Another “Out of the Box” Adventure!
Daughter Erin and I with the city of Barcelona behind us.
I call this an “Out of the Box” Adventure because nowhere in my early life did I expect to be traveling to places like Germany and Cyprus and Paris and Scotland, etc. etc. Our European travels began because our daughter Sheila married a German man and she has lived in Europe ever since. It was with Sheila and Jörn’s encouragement and support that we made our first trip to Europe, almost 30 years ago.
My latest adventure out of the United States was to Barcelona Spain and the Azores. Why the Azores? In the spring of 2022 my oldest daughter, Sheila and I traveled to Sweden to do an "Inn to Inn" hike in celebration of her turning 50 and my turning 70. But because of Covid, we were 51 and 71 when we finally accomplished it. As I planned for that trip it occurred to me that I needed to do a similar thing when each of my children turned 50. Scott turned 50 in 2023 and he and I did a white water canoe trip in Maine. I was having so much fun doing these outdoor adventures with my children that I did not want to wait until the younger three turned 50. I figured I was aging faster than them so I decided I would do one of these a year. Next was Shawn In 2024 when we rode rafts down the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon. This year it’s Erin’s turn and she decided she wanted to do a hiking and whale watching trip in the Azores.
I booked this trip with the same travel company I used in Sweden, Inn Walking. The company is based in Bulgaria, but arranges hiking trips all over Europe. The hiking is self guided following trail guides provided by the company which also arranges all the hotels and transportation once we reach the area where we are hiking. On the trip in Sweden with Sheila we were in different lodging every night and Inn Walking arranged for our bags to be delivered to the next location so that we just hiked with a day back. In the Azores we stayed in three different hotels and we were transported most days to a trailhead and then picked up at the end of the hiking day and returned to our hotel. Our adventure took place on the island of São Miguel, the largest of the islands in the Portuguese Azores archipelago. We would get to experience several different areas on the island over the course of 5 days of hiking and one day of whale watching.
On September 4, Erin and I each made our way to the San Francisco International Airport to board our flight to Barcelona Spain. We wanted a couple of days before hiking to adjust to the time change, and Erin wanted to see a bit of Spain. After two nights in Barcelona we then flew to Ponta Delgada where we were met by our prearranged taxi and taken to our hotel. At the end of 6 full days on the island we were taken to a hotel in the heart of Ponta Delgada close to the airport for our return flight to Barcelona where we would have one more afternoon to explore on our own there before heading back to California on Monday, September 15.
Carquinez Straight as seen from the train window.
The first leg of my journey began with Rob taking me to the train station in Auburn to catch the Capitol Corridor Train that would take me to Richmond where I would board a BART train to get to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
In the Aviation Museum at SFO.
I got to the airport several hours ahead of time so I got to explore a bit.
I found this little quiet nook upstairs in the museum library where I was able to draw, write and read in a quiet and secluded spot. The most stressful part of these kinds of trips for me is worrying about being to the airport in time and fretting about all the things that could cause a delay. I'd much rather be too early and have to find things to do, than be rushing at the last minute, or worse, missing a flight!
At the Plaza España in Barcelona.
A statue in the middle and the former Barcelona Bull Fighting Arena on the left.
Because Bull Fighting is no longer carried out in Barcelona, the Arena is now a shopping center.
We took the Metro Train here from a station not too far from our hotel and then found a bus to take us toward the popular La Rambla Street and La Plaça de Catalunya where we were happy to find a street fare with live music and food and souvenir booths.
On the streets of Barcelona
See the tents of the street fair?
Back at the beautifully tiled Arena.
Another picture of the statue in the center of the Plaza España
A building at the Plaza España
Basílica de la Sagrada Família.
Saturday, September 6, 2025
This Basílica is the most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona and everyone we talked to ahead of time told us we didn't want to miss it, so it was our first destination on Saturday morning. It was spectacular and beautiful on the outside, but unfortunately we were not able to get tickets to tour the inside, and unlike the Notre Dam Cathedral in Paris that has multiple daily masses, La Sagrada Famíla has relatively few, so we could not get in that way. We tried every day until the next Sunday when we would have the afternoon and evening in Barcelona to get tickets for our last night in Europe, but no luck. We did get to see other work designed by Antoni Gaudi, and were very inspired by his nature-inspired forms.
