Morning walks along the boardwalk in Praia include large ceramic plaques of historical explanations…this one showing the port in 1832.
Morning constitutionals, or walks along the sunlit boardwalk in Praia Da Vitoria, are always relaxing, healthful, stress-reducing, and educational. The government has installed numerous historical explanations of the city’s growth and contributions to the Acores, Portugal, and Europe. This 1832 illustration shows a busy port with mountains surrounding the bay…and our Casa da Sonhos is one of those mountains.
A warm sun, a slight breeze, the sounds of waves breaking slowly on the rocks and sandy beaches, the friendly neighbors walking and the heartfelt greetings of “Boa Dia” represents a great stress-reducing exercise.
Amid masks, we ventured out with friends to hear Resident Organist Gustaf and Flutist Rodrigo perform in the Church Choir Loft.
After many months, Sunday our friend Jerry invited us to hear his friend Gustaaf play Harpsichord and the 1788 Pipe Organ built into the church in Angra do Heroismo. Gustaff was joined by friends on the flute and cello.
The day was awesome! About 20 people (aged from about 5 years old to about 65 years old) spent an hour sitting (with masks) in the choir loft of this magnificent church which is incorporated now into the Musee da Angra do Heroismo. After the event, we had a sumptuous Chinese dinner across the street and drove home through the green mountains under a bright blue sky. The only thing that could have improved this magnificent day was…well, nothing!
I’ve always loved harpsichord music, and Gustaaf was fantastic. He is also the resident organist at Igreja de Nossa a Senhora da Guia, the church built in 1672, nearly destroyed by the 1980 earthquake, and now restored; so Gustaaf played some Bach just to give us a thrill. He also played several selections on the harpsichord, (in my humble opinion one of the most underrated musical instruments of the world). The flute and cello accompaniments were excellent and added even greater depth.
Following the concert and some pleasant visits with old friends (still in masks) we ventured across the street to a Chinese restaurant (you have to know it’s there, no signs on the streets of this UNESCO Heritage City). The last time we had dined here was several years ago with Sofia’s father and his wife after Mass at the Angra Cathedral. Since he passed last month, the dinner was a bittersweet memory, but the food was great. (Yes, I ate too much!)
Just to be clear, there are some challenges to life in the Azores, life in retirement, life in a country you’re not used to yet, and life in a pandemic. Challenges have always attracted me. But last Sunday’s challenges were easy to overcome, and more importantly, just about heavenly! Great friends, great food, great music, and fantastic history…all enjoyed with social distance, masks, and appropriate safety. I just don’t see how it can get much better than this!
Hard to believe in just a few months the sand will be gone, the umbrellas will be out, and the families will be frolicking in the surf…to most, not soon enough!
Winter is hard on the beaches in Praia (which means “beach”) and the winds, sands, tides, and storms, deposit a lot more sand even inside the bay. So each year about this time, the Camara da Praia da Vitoria (City of Praia da Vitoria) brings in trucks, tractors, and excavation equipment to redistribute the sand and carve out a pleasant beach for the year.
Some say it’s the first sign on spring.
Some poor schmucks like to agree, but instead know that “Spring Cleaning” is the first sign of spring. So when the sun comes out, the winds die down (slightly), and “outdoor dining” becomes tenable, one unnamed individual labors at power washing the veranda, getting the Terra Trikes out and oiled up, and cleaning cobwebs off the eaves.
I know, it could be worse. I haven’t shoveled any snow in several years. Moving the furniture on smooth tile floors is easy and painless. The windows have power shutters, so cleaning them isn’t too time consuming, and honestly makes everything look a lot brighter. Mowing the grass is more than physical exercise, it’s intellectually challenging, with three “smaller” yards separated by tiled cement, two of them are “triangular” and so I experiment with the most efficient way to cut them and empty the clippings. (So my definition of “intellectually-challenging” has evolved since days of military tactics and community and media relations, and snow plowing:))
Either way, we also have more time to get together with friends and family in our relatively Covid-free environment, share some chats, wine, and more than enough food. Way more than enough. (A wonderful Italian neighbor just dropped off a pot of Cabbage Soup which smells fantastic:))
So as spring comes, we welcome some changes (NOT spring cleaning), but watching the sand disappear on the beach. We prepare for the joys of the change of seasons! And that is the best part of island life today. Relaxing with friends, fine wine, and anticipation of next month….
