After the remarkable trip to Rome there was, unfortunately, a price to pay for sharing the air with thousands of visitors inside museums…Lukus was the first to get sick (the last day in Rome, in fact) followed by Raymond about a week later. We are both feeling better now, but it definitely took the wind out of our sails for about two weeks.
Storms
While the figurative wind was out of our sails, the actual wind was blowing fiercely for most of March. Considering the rain and wind gusts of 70 mph it was not such a bad thing to be inside recuperating. Unfortunately, the wind wreaked havoc on our banana trees, toppling one and shredding the leaves of all of them. The fava beans, too, were wind-whipped but have started to rebound (as has the fig, above). I have to remind myself that same scene played out at the end of last winter as well – our yard looked a bit like a hurricane came through and then by May everything had fresh leaves.
House Repairs
After much procrastination, I finally got around to stuccoing and painting the northeast corner blocks of our house. While the black-painted blocks were traditional (and still had engravings of the masons who had shaped them) they also had pits and gaps where water and weeds could get into the wall. A layer of stucco resolved this and gave them the matching texture of the other corners of the house.
For good measure, I primed the stone doorframe of the mill room / basement as well. So much cleaner looking without the moss and algae that accumulates on the north side of a house!
Roof Work
We have had a persistent roof leak in the kitchen above the sink and over the stone arch of the old chimney. Despite our best efforts to correct the issue we realized that the problem is beyond us. So, we met with a local builder and discussed options. Rather than just fix the immediate issue (which entails taking down the massive chimney and rebuilding that small area of the roof) we told him of our dream to raise the roof about two feet and have a cathedral ceiling with loft. He then showed us two homes a few villages over to get ideas.
Option 1: Wider beams but further apart. We absolutely loved the loft!
Option 2: Narrower beams but closer together (thus more of them)
We are waiting on the builder to give us some quotes. Apparently it is important for us to commit to the project soon, as the Japanese cedar wood used for the ceiling is harvested and milled to order and then takes about 4-6 months for curing.
Afternoon in Angra
We heard that a restaurant in Angra is hiring, so we printed some resumes (in English and Portuguese) and showed up to inquire. It was a lovely afternoon walking around the capital. It was also clear enough to see São Jorge island in the distance and Mount Pico on Pico island towering behind it.
St. Peter’s Square with Vatican Obelisk (brought from Egypt by Caligula in 40 a.d.)
To Rome!
After many months of planning, Raymond, Michelle, and I went to Rome for a week. It was the first visit for each of us and did not disappoint! It really is the ‘eternal city’ with history exuding from every building and square.
Day I
After arriving from a very late flight from Lisbon (midnight) we found a reputable taxi driver that did not overcharge us for the ride into Rome. We stayed at a lovey Air BnB apartment (top left: view from the living room). It had everything we needed for a comfortable stay and lots of character – only about 1/3 mile north of Vatican City. After sleeping-in, our first day was spend exploring the neighborhood and walking across St. Peter’s Square (not mention sending some postcards from the Vatican Post!). Next we proceeded to circumnavigate the entire nation of Vatican City by following its large and lengthy wall.
Day II
The three of us got an early start on our second day and had an espresso while waiting for our tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Nothing prepares you for the magnitude of grandeur and the scale of the Vatican – our guided tour was three hours and should have been three DAYS…there is simply so much to see that it, unfortunately, felt a bit rushed at times to keep up with our group (all the while shoulder-to-shoulder with a multitude of other tour groups – our guide said there are something like 30,000 people who visit the Vatican museum each day). The sculptures were amazing and the highlights for me were the giant Roman bronze pine cone and statue of Apollo (later used by Michelangelo as inspiration for the face of Jesus in the Sistine Chapel), the pair of Egyptian lions, and the gallery of incredibly realistic animal statues. The other highlight, of course, was St. Peter’s Basilica – the capital of the Catholic world. The opulence and beauty of this place cannot be overstated – marble literally everywhere: columns, floors, statues, and everything else gilded. Plus the famous sculpture la Pietà which Michelangelo created from a single block of marble at the age of 24 (above, lower left). The altar canopy was also a show stopper (above, lower right).
Day III
This was a dedicated ‘off’ day for us without any tours booked. Nonetheless, we thought we should see the famous Trevi Fountain so we boarded the subway and walked the last 1/2 mile or so. It was pretty, but completely swarming with people…rather than wait in the long line to walk down to the water level, we were content to take some photos and do some shopping at the interesting shops nearby. After a delicious lunch we walked to the nearby Convent of the Capuchin Monks to see its Franciscan museum (I liked the St. Francis in Prayer (1606) by Caravaggio). The real draw, however, was the macabre crypt filled with the bones of 3000 disinterred monks. Though eerie, the artistically arranged bones were also a peaceful reminder of the transience of life.
Day IV
We traveled via two subway lines and arrived at the Coliseum stop for a guided tour of the Coliseum and Roman Forum. Alas, like our experience at the Vatican, the pace of the guided tour tended to distract from the sights and leave one feeling rushed. Regardless, it was an amazing place. The nearby Forum was the center marketplace/town square of Ancient Rome and absolutely exuded history at every turn with ruins of temples, palaces, and the senate.