La Sagrada Familia is still under construction with planned completion in 2026.
Construction began in 1882.
Another view.
We got on a Hop on Hop off bus so we could get a tour of the whole city, and our first stop off the bus was near Park Güell which was also designed by Antoni Gaudi. Now a public park, it was originally designed as a "gated" community with 60 lots available. Only 3 homes were ever built, and now it is a public park requiring tickets for admittance. It was fascinating walking the grounds, viewing the unique designs, and walking through the last house Gaudi lived in.
A view over the city of Barcelona from high up in Park Güell.
An arched walkway in the park.
The bricks on top seem a little incongruent.
One of the houses.
Another view down.
Sign for the Tres Creus (Three Crosses)
The three crosses.
La Sagrada Familia as viewed from the park.
Another perspective of La Sagrada Familia.
More unusual architecture.
The gift shop is housed in one of these buildings.
Another view of the unusual architecture - and lots of tourists!
This mosaic on a ceiling is the work of another artist than Gaudi.
As is this mosaic bench.
More mosaics on this cross.
More here on a roof.
The church in Park Güell
Barcelona's Arc d'Triumph
A statue near the water front.
We also got off the bus at the National Art Museum that over looks Plaza España.
Erin and I both loved this piece in the museum.
The side of the museum that faces the Plaza.
Back on the bus we passed many interesting buildings.
Another one.
A night scene with the Museum of Art in the background.
Sunday morning, September 7, we only had time for a walk in the neighborhood near our hotel before heading to the airport to fly to Ponta Delgada in the Azores, but we did find an interesting park nearby.
A building in the park.
Some of the park's landscaping.
A turtle on the rocks in the park's little pond.
The same little pond.
We arrived at Ponta Delgada Airport on Säo Miguel Island on Sunday afternoon and were greeted by our prearranged taxi as we walked out the door from claiming our luggage. We were taken to Hotel Vista Do Vale in the village of Furnas about 45 minutes to the east and north from the airport. Vista Do Vale would be our home base for 4 nights. We really enjoyed this little village that we were able to explore after our hiking or whale watching adventures. Breakfast in the hotel was part of our prepaid package, but other meals were on us. We were able to buy provisions in the grocery stores in Furnas to supply our lunches on the trail, but most days we found a restaurant somewhere to eat.
The view across the hotel swimming pool from my room.
We did swim once in the surprisingly cold water of the pool.
But sadly I would not get any natural swimming holes to add to my list.
The jagged mountains rising up above Furnas that are part of the old volcano rim.
The Church of Our Lady of Joy in Furnas.
The baptismal font inside the church.
The sanctuary.
Closer view of the front.
Notice two Madonna statues.
The window at the back.
The village streets are narrow.
This sidewalk becomes non-existent further down.
Very colorful flowers in a yard in town.
Blue Hydrangeas are everywhere!
Our taxi driver told us that we had missed the peak of the blue hydrangea bloom in July, but there were still plenty of them to admire. Like the bush in this picture many, or most, of the blue blooms had faded to other colors by the time we were there. The Hydrangeas in the Azores are not native to the islands, but originated in Asia, and have clearly found a happy home on the volcanic islands. Apparently it is the acidic volcanic soil that makes them turn blue. It is believed that immigrants from the Azores brought these hydrangeas to the United States.
Tony's
Our taxi driver recommended this restaurant in Furnas.
It was really very good, and catered well to my vegetarian bent.
Monday, September 8, would be our first day of hiking with a planned 8 1/2 mile hike round trip from our hotel to Lagoa Das Furnas, one of the lakes in the three immense Volcano Caldeiras on the island of Säo Miguel. We would get to hike to our around all three. The word Caldeira, (English form is cauldron) originated in the Azores and refers to a volcano that has collapsed upon itself, leaving a crater.
The moon setting over the volcanic rim early Monday morning before we began our hike.
The equivalent of city hall near our hotel and on our hike route.
This spring behind the city hall building had fresh good water.