Today it hit…not just a Storm, Intermittent Sunshine, Rainbows galore. “It” was the big Sixty-Five (65) years of age.
Friends from all over the world sent notes, congratulations, missals, messages, jokes, more jokes, jokes in German, Portuguese, French, English. Even heard from an old friend now in Nigeria. Two things transcend all these languages:
1. the numerals 6 and 5. 65.
2. the label “old.”
Guess now I must be officially old. I have many great friends and colleagues who far surpass that age. I am often prone to quote Indiana Jones and quip “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” I contend — and almost everyone who knows my history — I have a LOT of miles on me:)
To celebrate, my darling wife (she points out that she is now 56 and I’m 65, and our actual birth years perfectly coincide with our ages) graciously took me to dinner at Buzios in Porto Martins. Now just a stone’s throw from our place, it was also the location of our very first date years (and years) ago. We had a wonderful dinner. I didn’t eat as much…I’m older now:)
Wiser? Guessing not. I opted to wear a white shirt and ordered Vinho Tinto (red wine) and pasta with shrimp and tomato sauce. So, no, not the wisest thing I’ve ever done. Kind of messy, and I’m hoping the stains come out of the shirt.
So older, yes. Wiser? Not so much! But feeling full:)
Perfect Quarantine Sunday here; hanging clothes, cooking Sopa da Cenoura (Carrot Soup…it’s great!!!) and listening to the news:)
We minimize time with family and friends, often just hunkering down with a movie and a fire in the stove as the wind and rains pound our Casa Da Sonhos. But when we wake to a Sunday with Sun (actually sunshine in Praia, although the Serra da Cume mountain ridge behind is is still shrouded in clouds) it’s time to embrace our “minimal contact” while Europe battles yet more strains of the virus.
So we wash the bedding and hang it to dry. It’s Sunday, so it’s time to teach me to make my favorite Portuguese dish…Sopa da Cenoura (Carrot Soup). It was the first dish I ever ate on the island (Rhonda took me to Restaurante Atlanico by the Aeroporto in 1990 the night I arrived at Lajes) and I’ve been a fan ever since. No one makes it better than Sofia’s mother and now Sofia (she pays me to say that:)) and now I’m learning how to make it…hopefully with just the right “bite” of Massa Malagueta (great homemade spicy stuff:))
After lunch, I’ll be going for my walk on the shore and then enjoy a nice steak dinner, with soup and rice, red wine, and a pleasant move with my darling, after a call or message to check on daughters in the states. At one point (or many) during the day, we’ll turn to each other, hug and smile, and remark…”if you have to survive a worldwide pandemic, this is the best way to do it!” So far, knock on wood, we’re surviving well.
So if walking each day is better for your heart and brain…nothing more refreshing than a stroll against the wind!
So cardiologists and medical experts seem to agree with my wife, and she is not making those big bucks. Since I got back to the island, appeared after quarantine, and returned to her kitchen, she thinks eating fish, fruit, veggies, and walking every day will make me live longer. So I’ve “volunteered” to live longer…strengthening my heart, my mind, and my legs with morning walks.
Honestly, I can’t complain (that doesn’t mean I don’t!) when morning walks along the coast feature friendly greetings, occasionally warm greetings from puppies also out walking, a coffee at one end or the other, and best of all, wild wind and waves. Recently a storm brought waves crashing over the breakwalls, over the sidewalks, roads, and yes, even the occasional pedestrian. It was AWESOME! Anyone can walk in the sun, but a 40-knot wind and 4-meter waves…that’s for me.
So you see, not only do I have a better lifestyle, a longer lease on life (Covid permitting) and some delicious seafood and fresh fruits and veggies for lunch (still have to have some red wine with lunch!) I also increase the expectation that medical visits will decrease and I’ll meet more friendly folks on walks.
