

We were just in the right place in Horta :-), to meet old acquaintances again or to get to know about new. Most sailors, who come back from the Caribbean before the start of hurricane season to Europe, a stop in the Azores. We were curious, We probably would meet here which our sailing friends in the next few days.

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As a sailor to get to Horta on the island of Faial, is a visit to the famous “Peter's Café sport” mandatory. After our first tour on Saturday morning and the visit to the farmers market, the sailor pub for us was a “must have Lakes” Destination on our route.

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Because no table was more free, We found two seats at the table of an older couple. Quickly you came into the conversation. The two Englishmen David and Ann of the SY RESTING GOOSE were far run around on the world's oceans and had much interesting to tell. It remained not only at a lunch, and we accepted the invitation on a cup of coffee on board the RESTING GOOSE you are welcome to. Was then in the end as it should be for an ordinary English invitation but tea drinking, He adapted very well to the Madeiran honey cake, which we had brought from the SUMMER.

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The Board-bar was open from half-past four, because of conversation always still not had gone from us :-). Only after the sun sets behind the horizon had disappeared, were we on the way home. For the first time, we could enjoy the view of the Pico Vulkan this evening, who came behind a thick cloud layer shows. A really pleasant sight.

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Ann and David sadly left the next morning Horta, but not without the buzzer to rotate a small farewell lap. On Terceira we're back but soon. Maybe even to a joint regatta on the RESTING GOOSE. Das wäre natürlich eine besondere Herausforderung 🙂

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After arrive the boats of the North Atlantic round in the Azores. Are you for one or more seasons in the Caribbean on the way back in the European waters, in the North- or Baltic Sea or in the Mediterranean Sea. So we met SUUTJE on Sunday on the SY MAN, She was on the road with Paul and friends with tight schedule back in the Baltic Sea.

At lunch in the old town we had with greedy “Blackheads and whiteheads” to fight. Die Spatzen hier auf der Insel stehen wohl auf Fast Food 🙂

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KHX_2520.jpgAfter a further stroll through the old town, It went shortly after Porto PIM, only a stone's throw away on the South side of the Bay is.

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The crew of one SUUTJE despite the rush still found time for a nice night together in Peter's bar. There we met Frank from the SY TRALAFITI, who had spent several years in the Caribbean. Seine Internetseite werden wir noch ausgiebig studieren 🙂 Schon an dem einen Abend bekamen wir viele hilfreiche Tipps und genossen viele lustige Geschichten aus den Seglerwelt.

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On to Faial – the island of births

Der Abschied von Santa Maria fiel uns an diesem Morgen wirklich leicht 🙂 Ein Blick zurück auf die dunklen Regenwolken ließ uns schnell die Segel setzen und das Weite suchen 🙂

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No wonder, that the Azores are so green and lush vegetation, of rainfall it here doesn't seem to lack :-). But mostly, the haunting is faster over as intended and sunshine follows rain in General.

Nearly two hundred nautical miles lay before us, but the conditions were much more friendly than on our last blow of Madeira the Azores. So seasickness was not an issue this time, and the time just flew by in the flight with reading, Plan, Cook, Washing and sleeping. Twice, some dolphins visited our SUMMER. Das ist ja immer wieder eine gelungene Abwechslung und ein schönes Highlight 🙂

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In the course of Friday was the island of Pico, in sight and we followed their coast further West. The Pico Vulkan but hid all the time in the clouds. Let's see, When we would get him to face.

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With butterfly sails, we were still a good trip despite decreasing wind. Aber ungefähr zehn Seemeilen vor unserem Ziel schlief der Wind endgültig ein 🙁 und wir mussten die Maschine starten. The Atlantic long flat before us like a duck pond. Repeatedly pushed so-called “Portugiesische Galeeren vorbei 🙂 Vom Boot aus sind sie wirklich schön anzuschauen. In diving, we would but better meet none of them because their long nettles enormously burn and hurt if they touch the skin.

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Also a small shield Köte crossed our way, so we turned a lap of honor shortly before our arrival, extensively to marvel at the beautiful.

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Faial zeigte sich auf den ersten Blick ähnlich einladend wie Santa Maria 🙂

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But we did not deter us from the rain clouds and reached the port of Horta around eight o'clock. Here was really something going on. Boats from all over the world where the eye looked. First we pegged our SUMMER at the reception bar. The harbour master showed us a place in the “Packet” with other yachts on the harbour wall to, but we were able to convince him to give us permission, to go into the dock at anchor.

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Now we can enjoy the heavenly peace and beautiful views of the Marina. Morning, If we have rested, werden wir das Dinghi klar machen und dann den ersten Inselausflug wagen 🙂