We had been provided ahead of time with descriptions and a map of each of the hikes and carried that with us. On our first day, though we followed the description explicitly, it did not match the map or beginning route well. We managed to find our way, but it was a bit frustrating, and we hoped for more accurate descriptions in the days that followed. The description for the second day's hike was even more inaccurate and/or confusing, but we managed to not get lost. The last three days descriptions were perfect, and matched the quality of information I had received from Inn Walking for my hike in Sweden three years ago.
A bunch of cats on the road entertaining us as we walked by.
The sign for the Lake that we reached at a different location than our map and directions showed.
But we got there, and enjoyed our hike around the lake.
These yellow and red trail markings would keep us where we belonged.
The green waters of Lagoa Das Furnas.
Swimming was strictly forbidden, but this water was not inviting.
Tree roots exposed in this little forest next to the lake.
These mounds are covering holes dug around the solfataras at hot springs by the lake.
The holes are there to place pots of a stew called Cosido das Furnas in to slowly cook for 5 to 6 hours. Several of the restaurants in Furnas feature this stew, including Tony's. It has to be ordered a day ahead, but since neither Erin nor I eat beef, we did not order the Cosido. Tony's also served a vegetarian version that did not have to be pre-ordered, and Erin had that one night and said it was delicious.
Looking into one of the Cozido "ovens."
And looking at the steam coming out of the bubbling water.
A creek flowing into the lake.
One of a collection of carvings along our trail.
One of many rock walls we would see throughout the island.
Looking across to the lake where there is a church we would eventually pass by.
The church up close.
The path continues.
Our route took us all around the lake and then sent us up a very steep road back to town.
The view from the top of the very steep road.
The road down into Furnas was VERY, VERY steep!
Another church in the outskirts of Furnas
Inside the church.
The streets are narrow.
It was interesting to watch this large truck with trailer navigate past the parked cars on this very narrow street
These hedge rows are tea plants.
We learned the tea plants take up to 9 years to mature and then they produce for 90 years or more. The leaves for the tea are harvested off the top of these hedge rows, cutting just the three top leaves.
The tea factory.
This is the last remaining tea plantation and factory on the island.
All of our hotels served Cha Correana.
No, it is not dead, but we wondered until we saw it move.
This cat was curled up in the sun outside the tea factory.
We saw lots of loose cats on our travels around Säo Miguel.
We finally found the trail overlooking the Atlantic.
Lots of these purple blossoms throughout the island.
Beautiful view of the coast line from the trail.
A bridge we crossed after a long descent into a ravine.
Looking down the ravine to the ocean.
The trail up is very, very steep on the right.
The steps cut in the hill side were steep and steeper and some tilted down.
I go up better than I go down on such surfaces.
This is one of the old water mills that we were to see on this hike.
It was the only one we actually saw.
Happy to have made it to the top, we definitely did not want to go back down!
See the frog poking out?
This was in a basin of water where we rested at the top of our climb up.
Some sheep we passed after we met a farm road on our way back to where we started.
And a horse.
Walking along the main road through town with little space on the side.
A church along the way, festooned with lots of lights.
Looking out the window of the cafe we found to have lunch.
Looking up the hill after lunch to the church in Lomba da Maia
The church where we began and ended this day's abbreviated and confusing hike.
Since our hike was shorter than anticipated we got back to our hotel early enough for me to explore a bit more in Furnas. We had walked by the entrance to a Botanical Garden several times, so I decided to go check it out. There were greenhouses growing a wide variety of plants and an area where animals were housed, and a pond with some very large Koi.
Two unusually (for me at least) colored ducks.
A couple of pigs hanging with a deer.
And a sweet kitty to send me off when I left.
Erin and I would come back on the next day to check our more of the gardens.
On Wednesday, September 10, we were taken to the marina at Vila Franca Do Campo to board a whale watching boat. It was a beautiful day to be on the water and we were happy to see whales and dolphins - two species of each. Don't remember what species the first whale was and we only saw a peak of its back. The other whale species was a sperm whale which I recognized from the pictures they'd shown us before we got in the boat. It had a calf with it and we got to see the mother whale's flukes (tail) as they dove - pretty cool. The pods of dolphins were really fun since they came right up next to the boat. They really put on quite a show for us. This day was my best chance of getting a swimming hole in because there was a beach right next to the marina, but the sun was hot and there was no shade on the beach, so after finding lunch nearby we headed back to Furnas.