Now, if I could just convince her and the doctors that Gin is a clear liquid and also healthy…:) Meantime, see you at the beach.
Darn the bad luck…The boss doesn’t want me to hang clothes:(
I do try. Honest. I try to eat the local dishes, speak and write the local dialect, even work around the house to clean and shine the way she and her family have done it for generations. But I’m so disappointed…she doesn’t like the way I put clothes on the line. So she asked me to not help her hang clothes.
Oh darn, I guess I’ll never get the hang of it….pun intended. So if you see her hanging clothes and need to see me…I’m inside drinking a beer:) Or putting the clothes into the dryer!
Visiting Matriz da Praia, the church where Sofia and I got married
Returning at Christmas (Natal) in Praia da Vitoria, some things haven’t changed since 1679, other things are amazingly different. The church is still beautiful, intricate, very hallowed. It’s also empty, as are the streets. Few pedestrians on the fussgangerzone (Pedestrian zone) and they are mostly wearing masks. Traditional warm greetings of Boas Festas (literally Good Celebration) are now largely replaced by a semi-curt nod; only the eyes if you’re close enough to see them relay warmth. Largely the wonderment of the season is replaced by the trepidation of “What’s tomorrow bringing?” When family gathers (many times, but only up to 10 at a time) discussions of “What’s happening in America?” and “What do you hear of things on mainland Portugal?”
One of the first stops on returning the island is always Matriz da Praia where we married many many many years ago. A visit to the cemitario to pay respects to friends, family and always Padre Candido, the wonderful priest who married us (and baptized Sofia, and confirmed, etc…). For me, I guess it’s a way of re-establishing my roots in my adopted home; it always works to get my mind back into island life.
And it helps get ready for this weird Christmas season…the knowledge that each of the generations before have not had Covid, but they have all faced challenges and triumphed. As will we!!!!
Wanted to spend some time with my offspring in the states. Left two days before Thanksgiving…2019. Had wonderful holidays, did some travelling (never enough), visited friends and made planes to visit more, then the world changed and we found ourselves “locked down” in the States. So we adjusted; got a couple of part-time jobs, got an apartment in Alexandria, and spent most of our time watching Netflix from the comfort of our little futon. Occasionally I would help out in my old office in the Department of the Interior, go grocery shopping with one daughter, meander up the liquor store, and wait for the world to change back. Making calls, video chats, Zoom meetings, and the like…some local, and some long distance!
So it was a different Rat Race, but we evolved until we could return to our island paradise, family, friends (all wearing masks now)! So we’re back in Porto Martins, sitting on our couch, wearing masks, watching Netflix, occasionally going grocery shopping, and calling friends and family to see how everyone how everyone is weathering….still some calls are local and some are long distance.
Saved considerable amounts of money on this lockdown…since I’m High-Risk for the virus, I didn’t want to risk exposure to a barber when they did open things up. Some say “it’s the real you” and others say “Arghhhh, get a haircut!” Maybe when things settle down after the vaccines are out:)
Annual Praia Fest parades cancelled this year for the pandemic, sad but necessary.
Missing Home! Yesterday Air Azores started flights back to the island for the first time in months. First flights were filled, we hear. This also on the heels of news that the U.S. is not on the list allowing visitors to Europe, and the slightly confusing reports that the Azores may or may not play by the same rules. We’ll wait and see what options develop; we miss home and we also love so many friends and family on the island that we have no desire to endanger any of them. Meanwhile, we isolate, watch TV, and drink Aguar Dente!
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:)
Bumper Junior and Easy E stand OverwatchDonkeys on nearby Captain’s Mountain (Pico do Capitao) overlooking Casa da Sonhos
Sofia and Christina join ladies at Porto Martins Senior’s Support activity
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.
The warden and her friend clean up after we put in a flower bed lining the walkway between our front door and the front gate at Casa Da Sonhos. So when you come visit, you’ll be greeted by beauty, warmth, and love.
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:)
Moving, visiting, or returning; I always visit the library!
My darling returns to her roots…we visit the Praia da Vitoria Public Library…in the same building where she attended first through third grade…up these same stone steps!
