olá

I (Kelly) am back from my trip to the Azores! It was a gift to myself for my 50th. While Lorenzo was invited, he declined and I felt it was a trip that I needed to do alone. I am so grateful he supports me and took care of the crew while I was galavanting 😉

What a crazy/beautiful/scary trip it was! The map you see if the route I took. It was 5 days of hiking, climbing, sliding, sinking, crawling, drinking, laughing, and overall just appreciating life and nature! New experiences were had, old friends were visited and new friends made – Thanks to Kim, Wendy, and Rodnie, who all made this trip memorable! I always looked forward to the end of the day to share a glass of wine and swap stories of the crazy encounters we all had on our journeys! Enjoy the pictures and the stories!

Getting there…

I flew from Tampa -> Boston -> São Miguel Island -> Santa Maria Island. I had about a 7 hour layover in Ponta Delgada in São Miguel so I decided to walk into town from the airport, check out the António Borges garden, built between 1858 and 1861, is one of the main historical gardens of the island of São Miguel. It was a treat! I had a brunch in the gardens at the little cafe located inside. It was perfect! Then I walked back to the airport for my flight to Santa Maria. 

Day 1

After flying to Santa Maria, I was lucky to have a ride. Many moons ago I visited Santa Maria as a 12 year old with a dear friend and her family. While there I met a boy named Jorge and luckily have connected again with him… 38 years later we got to meet again. It was so good to see a kind, familiar face! I was  able to meet up with him and his wife for coffee before departing and it was wonderful! Here is a snapshot of my arrival and Day 1 since I don’t have much to show prior to my hike (that’s what happens when you sleep for about 14 hours after travel) 😉

Day 2

More of this crazy adventure. These pictures do not show the extreme heights that I had to endure – I am not a fan BUT once you reach the top you are like “F yeah!!!” Phew, my heart rate was tested during some of these trail points!

Day 3

So many sites to see however the highlight of this day was my visit to where my most favorite place is – São Lourenço! It was beautiful from above and on the ground. The highlight was sharing the home with owner back home in the states. I know she misses it and I hope she gets to go back soon! After I had a snack, I headed up, up, and up… that was scary but fun. What beautiful views. It got a little hairy at times but it was really cool!

Day 4

The summit to the highest point was conquered! So very neat. As I got there the clouds were rolling in so I had to make it to the very top – you’ll see the excitement on my face 🙂 It was really pretty but it was a steep hike for sure, I was exhausted… and getting down was just as crazy but oh so pretty! And we were surprised with a chocolate cake on our last night… along with some spiritual guidance and of course wine. 

Day 5

Seemed like the longest day ever! It was around the airport and in the driving rain. It completed the trip and was fantastic! There was a scary climb where I was using all my faculties not to slip and go splat on the rocks below. It was not a comfortable feeling and I am sure I used up my life’s allotment of the f word. I made it and again the F yeah’s flew. Enjoy!

Back on the main island, whale watching and exploring. I saw bottlenose dolphins, 3 or 4 Sei whales, and the highlight was seeing a Sperm whale and watching her dive – they love the Azores and the deep shelf and great feeding it provides and can be down there for quite a while. It was a treat to see her! It was a great trip!