The yellow boat is our whale watching vessel.
It's design surprised us both, but it worked well for viewing the sea mammals.
Leaving the arena on our whale watching cruise.
Dolphins in the picture.
I just wanted to get one picture as proof, but mostly I just watched them.
They were truly beautiful!
This is a small island off the coast by Vila Franco Do Campo that we went around on our way back to the Marina.
Another view of the little island.
Coming around to the other side I laughed to see the kayaks.
Reminded me of Fannette Island in Emerald Bay where people rent kayaks to visit the island.
Beautiful, bright leaves!
A chair with grandson Alex's name on it.
The view from up above the town.
Looking through the tree canopy.
These birds were back in town where we ate a small dinner outside a bakery.
On Thursday morning, September 11 we had to have our suitcases packed because we'd be moving to a different hotel for the next two nights. The taxi dropped us off at the trailhead for our day's hike and then delivered the luggage to the Hotel Vale Do Navio in the village of Capelas on the opposite end of the island. This third hike would be over 7 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1500 feet. We definitely got a work out, but this was probably the favorite hike for both of us. The scenery was very dramatic and the rising walls of the volcano's rim were amazing. Our trail description said, "A beautiful hike to the most exceptional and untamed lake of this island: the famous Lagoa do Fogo." It was indeed the most uninhabited area we hiked in, though there were lots of other hikers.
Lantana - I amazed myself by remember the name of this flower!
We saw it along the trail as we began our hike.
Kahili Ginger
These yellow blossoms were everywhere, like the Blue Hydrangeas.
A little stream along the trail.
Erin at the top of a long flight of stairs we had to climb.
Looking down from my location in the middle.
We reached this levada and building at the top of the stairs.
A levada is a water canal, and we would follow this for over a mile.
The trail next to the levada with plants over the top.
Levada on the left, dense forest on the right.
Looking up to the jagged top of the ridge.
A giant fern with a giant example of circinate vernation.
The beautiful and pristine lake.
This one was very inviting, but swimming was strictly forbidden.
What goes up must come down.
We climbed aways above the lake before making our descent.
We had beautiful views of the Atlantic before us as we made our way down.
The small island near where we'd whale watched the day before is in the foreground.
On the horizon is another of the islands of the Azores.
View from the hotel room balcony in Capelas.
Though our accommodations at Hotel Vale Do Navio were very nice, and we could see a glimpse of the Atlantic from our balcony, we did not have the same easy access to explore Capelas as we had in Furnas, and after this day's hike we were too tired to venture far. We had a wonderful, though pricey, dinner in the hotel dining room. The next day, Friday, September 12, we headed to Vista Do Rei to begin our hike down to Sete Cidades on the shore of two contiguous lakes: Blue Lake and Green Lake. Our hike would take us around the rim of the volcano and then descend sharply to the lakeside and Sete Cidades. Here is part of the description of this place taken from our trail guide: "Blue Lake and Green Lake, separated by a bridge made of 7 arches, that represent the seven cities of the lost continent: The Atlantis is supposedly located in the lake!"
Trailhead sign.
Our view of the two lakes from Vista Do Rei as we prepare to begin our hike.
Looking at the farmland adjacent to the trail.
The trail followed the ridge.
For most of the way there were steep drop offs on both sides behind the hedge of Hydrangeas and Kahil Ginger.
Looking down to the farmland that is near Sete Cidades.
Another view of the farmland with the lakes in view.
And on the ocean side - steep pastures.
A steep road down toward the ocean.
The white thing on the the top of the berm is a cow who had just looked over.
Blue Lake, looking pretty green today.
Heather on the side of the trail.
A corn field - we saw lots of cornfields over the course of the week.
A small island off the north shore of Säo Miguel.
Some cows next to us as we make the steep descent to the lake.
There were lots of these Holstein Dairy cows on the island.