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!
Lisboa Caparica Praia – the beaches outside Lisbon are busy, hot, and have great surf. Every kind of people, young, old, gorgeous, friendly, and of many nationalities…just one of the many attractions after a short drive…traffic permitting:)
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!
The USCGC Eagle sails out of Praia da Vitoria, still flying the beautiful U.S. flag. We spent many hours with the crew and cadets, including eating, drinking, hiking, touring, and standing in the rain. Seeing the flag makes us feel great about my past defending the U.S.A. and talking with the cadets makes me feel better about the future of the U.S.A.
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….
Hours into a hiking trail, we crossed through fields of cows (some not too happy to see us) and then discovered this aging barn…next to the island’s 2017 four-megawatt geothermal plant harnessing subterranean renewable energy; to be the second largest binary geothermal plant in the world.
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!
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.
Hiking trails dot the island, and longer summer days are a fantastic chance for families and friends to get together, laugh hysterically, and get some exercise. Fair warning…hiking up some of these hills take a lot of energy:)
Living many years in Germany, I have Volksmarched in hundreds of villages, always enjoying the company, the camaraderie, wine, bier and soup. I still have many medallions by which to remember these walks. (Try explaining to the wife why we need to keep these memories and move them around the world for decades while they stay in a box in the garage!) Terceira boasts many magnificent marked walking trails, so we forego the medallions and take long leisurely (mostly) walks with friends, family, and folks we’ll get to know better.
Birds, cows, bulls, scenic shorelines, waves, distant sailboats, and historic buildings are commonplace. Seems like every turn on the trail brings us to an old barn, fort, and farmers caring for their herds. Ancient stone “line shacks” built generations ago for people and equipment to brave high winds and rain while tending herds of milking cows, horses and donkeys. Historic forts along the coast bear witness to the defense of islands centuries ago, and shrines, memorials, and crosses bear witness to generations of hard-working people and their struggles, sacrifices and triumphs. Walking these trails also gives a retiree time to think about our lives; for example, I record most of my struggles, sacrifices and triumphs on digital media…so generations from now, will my grandchildren (sem dica filhas, não apressando ninguém) miss the sun, fresh winds, and exercise of these walks)? Will they miss climbing those damn high hills?
Speculation is academic, I learned many years ago to live in the moment. I’ll forego the medallions, forego the bier, brötchen and wurst (sadly), and strike out on a new trail to make new memories. Evening hikes on Terceira with family and friends make new memories and I recommend them highly. They make wonderful moments, enjoyable blog content (I hope), exciting digital photos, and that’s important to me right now!
View of Porto Martins from the top of the trail near Tres Marias, Terceira, Azores, Portugal.
Visiting from the states for their first overseas travel, our dear friends spent a week touring our island and got home safe and sound with many many many photos. What a joy and great memories!
Like nearly everything, retiring overseas has it’s pros and cons. Visiting family and friends often means living out of a suitcase, this time for a month. We visited several old towns, family, friends, neighbors, loved ones acquaintances, and business associates. Some of the “pros” included watching a daughter graduate and meeting her friends, spending some quality time with another daughter, and getting to try several exciting new rental cars. Some of the “cons” include never enough time with everyone, never enough time to add another name to the list of visits, bad Internet connections, spending too much money, and sleeping on several different floors, beds, couches, and air mattresses.
But this trip also brought home with us a couple of friends who we’ve travelled with, ridden motorcycles with, camped with, drunk with, and worried with. Though they never had travelled outside the North American continent, they had pledged to come see our retired life on the island, and they did! We had a wonderful time showing them around, they tried new foods, made new friends, and made us very very happy. They braved days of air travel, TSA lines (Boston…arghhh) and they rode in boats, trains, and numerous cars and trucks. We laughed, cried, and can’t wait to see them again.
We’ve decided that travel back home is great, memories are great, Kodak moments are great…but the best thing by far is realizing how many friends and family are supporting you, even with an ocean or two between you and them! The only thanks they want is for us to be happy and that’s pretty invaluable!
