Açores – Praia da Vitória

Our short respite from the stormy weather in Lisboa comes to an end this afternoon. Our last morning on the island of Terceira is in Praia da Vitória (pop 21,035 in 2011), conveniently near the Aeroporto das Lajes. We park next to the Praia Grande, which is covered with mounds of sand. Heavy landscaping equipment is also on the beach ready to spread the new cover, evidently getting ready for the summer season; maybe they had a storms, too. We're all working to end this winter.

The Monumento aos Homens do Mar stands in the center of the paved esplanada at the top of the Praia Grande. The Marina is to the east, and the Prainha is beyond that. The wind is dusting the mounded sand over the esplanada and the parking area.

The Largo José Silvestre Ribeiro is southwest of the esplanada and ends in a roundabout made of spiralling calçadas. The Império do Espírito Santo dos Marítimos (dos Pescadores, 1877) is at the far end of the Largo, a tiny blue edition of the Império 'chapter houses' scattered over the island. The dedication of this Império is in the basalt sidewalk and honors the people working on the ocean as well.

The Igreja do Senhor Santo Cristo (das Misericórdias, 16th century, rebuilt 1924) is just up the street and looks like an 'inflated' version of the Império, with added torres sineiras. The jazzy, curvy cornice is particularly inventive. Large labels tell the difficult history of the Igreja: "EDIFICADA EM 1521", "INCENDIADA EM 1921", "REEDIFICADA EM 1924".

 

 

A set of stairs interrupts the Rua da Misericórdia and creates a long, level landing between the Igreja and the Casa das Tias de Vitorino Nemésio (18th century). This 'dead-end' also makes a public space to install a Busto de Vitorino Nemésio (1994) – Vitorino Nemésio was a twentieth century author and academic; the Casa was the home of his two aunts (who paid for his education) and later his mother.

The Casa, striped in mango-yellow, is now a public library, the Biblioteca Pública Silvestre Ribeiro – José Silvestre Ribeiro was a nineteenth century historian and politician. The Igreja complex includes the Santa Casa da Misericórdia (Hospital, 1806), which has a graceful Baroque portico on Rua do Hospital.

 

 

The Igreja Matriz de Santa Cruz (16th century) sits at the top of the Rua da Misericórdia on another raised plaza. As we walk from the back to the front along the north side, we take note of the Manueline sculpted stone door surround, a touch of unexpected elegance.

The Ermida de São Salvador (1560) is on the street corner above the Igreja Matriz to the north. Though brightly painted, it is much humbler than the Império and includes a small campanário.

The west-facing main portal of the Igreja Matriz is a magnificent Gothic-Manueline hybrid, with a pointed arch and delicate archivolts. The west facade features an eight-leaf, stone rosácea and has its own explanatory signage: "FUNDATA 1456", "SACRATA 1517", "REPARATA 1810" and at the top "REPARATA SUB ANO 1843 A RUINA TERRÆ MOTUS 15 JUNII 1841" (refers to the 1841 earthquake). The Igreja Matriz is trimmed in the now-familiar ochre-yellow.

The south facade has another fantastic Manueline portal, with some intricate, leafy work in the transom, along the upper arch and by the outer columns; the carving are similar to the main portal. From this facade, the view southward is focused down the Rua da Matriz to the Praia Grande. The tall mound in the distance is the caldeira Pico Capitão.

 

 

 

 

A Torre Sineira (1596) occupies the southeastern corner of the plaza level; it belongs to the Paços do Concelho (Câmara Municipal, 16th century, rebuilt 17th century). Stairs next to the Torre lead down to the Praça Francisco Ornelas da Câmara, the main square of the town. From here, we examine the unusual double-tiered entrance to the Paços. The Praça is lively but compact, and more of a crossroads than a square. Still there are buzzy cafes near the intersection with the Rua de Jesus, a charming shopping street.

In the center of the Praça is the Estátua à Liberdade (1929), which comemorates the Batalha da Praia da Vitória (August 11, 1829). As we stand back to take in the statue and the square, we hear the low rumble of a C-130 Hercules (top image). It flies astonishingly low, right over the 'statue of liberty'. After playing its part in the bombing of Iran and returning to Lajes, it impolitely interrupts our idyl (but makes a fun picture).

