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Days 85-90 Ilha da Terceira

Our final five days allowed in the Schengen zone were spent on the island of Terceira.  It is the second most populated island after Saõ Miguel and arguably has the most historical interest.  Many ships during the Age of Discovery came through here and Vasco da Gama stopped by when his brother was ill and died on Terceira.  Angra do Heroismo is the main City and historically has had the main port.  For me, this was chosen as our last stop because the island represents half of my ancestral heritage.  My maternal grandparents were born here, married and left for California in the late 1920's.   Terceira and the Açores are a story about immigration to search for work and more opportunities,  Practically everybody here either has cousins or knows somebody who lives in the US, Canada, Brazil or mainland Europe.  I have cousins here  who we visit, all offspring of my grandmother's sister…the only sister who stayed.

We generally visit during Sanjoaninas (feast of St. John), 10 days of parades, music, food and partying.  After a two year absence, the crowds were hungry for a party. 

Also on the island is the Algar do Cavão is an ancient volcanic vent in the center of the island which you can enter.  One of my cousin's  partner was one of the first ‘Montanheiros' to repel down into the chimney in the early 60's before the access tunnel was built.

There are too many sites of interest to discuss, many personally important due to my family connections, but I will note the Imperios   on the island which are small neighborhood chapels.  All are interestingly decorated and are centers for village gatherings and festivals.   Imperio da Caridade in the Conceição neighborhood was founded by my great great grandfather, Manuel Vieira Cardozo,  I did have the opportunity to share some wine and cheese with some folks at the Imperio and had a spiritual painting experience there which I will discuss on the final painting blog post.

Two painting studies are featured on the Works page and on Instagram,…one of the Cruzinhas on Mount Brazil and the other of the Imperio.

Ibericorama has come to a close.  Que triste.  I'll sum it up on a three part blog coming up in the next few days.  Hope you take a look.

From Flores, we traveled to the island of Faial and then Pico.  With São Jorge, they form an area commonly known as the triangle which are connected by frequent ferry service. The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  Visually, Pico mountain is the common thread and it's appearance changes by the minute with some wild cloud formations.

Ibericorama Days 79-80

Flores Island, Açores, Portugal

I read somewhere that the human eye can see 10 million shades of green… and Ilha da Flores has them all.  It also has the distinction of being the westernmost point of the European Union from its position in the Atlantic lying on the North American tectonic plate.

The island provides much painting inspiration which I took advantage of completing three painting studies during our two day visit.  These included:

• Cascata da Ribeira do Ferreiro - after hiking about a half mile up a rocky path, you are rewarded with a piece of paradise…a series of waterfalls, a natural lake, bird watching and well… 10 million shades of green.
  
  
• Cascata do Poço do Bacalhau - from the village of Fajã Grande, there is a formal walking path to a majestic waterfall and swimming hole.  Along the way there are a series of old mill houses and the ever present wild hydrangeas.
  
  
• Aldeia da Cuada - this village was abandoned by the 1960s due to immigration, but is now a lodge.  There are a number of unusual old wheels lying around.  A red one was a nice focal point of our lodging, José Maria.   (Note:  it is here that I listened to the NBA finals with my Warriors winning the championship.)

All can be found on the Works page and Instagram

Also of note was the whaling museum on the east side of the island in Santa Cruz Das Flores near the airport.  (Everything in Santa Cruz is near the airport… just take a look at a map… makes for an interesting landing.)

Days 76-78

Ilha de São Miguel, Açores, Portugal

We have arrived in the Azores (Açores), the archipelago in the mid-Atlantic and an autonomous region of Portugal.  We start on São Miguel in the eastern group and the most populated at about 150,000 people with our lodging base in Ponta Delgada. Two of our outings included:

Sete Cidades is a small parish that is located in the center of a massive volcanic crater, three miles across.  Within the crater there are also several caldera lakes including Lagoa Verde which we hiked.  The view from Miradouro da Boca do Inferno was breathtaking as you peer down from a narrow cliff side perch (see photo).

Furnas is located in the easternmost of three active trachytic volcanoes which are considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the islands.  About 1,500 people live in the village.  The area is known for its cozido, a stew that is cooked in steam field pits.  The restaurants retrieve their pots at noon and bring them back to their kitchens to serve.

No paintings to discuss on this stop, but several to come on our next stop on Flores.

Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal

We have come full circle and are back in the Algarve region of Portugal where we started 73 days ago.  Our circumnavigation of the Iberian Peninsula is complete, but wait, the Açores are still to come and in the words of my Portuguese cousins, it will be a sea of emotions.  

First, we need a little vacation from our vacation, and the village of Carvoeiro filled the bill.  We had an amazing view from our terrace at O Castelo.  What a view… wish we could have stayed longer. Thank you Cátia for your hospitality, smiling face and assistance.  

Much time was spent napping and relaxing.  We did head off on the Seven Hanging Valleys hike.   A clifftop trail along a rugged coastline, with views of sea arches & stacks, plus access to beaches.  Judging by the erosion, the scenery will continue to change. 

Painting notes:  You will see a sunset depiction of the view from our lodging on the Works page and on Instagram.

During my second painting session accross the beach one morning, serendipity made its appearance.  Two women stopped to chat and view the painting.  They had slept in their car after a concert at the Wine Show down the road in Lagoa.  I would then discover that one of our favorite Portuguese singers, Ana Moura, would be performing… for free…  that evening.  So of course, the four of us stood near the front of the stage harkening back to our younger days and the concerts we attended.  What a great way to end our last day on the mainland.

