# Azores



## Norman Brouwer (Feb 15, 2007)

I just returned from five weeks in the Azores. Flew there direct from Boston. The connection with the Portuguese community in New England is very strong. The plane was full, but not with tourists. These were people returning to visit relatives. In the summer they also have direct flights from Providence, Rhode Island. I spent from four days to a week on seven of the nine islands.

The islands are beautiful. The maritime interest includes lighthouses, tiny harbors, fishing boats (they still employ double-enders clearly based on whaleboats), transatlantic yacht and schoolship stopovers (Horta and Ponta Delgada), and remains of the whaling industry.

The last whale was killed in 1981. They shut down the factories but kept them intact in case the industry revived. Now they are turning them into museums of whaling industrial archeology. I visited two that have opened to visitors, one on the back cove of Horta on Faial, and one in Sao Roque on Pico. There are two more still closed in Lajes on Pico, and Santa Cruz on Flores. There is an excellent whaling museum in Lajes do Pico in old buildings where whaleboats were built and repaired.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings Norman and welcome. Bon voyage.


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## paul0510 (Jul 25, 2005)

spent probably two of the best holiday weeks of my life on the Azores.Fell in love with the islands (did 8 out of 9) and would recommend discovering this Atlantic outpost to anyone with a mind for natural beauty and tranquility. For anyone who is eager to test his (old) sealegs take the Post boat (all 40 ft. of it) from Flores to Corvo on the Mid-Atlantic swell.....and be humbled (Thumb)


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