Hard to believe that we’d miss traffic jams and tall, cold buildings when we can look out the window every day and see this serene, pastoral setting. But a taste of the Rat Race reminds you how good it is to be away from it:)
Missing the Rat Race?
Merry Christmas to All
We’re travelling to be with family. Our house in the Azores has had some horrendous winds and cold temperatures, but family and friends watching over it have kept it safe and keep us updated. We have resigned ourselves to not having a white Christmas or a file in our favorite wood stove this year, but we’re with family and friends, missing home and other family, but all are happy and safe. Hope you are as well. If not, please contact me and let’s see what we can do to make your Holiday Season happier and safer. We’re here for you, no matter where we are and where you are:) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Overwatch
Overwatch — that’s what we used to call the team which had the best vantage point and sufficient power to keep an eye on anyone operating at a lower level. That’s the team who never tired, you could always count on, had the most creativity, communication skills and knew when to act and when not to.
Here at Casa da Sonho, we currently have a great overwatch team commanded by a great friend and neighbor… and her team:)
Drinking with new friends
So if you’re looking to find something to keep you busy, help your adopted community, and meet some great folks, look into joining the local neighbors who gather every Tuesday to make and serve lunch for area seniors.
Sofia and Christine (neighbor ahd childhood BFF) join local ladies, share recipes and family stories each week, while whipping up some truly delectable dishes. Meanwhile, a local bus picks up about 25 seniors, brings them to the Casa da Povo, where everyone enjoys updates, cards, crafts, and memories.
It’s refreshing and invigorating. Astonishment abounds. One gentleman who was older than 80 excused himself from the table to answer his cell phone. I was astonished because he grew up in the days of horse and donkey carts, cars, airplanes, wars, wired telephones phones, television, and now mobile phones. Amazing!!
Equally amazing is how the Casa da Povo still is a center of village activity, bullfights and celebrations, concerts, dances, and religious observances still provide so much social structure to this island with one movie theater and no malls.
I only hope I can enjoy as much at that age.
“Happy wife, Happy life…” so the saying goes. Happy wife has more flowers around the house…
Thank goodness, we have more flowers, a new flower bed on each side of the front walkway, and a more difficult lawn mowing job…do you detect just a little sarcasm?
Things here on the island run slow. Very slow. Sofia planned the flower beds last January, we ordered the cement borders from mainland, they arrived in August, and we planted them yesterday. Our wonderful neighbor helped, and we spent most of the day working on flower beds in our yard, in the street in front of our house (a turn-around overlooking the bay and a popular place for tourists) and in Christina’s yard.
One stereotype for retirees is “working in the garden.” I wasn’t expecting that to be part of my retirement. Hmmmmm, expectations and life don’t always balance out, right? But…. Happy wife, Happy life:)
Traditions at Casa da Sonhos
Like our family, Casa da Sonhos is a mix of traditions from the US and Portugal. Many of the homes here, some dating back hundreds of years, boast hand-painted tiles by the door with the name of the family living there. Our hand-painted tile (made by one of the oldest tile painters in Praia da Vitoria) was embedded into the wall by an excellent craftsman and friend, Domingos; it’s literally the last thing we needed to complete construction on Casa Da Sonhos (still have things to add, but home construction is complete now!)
Another tradition is the morning coffee, hand-ground by the grinder my father used when I was born (long, long time ago:). This grinder has travelled the world and is now still grinding beans into a fresh cup of joe very morning. One of my earliest memories is this grinder sitting on the old blue kitchen cabinet which moved with my family from Ada to Iron Mountain, Mansfield, and many points in between. Now it sits in the kitchen window in Porto Martins, Azores and reminds me each time of mom and dad.
Friend Domingos putting up our traditional Azorean Tile nameplate
Home…
Moving, visiting, or returning; I always visit the library!
Wherever I go, I strive to learn more about the local culture, and one of the best places is always the local library. I always meet the librarians; they have a broad spectrum of resources, they are friendly, smart, and helpful. (See Janie, I do like librarians:))
In our new home, the library also happens to be in the same building where my darling bride attended school nearly half a century ago — I was starting high school then:) She remembers walking up these same steps. We also learned the librarian attended the same school when she was that age. Small world:)
Take it from me, if you travel, move, retire, adopt a different culture, or just plain want to relax and learn at your own pace (no homework!) get a library card…I always have and always will. You learn more, meet some amazing people, and it doesn’t cost a thing!
Terceira – sharing fresh ingredients makes several families happy:)
Neighbors and sharing are truly a way of life here. Latest example involved our neighboring field, where we’ve gotten to know the farmers, the cows, and enjoy one of the farmer’s serenading the cows with hymns while he’s milking them…rain or shine.
