Azores Easter Cruise - Ponta Delgada, Saõ Miguel Page

Good Friday 3rd April 2015

Up again at 7, as we were both escorting coaches on the Caldera Tour to Sete Cidada, which was such a washout last time we were here. My utter sweety of a guide, Gabriella, said she was confident it would be clear but not sunny & she was quite right. But before that, we went to the Botanical Gardens, seen before but sufficiently wacky (the architecture) to be worth seeing again (photos below).

Then, up the hill. It is an amazing view & it is only a pity that an over-enthusiastic French hotel firm had built a big hotel here, which is now an empty, derelict shell. No one would be able to resurrect it & it should be demolished & removed but who would pay for that? There appears to be a caldera within the outer caldera & at least one other volcanic cone in it as well. There is a romantic story about the two lakes but there would be.

Sete Cidada - TheBlue Lake above & the Green Lake below

The bridge between the lakes

The Village of Sete Cidada in the caldera

The derelict hotel eyesore

The outer caldera

Gabriella was not clear about calderas & craters, a distinction which had escaped her, so I gave my geology speech. We went on to a viewpoint where the North & South coasts were visible together & the remarkable number of volcanos which created a bridge between two islands to make Sao Miguel.

Then, on to the Pineapple Farm & Gabriella comes from a pineapple farming family, so what with her lecture & the queue in the shop, where we had tastings of pineapple products: wine, jam & chutney, we spent 45 minutes.Pineapple Farm photos on this link.

Back to the ship for lunch, after which, we went out to photo this part of the town, not done last visit. We eventually met scientists Nick & Gerry (something Czech) at a café, serving wretched coffee for €1.55 a cup. We wandered back with them after an exchange of views. More photos of Ponta Delgada on this link. The Show Team did a "Round the World" show, which was quite good. The clocks went on again, Madiera being on British time, like Mainland Portugal.