Getting closer to the lake.
We shared the "trail" with farm equipment.
A pretty pink lily as we reach the bottom.
The picturesque church in Sete Cidades.
Another view of the church.
And inside.
Directional signs outside a souvenir shop.
A horse and cart with driver and dog inside.
The seven arched bridge on the Green Lake side.
Looking across Green Lake from the bridge.
And looking across Blue Lake from the bridge.
A sign describing what we were seeing.
At Tea.
We found a very sweet little tea shop on our way back to our meeting place for the taxi.
Our final hike was Saturday, September 13, and though it was less than 5 miles in some ways it was the most challenging for me. Yes, there was some hill climbing, but the problem for me was crossings with steep drop offs and no railing. I really am afraid of heights. There were two places where I thought I 'd have to turn around and go back, but I made it through, and we saw some unusual scenery, including tunnels we walked through and the Janela do Inferno (window of hell). This was also a day to change hotels so we were all packed and ready to go when the taxi picked us up.
The trailhead sign at the the beginning of the Rota da Agua (Water Route).
We started out in farmland where we could see the city of Ponta Delgada.
Steps going down and up over what looked like a never ending abyss.
And no handrails!
I took one look and said, "No! I can't do this."
Erin was a great sport and said it was OK, we could turn around, but then we managed to find a way around it by traversing some cow trails along a steep hillside and going around the top of this ravine. It was probably not much more than a quarter of a mile detour.
Looking at the end of this tunnel.
The tunnel curved and was long enough that we definitely needed our headlamps.
The ceiling was also pretty low, so we walked through bent over.
When we emerged from the tunnel it was like we'd entered another world.
Lots of lush vegetation - it felt like going through the closet into the land of Narnia.
(A Reference to C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.)
We passed under more than one arch.
A shorter tunnel.
Notice the trees clinging to the side of the bank.
Wonder how long before they fall.
More of the trail with another tunnel ahead.
And that hole above Erin is the Janela do Inferno.
There is a natural cavity in the cliff with springs that gush out of it.
Some how the "Window of Hell" does not seem a fitting name.
Another view of it.
And the next, I don't think I can do this!
It looked like another steep, un-railinged crossing.
But it turned out there were steps down next to the wall and then back up the other side.
Whew! It turned out to be the last daunting place.
Our last tunnel.
Which took us out of Narnia.
Though we did end up on a very narrow, overgrown trail before we ended.
Heading down another very steep hill into the village of Remedios.
After lunch at a food truck that was strategically placed at the beginning and end of this popular trail, our taxi arrived and we headed to Ponta Delgada and our last hotel, Residencial Alcides. We enjoyed exploring downtown Ponta Delgada, the capitol city, before our last night in the Azores and an early morning flight back to Barcelona.
The sidewalks and some streets were all beautifully tiled.
Many of the narrow streets were pedestrians only.
The church down near the water front.
The street leading away.
And the Central Cafe we had dinner at.
An interesting building.
Erin commented that this was the most elegant house we had seen the whole time we were in the Azores.
I think it might be apartments now, but formerly a single family home.
Looking out the plane window before our early morning flight to Barcelona.
Approaching the runway in Barcelona.
It was fun to recognize landmarks from having been there for two days.
The harbor.
We arrived at our airport hotel in the early afternoon and took a bus to La Rambla, the famous tourist street. We walked the whole length, found a wonderful restaurant for dinner and Ben and Jerry's for ice cream, and then decided to call it a day - we were both surprised how tired we were.
Arrived in San Francisco, Monday night, September 15.
Son Shawn met us at the airport, delivered Erin to her friend's house in South San Francisco, and then took me home with him to Richmond where I spent the night. I had enough time Tuesday morning to go for a short walk in his neighborhood before heading to the Amtrak Station where I would board the California Zephyr whose final destination is Chicago, but I would get off in Colfax. There was delightful, friendly staff on the train, including a conductor who said over the PA that it was his mission to get Amtrak to adopt the three Gs: Generosity, Gratitude and Grace. His message has potential to change the world!
Home again! Where Rob met me at the train station.
In lieu of other pets, here's Frankie!
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