Today Sofia said Hi (Actually she said ‘Ola’) to the brothers and offered them some of her favorite dessert here…fresh Arroz Doce, or Sweet Rice. While I am not crazy about it, many people in her family beg her to make some for family picnics, gatherings, etc.
So she lowered a pitcher, Jose sent up fresh milk (I mean right from the cow fresh!) and she fired up the Bimby, made a batch of Arroz Doce, and lowered it down the wall to the field below where Jose, and his brother Manuel, were just taking the cows home.
Traveling mainland Portugal lately … a little of everything
Seems like forever since I wrote, sorry. Traveled with family to mainland, just for a short trip off island. Stayed at a friend’s apartment, rented a car, and had a great time. Never enough time to see everything you want; visited shops, fantastic bakeries, beaches, landmarks, and malls.
The one greatest thing about retiring outside the U.S.A. is the unbelievable diversity. I was never raised as a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy, and traveling in mainland emphasizes that every minute. Of course, they have meat and potatoes, but also every manner of fish, cous cous, rice, pastries, and candies. One of our best meals was fire-roasted pork ribs and potatoes in a little out of the way restaurant near Sintra, run for decades by an magnificent lady called Alice — thus I dubbed it “Alice’s Restaurant.” So we sat at the Group W Bench and chatted with Alice about her history, the good times and bad, how she had stayed with the business so long, etc. (Officer Obie was long gone by then:)) She was wonderful, the food was wonderful, and there is no way I could find this place again without GPS. But I will try, believe me!
For a history buff, Lisboa has a lot. I have visited many times and only scratched the surface. I’ll keep going back as long as I can. One trek I still want to make is to walk over the Roman aqueduct built in the 1600s. You can walk from one end to the other, and it completely bisects the town so the view must be awesome. It’s not a “ruin,” it’s in perfect shape, so the folks who built it really knew what they were doing! Not to mention museums, cathedrals, gardens, narrow streets and stairways, and of course, the warm reception from nearly everyone.
So please put Lisbon on your list. It’s awesome, fun, crowded, and warm. I think you can’t help but love it. See you there!
FBT … Future Bullfighters of Terceira
Perhaps the best bullfight of the season…a field-based bullfight with younger children and smaller bulls
Of the dozens of street bullfights we’ve attended this summer season, none hold a candle to the one in the field behind my old house in Porto Martins. It was very young bulls (or maybe cows) and very young bullfighters (I wonder when girls/young ladies/women on the island will venture into the field?) but the average age was around 13-ish, I’m guessing.
Grass was wet, the animals and the people slipped, the umbrellas (used for egging on a bull) were severely battered, and more than one person ended up smacking into the bull, on the ground under the animal, and one of the handlers even had a horn rip his pants, much to the crowd’s delight.
If you’re not familiar, the horns of each bull are protected by screwing “caps” of brass onto the horns while they are still in their box. (I got to watch closely for once, and they actually used a pipe wrench to put it on and off) to protect the would-be matadors. Just as in the street bullfights, the animals are tethered to a long rope with six brave and true handlers helping guide the bull up and down the field, and they can attempt to restrain an “out of control” animal…but this rarely happens.
There are many traditions associated with these street bullfights, which brings entire communities together throughout the summer months. This field bullfight for younger people helps ensure that future generations will observe these same traditions. And it was exciting fun at the same time:)
Been busy here, taking a breather….
- Beach
- Coffee
- Beach
- Festivals
- Bullfights
- Family lunches
- Family Dinners
- Romantic Dinners
- Beach
- Coffee
Praia Festas…Let the Good Times Roll!
This is the beginning night of Praia Festas, when thousands of Azoreans, European, American and Canadians converge in our happy little burg. Nightly parades, concerts, restaurants from all regions, large quantities of wine, gin, caipirinhas, and other adult beverages, and friends and family for one glorious week.
We started the evening with a Mexican dinner for neighbors. Our patio with a great view, flawless weather (slight breeze, sunlight, mid-80’s temperatures) and Sofia’s fantastic enchiladas, tacos, real American sour cream (thank you Nancy and Glenn), margaritas, Sangria, and fantastic tart (obrigada Lucia). Lots of food prep and cleaning (well, nothing’s perfect) and our fabulous neighbor Cristina’s help, everyone had a great time.
For me, after the margaritas ran dry, I resorted to my favorite Gin and Tonic with one GIANT ice cube which lasted all night (thank you Bill!).
