I’m back from Azores. For so long I’ve been postponing a visit to this hidden treasure, maybe because it’s easily accessible from my hometown, maybe because I got distracted with exotic locations far away from home. For reasons that are too long to write about (and that aren’t relevant for why I went there) I ended up booking that long delayed flight.
I avoided the temptation of trying to put as many islands under my belt I possibly could. I aimed for a slow trip to dodge the very unstable weather of the North Atlantic while have some calmer moments along the way, so I focused in just one, The remaining islands, like the unspoiled Flores or the massive Pico, can wait for another time. With all that in mind São Miguel, the largest and most diverse island, had the and responsibility of introducing me to Azores. In a couple of weeks I seen small fishing harbors, been at religious festivities and walked in footpaths while enjoying one of the most beautiful you can think of. These photos are an early preview of what I’ve been doing around there for the last weeks, with some of the different subjects I photographed.
The hydrangea (locally known as hortênsia or novelões), an invading species that became one of the iconic images of Azores.
The place with the most dramatic sunset at São Miguel (it was not the case on this day).
A common sight at São Miguel: cattle, green pastures, lush forests and blue ocean. The blue sky is a bonus, depends on it’s very unstable weather.
Girl during Saint George procession at Nordeste
Lagoa do Fogo. unfortunately the only of the big crater lakes of São Miguel where the waters are still blue. In the others (Furnas and Sete Cidades) the farming and livestock around it has filled the waters with green algae.
Kids are born and raised in the water, literally.
Rabo de Peixe, the poorest civil parish of Portugal, a colorful fishermen’s quarter in the North shore of São Miguel.
Eusébio, the goat herder I met at Sete Cidades, very uncommon in an island where there’s two cows for each person.