We turn into the Rua de Jesus to check out the Mercado Municipal (19th century). We hope it'll have a shop where we can get sandwiches for our flight. As we make our way up the Rua, an ever lower and louder KC-46 Pegasus roars by, its refueling boom stowed – our tax dollars at work.

The Mercado is very small, and the shops don't look open. Defeated, our mood dimmed by the military activity, we decide to try the local Continente Modelo shopping center. On the way, we discover the Império do Espírito Santo do Rossio (1872).

 

 

 

 

We find nothing tempting in the Continente Modelo but are intrigued by the Cemitério da Praia da Vitória across the street. The Capela is dated 1915, and the cartouche shows the Cross, the Sacred Heart, and an anchor, which all seem appropriate for this town. In front of the altar is an urn and a memorial for Padre Francisco da Rocha de Sousa. At first, we think this must be from a recent service, but the memorial is dated 1917 – almost as old as the chapel.

We head back to the Praia Grande. As we pass the Mercado, we realize that there is a public garden across the street, the Jardim Silvestre Ribeiro. A tall Doric column supports the Estátua de José Silvestre Ribeiro (1879), who we remember from the Biblioteca Pública.

Back on the Praia, we find an excellent sandwich shop as well as a gelataria. We also get a better look at the Monumento do Imaculado Coração de Maria (Álvaro Raposo de França, 1983-99) and are surprised that this is not dedicated to 'Vitória'. The switchback stairs and the steep rise lead to the Miradouro do Facho (19th century), where signal flags flew during the Guerra Civil Portuguesa.

After lunch, we take our last stroll along the Paul da Praia da Vitória (wetlands), dodging the numerous stout, uncooperative ducks blocking the sidewalks.

 

 

 

We seek out the Império do Divino Espírito Santo da Caridade (de Santa Cruz, 1954), which we saw on the way in. The four-leaf clover in the pediment dates the building to 1954, but the two wings carry the dates: "28 DE SETEMBRO DE 1941", and "23 DE SETEMBRO DE 1995". This Império is done in primaries, with touches of olive green and orangish roof tiles. Its aesthetic is some combination of 'chapel' (sacred) and 'fast food' (profane). A signboard 'flag' displays the Coroa on one side and the Cross of the Order of Christ on the other.

The Império is a rainbow-colored epilogue for our trip and fitting after seeing so many enchanting 'chapter houses' and pastel-painted churches. We want these colors and this stunning weather to follow us home. We can't wait for a calming spring to take hold in Lisboa.

 

 

Açores – Terceira

Our car-tour of the island of Terceira begins in Angra do Heroísmo (pop 33,771 in 2021), from the Pousada in the Forte de São Sebastião (16th century). As in São Miguel, a main feature of Terceira's south coast is a volcanic caldeira. The Ilhéus das Cabras (islets of goats) is about a kilometer offshore, just over a quarter of a square kilometer, compared with São Miguel's Ilhéu da Vila Franca, about a half a kilometer from shore, but only 0.05 square kilometers. It's a bigger island but farther away.

 

Our first destination is the Miradouro da Cruz do Canario, only fifteen minutes to the east of Angra. On the way, we see that the Ilhéus are really split in two. The violence that birthed and broke the island is also the source of the rich soils that nourish the livestock. The back slope is a sharp forty-five-degree incline wrapped in a pleated, mossy curtain. The clean shapes are distinctive and gives the appearance of 'floating on' rather than 'rising from' the glossy water.

The Cruz, it turns out, is a shallow ramp of concrete framed by a narrow planting bed. It lines up with the Ilhéus, as if to invite a 'leap of faith'.

 

 

 

The Passeio Marítimo dos Artistas da Terra (Ponta Gorda, Porto Judeu) hugs the shore, but is more like a garden than a trail. It connects further east to the Miradouro Maria Augusta de Castro. From here, the Ilhéus form a wedge, and the morning sun hits the eastern face with a viridescent intensity (top image).

This is the village of Porto Judeu (pop 2,293 in 2021), and the Miradouro is just below the Coreto Porto Judeu (bandstand), a bright red decagonal canopy with five posts.