Then we all went down to the festivals, crowds, parades, music, and floats. You can imagine, parking was a nightmare, but we had a great spot reserved for us (obrigado Jose Luis) and by the time we got home, we were dragging, happy, and slept well.
My darling wife wanted to come back to her home, have fun with her family, go swimming nearly every day and have coffee with her father, and enjoy the bullfights and festivals. She designed a house to facilitate large dinner gatherings, and have a magnificent view of the ocean and the town where she grew up. There have been many trials and tribulations (and more to come I’m sure) but last night, it all worked. Missing my girls, but still have a wonderful family night on the island. Muito Obrigada!!!
The Sun Also Rises
As a major portion of the United States battles record triple-digit heat, a slightly-warm day started with a pulse-stirring sunrise. So while I do miss the fast pace of life of the East Coast, there are some redeeming elements to life in the middle of the Atlantic.
We have had our share of excitement on Terceira this week. In the marina just below our house, authorities seized a sailboat (single mast, looks to be about 26-foot or so) and tore the boat apart to find nearly 500 kilos (a little more than one ton) of cocaine. The two sailors have been locked up. The boat has been impounded, and sources say the policia will soon burn the cocaine. None of this had any impact on the majority of the population; we sat on our beach catching some rays on the opposite side of the bay.
In all honesty, a major drug bust does not crush our idea of an island paradise. Traffic jams still consist of four or five cars and tracks and tractors waiting while a herd of cows goes down the street. We still have to wait a minute of two for a parking spot downtown. There are still long lines at the gas station…sometime three cars waiting at once.
So, with my apologies to Ernest Hemmingway, Errol Flynn, and Tyrone Power, I repeat my discovery for today…the Sun Also Rises…on another magnificent day in Terceira!
Gone….but never forgotten
With mixed emotions we bid farewell to the USCGC Eagle after participation in the Praia da Vitoria celebration of the U.S. 4th of July celebration. Apparently much of it was organized by the US Embassy Lisbon. I spent a great deal of time with the cadets (drinking in rain-soaked bars and hiking down island trails) and also talking with embassy, Camara da Praia, and base officials.
I expect that to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S State Department, this was mostly a training opportunity for the cadets and a Show of the Flag operation. To many of us living on this remote island in the Atlantic, this was a tremendous reminder of the country we love. Many hundreds of us visit our homeland occasionally, talk to loved ones there often, and watch day-old newscasts about what’s happening at home. We talk often (with some adult beverages involved) about the good, the bad, the great memories, the pain and the joy of our lives in America. Behind each face in each discussion are memories, some good, some painful, but each amplifying diverse emotions. This diversity is bound together by one thing which was on display for a few days in the harbor…our love of a great nation!
Thank you to every American tax payer that footed the bill for this visit. Lest we ever complain about how your tax dollar is used (of course, I never have:) ) we thank you for the pittance spent on this USCGC Eagle visit. I, for one, truly appreciate this reminder. And thanks again to Lee Greenwood for a tag line….
From the room with the view….the kitchen table:) Welcome U.S. Coast Guard!!!
Throughout the years as an Air Force enlisted, officer, government civil servant, and several other roles not mentionable, there have been a few defining imprints on my memory.
- Basic training and ROTC graduation ceremonies where friends and family came to see me take my oaths. Grandma Crall drove from Michigan to Texas to see me march and graduate at Lackland AFB. Major Don Bogue drove from Alabama to Wichita overnight to give me my commission oath.
- A C-130 finally (did I emphasize finally!) arrive in the uncharted parts of Honduras to lift my team out of a dirt runway where we’d spent hours wishing for Godfather’s Pizza from San Antonio, and got it…with ice cold cokes!
- Directing an F-15 Flyby of the Luxembourg American Cemetery for memorial Day observances and the guys from Bitburg AB executed THE PERFECT Missing Man formation.
- Retiring to our small island and then seeing the Stars and Stripes sail into harbor below our humble home the day before our troubled nation’s 2019 July 4th observance.
Maybe “Defining imprints” should be redefined as “things-you-never-thought-could-make-you-feel-better-and-then-you-learn-you-were-wrong.”
I’ve known some great “Coasties” in my time, top among them might be Admiral Salerno, Admiral Watson, Nick Pardi and Captain Fish, but to a guy sitting at breakfast on a small island in the Atlantic away from family and remembering many Independence Days in the far corners of the world, no one looked better today than those cadets bringing in the USCGC Eagle. None of them will ever know what I felt; and God willing, none of them will ever know where and how I’ve felt on many July Fourths, but they are absolutely the top of the United States military today. Some will be great leaders, some will lose interest, some will and leave their uniforms behind, but today, they are my greatest American Heroes.