A shoutout to our traveling companions from the ‘hood, Cathy and Pete, who have been with us for the last 17 days.  It was nice to have great friends added to our trip of a lifetime.  They are now off to Lisbon before heading home while we head west to “those little rocks in the middle of the Atlantic” … the motherland.

Days 70-72
Sevilla, Spain

The temperature during daylight hours in Sevilla ranged from 95-103 degrees during our stay so we dove deep into the late afternoon siesta routine.  A few experiences to note:

We returned several times to the Setas of Seville (big wood mushrooms) or as sistah-in-law Kathy calls them…the big Waffle House.  We enjoyed the dining opportunities and street scene here better than near the more touristy area around the Cathedral.

Flamenco shows can be touristy, but we discovered the Museo del Baile Flamenco where the dancers seem to be performing for themselves as much as you.

We all highly recommend the Roof tour of the Cathedral which exceeded our expectations.  This is not just a climb to the roof of the cathedral…but a history and explanations of the construction of church which took only 70 years..much less than other churches in prior years.  Our guide, Nester, also took us into the interior balconies including behind the main altar.

With such hot temperatures, the opportunity to paint with the already fast drying gouache was very limited.  So I made due with a nocturne of the Edificio de la Adriática.  It was still 90 degrees, but at least there was no sun beating down on the paint.  During my session I was entertained by a 5 piece brass band.  You can check out the painting study on the Works page or Instagram where you can also see the video of the band.

This stop concluded our 30 day turn into the Spain portion of the Ibericorama circumnavigation.  I hope to return to some of the stops at some point to paint with my oils since they won't dry so fast in that Spanish sun.  Albarracín…Segovia…Ronda  await my return.  Some places will become fond memories of places that I once visited but no time in my life to return (sorry Toledo, Zaragoza and Jerez).



Next stop:  the Algarve coast of Portugal and our stay in Carvoeiro.

Days 67-68

From Granada we drove to Ronda (still in Andalucia).  It was yet another awe inspiring topographic wonder of city development.   Ronda is a mountaintop city in Spain’s Malaga province that’s set dramatically above a deep gorge. This gorge (El Tajo) separates the city’s circa-15th-century new town from its old town, dating to Moorish rule with Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge spanning the gorge, connecting the old and new town   We stayed and were more partial to the Old town.  

Ibericorama Days 63-64
Córdoba, Spain


Bottom line…on our visit to Córdoba we were awestruck by the Mesquita-Catedral de Córdoba aka “Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption.”  This is no ordinary church. Around the 8th century it became the third largest mosque in the world.  In Spain, we have seen plenty of Catholic churches that were built on the grounds of a former mosque during the Reconquista.  In Córdoba…they maintained the majority of the mosque features and built the church in its center around the 15th century….a controversial decision at the time.  Now it sits as one of the most unique churches in the world for its architecture and its blending of two cultures.  Wow.


Also worth mentioning are the patio garden displays in the courtyards of the Basilio neighborhood, the Andalusian horse show at the Royal Stables, the maze of streets in the historic center (my barber in Segovia thinks it is the best historic center in all of Spain), the Roman Bridge and Christo de los Faroles which served as my painting study. This can be seen on the works page and on Instagram.  (A special thanks to our friend Francisco in Sebastopol for prepping us on Córdoba, the Spanish guitarist Juan Serrano and the Christo de los Faroles.


Next stop:  Granada and the Alhambra.

Ibericorama Days 59-62

Madrid, Spain

For Madrid, I will focus on the art.  We had been here 10 years ago, so we were fortunate to visit the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and Guernica in the Reina Sofia for a second time.  I have found that on my travels my mind is most interested upon seeing something new for the first time, but this time at the Prado, we had the aid of a guide which made it fresh and new again.  Along with our just arrived traveling companions, Cathy and Pete, our guide, Dr. Almudena Cros (Almu) of www.acrossmadrid.com led us on a journey of the Prado art which connected the dots of Spanish history, the royals, politics, religion and money.   We highly recommend Almu.  (By the way, the Prado now no longer allows photos anywhere in the museum which makes the viewing so much more civilized…but it's still a madhouse in front of Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights.)

This trip included a first time visit to the Sorolla Museum, his house and studio.   Joaquin Sorolla (1863-1923) did not consider himself part of the Impressionists, but that is where his style lands in art history.  His studio was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  (See photo)

My art creations in Madrid included the Cristal Palace in Retiro Park and a path in the Royal Botanical Gardens with the statue of Charles III.  These can be found on the Works page and on Instagram.

Segovia, Castile and León, Spain



We came to Segovia to see the aqueduct and taste the Cochinillo Asado and were additionally treated by the swifts flying and darting around the aqueduct which has become a nesting habitat in their migration.  In fact, there was a Swift Conference here at the same time so we got some “swift” education by the conference attendees hanging out at the sunset lit aqueduct to watch their “socializing” time.  The skies was reminiscent of a Star Wars X-wing battle scene.   The swifts are related to the hummingbird so can change direction quickly.  Alas, I can't attach a video of the swifts circling in unison.



The Roman aqueduct is grand and lived up to our expectations.  We had seen a similar sized aqueduct in Mérida (see earlier blog), but this one was well maintained and complete through the center.  Historically the water flowed from the aqueduct then into an underwater channel in route to the Alcazar which has been marked so we could follow its path.  Great interest for you Water Resources engineers.



We loved the vibe in Segovia especially in the area of Plaza Mayor where we lodged.  There certainly is some tourism activity, but significantly less than Toledo where we had just left.  Segovia is a place we hope to return.



Segovia provided some painting inspiration at the aqueduct and the Alcazar which are on the Works page and on Instagram.