 

 

 

The Igreja de Santo António (19th-20th centuries) backs up to the Coreto, with a small figure of the saint in a niche, looking down on the surrounding park. The figure appears to sport a mohawk (?).

Despite its diminutive scale and 'small-town' circumstances, the church is lavishly decorated, and remarkably well-kept. The nave features an astonishing wooden chandelier, and the metal ties across the chancel are held by carvings of fish heads (?). The capela-mor and the capelas laterais are finished with gold Baroque 'spiral columns' and other flourishes. The stained-glass panel of "O Bom Pastor" (Fortes, 2020) in the coro alto is reminiscent of the "Martírio de Beato João Baptista Machado" that we saw at the Sé.

 

 

 

 

We drive to the nearby town of Vila de São Sebastião (pop 2,048 in 2021), where we discover another beautiful little church. The Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião (15th-16th centuries, restored late 18th century) faces a triangular plaza. The fascinating Gothic portal, rosácea, and corner quoins hint at the fragmented nature of this church.

Inside, the space is divided by simple six-bay arcades. The capela-mor is a stone barrel vault and half dome with a Renaissance presence. The altar includes figures of "São Sebastião", the "Crucifixo", and "Nossa Senhora da Conceição". The capela lateral on the Epistle side depicts "Nossa Senhora de Fátima", the Virgin appearing before two shepherd children under an unexpected Manueline vault.

 

 

 

 

 

On the walls of the aisles, near the entrance are restored frescos depicting scenes from the "Vida de Cristo"and the "Vida da Virgem"; all are embellished with fantastic patterns and rhythms. The three center panels of the five on the Epistle side (south) seem to depict: the "Ascensão da Virgem", the "Anunciação", and "Flagelação de Cristo" (w crossbow?). There is also an incredible equestrian image of a saint at the right, and portraits of the patrons (?) at the left.

The primary panels on the Evanagelist side (north) seem to show "São Miguel" (?), the "Pesagem da Almas", and "Cristo Pantocrator". Just above the door in the aisle to the north, we also see underdrawings for the "Última Ceia", which don't quite match the finished fresco. We're unsure if this is a restoration in-progress, or a presentation of mismatched layers.

 

 

 

At the 'point' of the triangular plaza is the Império do Esírito Santo de São Sebastião (1918); it may be the prettiest of the Império 'chapter houses' that we've seen. It's carefully proportioned, with a square facade, a shapely pediment, an arcade of trefoil windows wrapping around three side. It's covered with the popular hortênsias Açores (blue hydrangeas); some enthusiastic artist has gotten carried away, but the effect is marvelous.

We step up to the thin balcony and can peer inside – there is an altar with a collection of Espírito Santo crowns trimmed in while flowers. A crown also takes the center place in the scene painted on the fascia of the stairs, with the local bread and wine.

At the other corner of the triangular plaza, the Igreja Matriz's campanário stands across from the Praça da Vila de São Sebastião. A padrão stands in the center of the Praça, with a dedication to "IV Centenario da Batalha da Salga".

Further up the Rua Direita, a formal gateway marks the entrance to the center of town. There are two painéis de azulejos: on the left is a triptych of "Jesus Carregando a Cruz" and on the right is the "Martírio de São Sebastião". The town's pride, expressed by their investment in all these local monuments, is impressive and touching. 

 

 

 

 

 

From Vila de São Sebastião, we cross the island to explore the north coast which our research tells us is primitive and scenic. With this in mind, we head for the Caldeira das Lajes, near the airport. The Caldeira is not necessarily a volcanic feature, but a deep, jagged beach strewn with chunky, magmatic rubble. It looks like the result of a lava flow, running through the fields like a river, then hitting the water, fighting the stream, spreading wide, and leaving a stretch of spiky debris. Clearly, the waves on the north side are rougher, throwing spray a dozen feet in the air.

We continue west to high cliffs of the Rota do Mar, with hopes that the snack bar is open. We arrive to an empty lot, never a good sign for lunch. Then, right behind us two cars disgorge a pack loud (Spanish?) visitors, who take over the miradouro and being posing for each other. The snack bar is closed, and the restrooms are closed as well.