Thank you, U.S. Coast Guard. And as Lee Greenwood sang to us in a hangar in Korea at the end a week-long combat exercise…”God Bless The U.S.A.”
When you take time to see the world, Terceira has some fantastic examples of the old and the new side by side
I love the juxtaposition of Terceira, I always have. From antiquated (maybe I should say more restrictive) dating protocols to donkey carts with milk cans in a parking meter zone, the old and the new live side by side and strongly influence each other.
I’m truly amazed when I visit Padre Candido’s grave in the Praia cemetery (Padre Candido performed every ceremony for my wife’s generation in the main church — baptisms, communions, confirmations, and funerals) where many visitors still are shrouded completely in black to visit their loved one’s graves. This year, across the street from the cemetery, is our newest restaurant, a Burger King with signs in English and the tallest, most non-traditional sign towering above the antique cemetery.
Recently we’re trudging through yet another cow pasture as part of another marked hiking trail. We head down a dirt trail and pass one of the hundreds of hand-built, stone barns which have served families and their cows for centuries. Behind one I hear and then see a geothermal electric generation facility – the second largest in the world when it opened in 2017. This system (trying to paraphrase some really tough words) harnesses the steam and pressures in the volcanic island to generate about 10% of the island’s electricity. And 50 feet away, farmers repair rock walls and old wooden gates to keep milk cows in their pasture.
Sometimes I wonder how the generations and technological advances exist. One anthropological measure of a culture explores how change and tradition interact. From my limited understanding of these wonderful people in this European environment, I have to admire how they go to church on Sundays and Holy days, and then drive both donkey carts and GPS-guided tractors to their fields to raise sustenance for their families.
It’s not always a perfect balance, and it’s not always peace and harmony. But it is working, and I’m having a magnificent time exploring and learning about how they maintain traditions and also capitalize on new technology. I’m learning more about my neighbors, my in-laws, and I’m even learning more about myself and America.
So when I get impatient and frustrated with stores are closed for lunch, or when the cows are blocking the road while I’m in a hurry, I force myself to remember that this island is not “backwards,” they are more advanced than I was when living in DC. They have evolved into a more balanced way of coping with life!
Meeting the nicest people is the strangest places
After a wonderful (and very windy) family picnic yesterday, several of us decided to “walk off the calories” climbing to the top of nearby Pico Matius Simao, a tall rocky outcrop near Altares, towering above farmlands, villages, and the on the very edge of the Atlantic ocean. Up there we met a very friendly farmer who helped us identify distant sights, gave us directions to another great trail to hike, and described some of the recent storm damage which washed away streets in nearby villages. Never got his name, just a very friendly guy showing some Canadian friends around his island.
The next time I saw him he was desperately grasping a cement power pole on the main street while an angry bull tried to vent it’s hostilities on the guy hanging above the bull. Perhaps an explanation is in order?
After the man’s group left the Pico (in a classic VW Beetle – I’d say circa 1968 to 1970 or so) they were off to nearby Quatro Ribeiro to watch one of the islands 5 street bullfights for yesterday’s Portuguese holiday. It was a small crowd (about 1,000 or so), winds had died down somewhat, and four bulls. The first bull was easily tired out, the second charged toward a crowd behind a cement wall and broke a tip off a horn, and the third bull had energy and charged toward the same crowd, egged on by several skilful folks teasing with umbrellas and red cloth. The gentleman in question was leaning on a power pole in a yard about 1 meter above street level, protected by the cement wall, when the bull decided he’d had enough. Mr. Bull jumped over the wall, chased some of the folks around a nice family’s front yard, and then spied our farmer friend by the power pole. Bull charged, and our new friend clambered up the pole, where he hung on for about 3 minutes before the bull was pulled back into the street.
You’d have to understand the Terceira fascination with street bullfights (Search YouTube for Terceira Bullfights, there are many there!). Bullfights are an island tradition dating back to the middle 1400’s; they provide sport for the people, do not harm the bulls, a great social environment, a boost for local economies, a great chance for young guys (and some not so young) to show off for girls, young ladies and wives, spend a few hours and have days worth of conversation.
If someone had told me 25 years ago that I’d be sitting on a wall around a church built in 1451 watching a friendly farmer get “treed” by an angry bull for holiday fun, I would have been EXTREMELY skeptical. Yet here I am, loving it, sometimes having so much fun getting to know people, history and culture, and yes, drinking a bier or two with friends and family.
Makes me wonder who I’ll meet next, or where:)
Top of the Volcano…long way up and down:)
If you leave at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, you might miss the crowds. Family invited us along to enjoy another “medium” trail to the top of the volcano crater which takes up a large part of volcanic Ilha Terceira (the last eruption in this crater was in 1761). It is truly beautiful, truly inspiring, truly more than a “3-hour tour'” and truly more difficult than “medium” as tourists are told. But it was wonderful.
Loose rocks, disgruntled cows, high winds at the summit, ropes to help with the climb, looking straight down more than 700 meters, and puzzling over why there are a few trees much taller and straighter than the rest of the trees in the crater. One young lady only fell a few times, once into a deep crevasse, but nothing serious (brave, tough, and beautiful, that’s how these island woman are!). We saw dozens of different types of trees, soils, rocks, flowers, birds… all things which probably fascinated Darwin when he went to the crater September20, 1836. Beautiful. But then again, he was a lot younger than I.
We braved wind and sun, made it up and down, and pretty much arrived home exhausted. But what a fabulous trip with loved ones all loving nature! Can’t wait to do it again.
Darwin was right…
He visited Terceira on the Beagle on 16 September 1836 and liked Terceira
When I announced I was retiring to this island, many many many (enough get the idea?) friends and family inquired regarding my sanity…seems no one thought I could just “retire,” as apparently some perceive it against my nature of staying busy. So I added that I would find something to occupy my mind … something besides gin and beaches.
My dear friend and colleague Vince provided me with a unique opportunity when he was researching where I would retire; Vince discovered a book by Patrick Armstrong from the University of Western Australia’s Department of Geology entitled Charles Darwin’s Last Island: Terceira, Azores, 1836. Vince also helped me get in touch with Professor Armstrong, who applauded my plan and sent me one of his last autographed copies of the 64-page book. Armstrong has written extensively on the voyages of the HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin.
My project to stay busy is to examine various accounts of the stop at Terceira (after five years at sea) before Darwin finally returned to England. My plan is to develop a presentation for tourists of Darwin’s stops around the island, his comments and impressions, and offer a better understanding of his work at Terceira. It seems Darwin liked the island, the geology, the flora and fauna, the people and culture. So do I. So to learn more about my adopted home, I will retrace his impressions. (To do the project justice, I must also learn more about some of Darwin’s observations in geology, botany, natural history, evolution, and socioeconomic cultures).
As a side note, Author Patrick Armstrong visited Terceira for his book in May of 1992, unbeknownst to me. At that time I was stationed at Lajes AB with the American Air Force and was busy planning my wedding to the most beautiful girl on the island in just a few months. Indeed, it is entirely possible that the professor and I dined at the same places and visited the same landmarks simultaneously and didn’t know it.
So if you’re used to being active, using both brain and technology to make some contribution to our civilization (no matter how small), and retiring, I suggest you look at your skills, find a project which keeps them sharp, and set a leisurely course for a project to give you something to think about … and if it helps you learn more about your new environment, so much the better.
When in Rome…
I’ve never been a huge fan of one of the island’s main entertainments; nearly every village hosts several street bullfights each year. According to my friend from Taxi Amigo Hildeberto, they’ve been hosting street bullfights on Terceira since 1622. That’s nearly 500 years of tradition, so who am I to not embrace a time-honored tradition? As usual, we had a wonderful time, there is some suspense and action, punctuated by some lulls to grab a beer and bifanas, catch up on neighborhood or international politics, and enjoy the scenery. This bullfight is along the street bordering the ocean, outside the community center and a grand old church.
Street “bullfights” are kind of a misnomer, the bulls are not “fought” but rather taunted by brave souls who demonstrate their agility by running and jumping out of the bull’s way. Spectators line the streets and are kept safe by sitting on high walls or behind them. Each bull, before it is let out of the wooden crate they are delivered in, has a rope placed around it’s neck and six guys hang on to the rope to keep the bull in check and to “guide” him along so everyone along the street gets to see the show. Then the bulls are led back into their crates, the bulls return to their mountain home to graze and do what bulls do, while everyone walks home and discusses which bulls had more temper, which person did the best job of evading upset bulls (or didn’t, but usually no ambulances are called) and what everyone was wearing, how fast the kids are growing, and the latest futebol scores.
I try to embrace everything when I move around. I volksmarched in Germany, sat around the fire and ate almonds in Tunisa, sunned on beaches in Spain, danced in “A”-town” outside Kunsan, and made booze runs to “wet” counties to stock party barges in Arkansas. Some things are naturally enjoyable, some things are an acquired taste, some things are just necessary to make the warden happy. I may never “sign up” for something, but I always find some friends, some comfort, and some new joys when I try to broaden my horizons. Variety is the spice of life:)