It's too much, and we go off in search of lunch in the village of Biscoitos (pop 1,424 in 2011). Behind the dramatic coast, we find the island covered in tidy plots of farmland and wildflowers. It is lovely, and the villagers add their own touches of color everywhere.

 

 

 

 

The coastal road is called the Caminho Vinhas do Mar, which refers to the village's notable viticulture, especially the popular verdelho variety. A sea-walk connects the Calheta dos Lagadores to the Piscinas Naturais Biscoitos. The Calheta, like the Rota, includes a stairway and paved catchment that allows sea-bathing.

We exit the car and hear the blast from the Calheta, a narrowing set of craggy fingers that hold the churning surf. We approach the ocean and find the Trincheiras Militares, a set of knotted ditches dug into slender mesa just inland from the splashing shore. The entire construction is lined and edged with basalt setts. These Trincheiras mediate between the gridded vineyards to the south of the Caminho, and the thorny, natural formations to the north.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Caminho links a sequence of miradouros that sit on the tops of the mounds between the serrations that make up the coastline. From these small clearings, we see, hear, and feel the power of the waves.

From the Miradouro Trilho de Passeio we can also look south to the curraletas (stone carrels), exactly as we saw on Pico in 2024. This entire flatland below the Serra de Santa Bárbara is covered in a quilted mesh of stony square cells. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Caminho terminates at the Piscinas Naturais Biscoitos. 'Piscinas Naturais' translates to 'natural pools', but of course, they are manmade; they are 'natural' in the sense that the water comes right from the ocean. The Piscinas are smooth, finished concrete basins built into the rippled rocks that formed when the lava cooled. The ridges of these ripples protect the pools from the waves but allow the seawater through.

The Piscinas Naturais also involves bridges and walkways to get safely between the swimming and sunning areas. Even today, there are some people bathing.

 

 

 

 

The Forte de São Pedro (16th century) is south of the Piscinas Naturais on the other side of the Porto dos Biscoitos. Though it is fitted with cannons and signage, the Forte is tiny and unimpressive, though it's the remains of a larger structure that used to house a 'guarnição' (garrison).

On the way back to car, we watch a fisherman standing on a tall boulder in the middle of the Porto, behind the breakwater by the town's boat landing. In his isolated and calm world, he is unaware of the razor rocks and the exploding surf – proof that the Açorianos have fully evolved and adapted to their island home.

 

 

We challenge our rental car to climb to the Miradouro da Serra de Santa Bárbara, over a kilometer (3,300 ft) to the highest peak. The switchback road is not in good shape. The car bucks and complains; the drive is a physical effort for all involved. We make it to the parking lot and almost expect a cartoon gag: bumpers and panels fall off, steam rolls from under the hood.

The air is cold. It's windy and bitingly cold. But the miradouro offers wide 180-degree views. A boardwalk keeps visitors from disturbing the landscape. A poster-sized sign explains in detail how to brush and scrape our shoes to prevent 'invasive' seeds from taking root.

Another boardwalk heads north to the pico, but we are not prepared to hike in this weather. We wander back to the car and wonder if the brakes are any good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back at sea level, after a whole lot of squealing from the brake-system, we arrive at the Miradouro de Santa Bárbara. The Miradouro is a picturesque, terraced park with gnarly trees and the sound of the lapping foam. The are maze-like walks and sandy, dark landing.

The Praça de Toiros de Santa Bárbara is tucked into a level pocket behind the Miradouro, a beautiful stone ring of concentric seats and complicated set of holding pens. It seems very comfortable in its landscape. They say that Portuguese bullfights don't involve killing the bull, but next to the Praça de Toiros is a large picnic pavilion with big sinks and several substantial cooking grills.

 

 

 

 

 

We're back in Angra do Heroísmo, at the Pousada in the Forte de São Sebastião. The rental is resting calmly after an exhausting day. We get another incredible sunset, the now-familiar views and features still look fresh in the ever-changing light.

On the way home from dinner, we pass the Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem (20th century), with the moon over its shoulder. The openings in the campanário make a 'happy face' – Boa Viagem indeed.