Day V
A busy day, we got an early start and headed to the Pantheon for a self-guided tour. This was a much more relaxed way to take in the sights. The building is immense and literal perfection – the width of the dome is 142 feet and the height at the top of the dome is also 142 feet from the ground, meaning that a massive perfect sphere could fit inside it. To give you an idea of the scale, the open oculus at the top is 30 feet across! While created to house statues of all the Roman gods and goddesses, it has been a church for the last 1,600 years (in addition to housing honorific tombs like Raphael (above) and the first king of united modern Italy). Next to the Pantheon was a stunning gothic church built over a former temple of Minerva. Highlights were the painted/gilded ceiling, the sculpture of Christ the Redeemer by Michelangelo, and a marble sculpture in honor of Mary made to look like billowing fabric.
Later in the day Raymond and I took the subway to see the Flaminio Obelisk (ancient Egyptian, 1200 b.c.) and walked to the Spanish Steps. Climbing the 136 steps, we were treated to magnificent views of Rome (and St. Peter’s Basilica in the distance) as well as the Church of St. Thérèse at the top.
Day VI
Our last day in Rome, we split up – Raymond and Michelle went to St. Peter’s Square for some last minute souvenirs and I went on an epic walk: St. Peter’s Square to Castel Sant’Angelo, across the bridge over the Tiber river and onward through a very ritzy part of the city to the Spanish Steps. As you can probably tell, I was fascinated by the many obelisks in Rome (a total of 12 as listed on this 19th century post card) and decided to visit as many of them as I could (marked in yellow). When I read that the Lateran Obelisk is the largest Egyptian obelisk in the world I became determined to see it. So I hopped on the subway and traveled to the southeast part of Rome. It was very impressive – 105 ft of red granite with deep, clearly cut hieroglyphs commissioned by pharaoh Thutmose III in 1400 b.c.
Day VII
Early, early in the morning we left our lovely apartment and headed to the airport. Raymond and I bid farewell to his mother and we returned to Lisbon and onward to Terceira. It was a marvelous experience and one that we will not easily forget!
Bom Carnaval! Terceira is known as the “island of festivals” and even in the heart of winter they find a reason to celebrate. Like the more famous carnival celebrations in Brazil, Portugal uses the weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday to let loose before the somber season of Lent begins. And unlike in France (and I suppose in the USA, to some extent) this letting loose is not limited to just one ‘Mardi Gras’ or Fat Tuesday!
Bailinhos do Carnaval
Terceira has a long and unique history of carnival culture. Local groups comprised of musicians, dancers, and actors work for months on their costumes, music, steps, and skits before traveling around the island to perform at each village’s public theater space (sociedade). The above photo is from the sociedade in Quatro Ribeiras on “seniors night” (most performers were above age 60). The skits (bailinhos) were interspersed with music and choreographed dance steps (reminiscent of line dancing). Even if we couldn’t understand every word and missed nearly all of the innuendo, it was fun to see and be seen by the community.
Yard Projects
The extension of the retaining wall near the stream is finished and looking great! Raymond and I like the extra height over the existing cinder blocks so much that we are considering continuing all the way to the orchard. The fava bean garden bed in the back is doing well and they are starting to flower. This giant boulder is the foundation of our side patio area and we started clearing off the ferns, moss, and lichens that covered it. Raymond is in the process of scrubbing / pressure-washing it with the intention of applying a bright white lime wash. Lastly, I cleared more of the cane grass from the stream-side along the driveway and we are loving the clearer views of the stream and little waterfall.
A Visitor!
Raymond and I are delighted to host his mother again! It’s been fun playing cards, seeing the sights, and showing off our house and yard projects. We are doubly excited that she will be able to attend the main carnival performances in our village tonight!
Feliz Ano Novo! Raymond and I had a low-key New Year’s Eve and like most years we were in bed by 10 PM (only to be woken up by some nearby fireworks at midnight). If there is one word to describe the month of January it would be WINDY! This was actually our first full January here as we were studying at the University of Coimbra on the mainland last year. I guess I didn’t realize just how windy, cold, and drizzly it could be…
Tree Trimming
The good news is we took advantage of any good weather we got. Like giving the annona tree nearest the house a much needed trim. In addition to encroaching on the clothesline, the tree has not produced fruit for two seasons now, and we are hoping that a severe pruning will inspire it to fruit.
We also did some cleanup along the stream, sawing down six invasive nightshade trees. A few had fallen across the stream and needed removing, and the rest were simply garbage trees that are easy to despise (our neighbor told us that they are locally known as “crap trees”). Aside from being rather messy with weak branches that break easily, their leaves reek of kerosene and shed irritating hairs when disturbed. Raymond and I can see the difference in the tree line above the stream – so much more space and light for everything else now.
Earthquake
January 14 was the anniversary of the 4.5 earthquake that struck Terceira last year. Thankfully our house and yard were unharmed (and we were on the mainland at the time) but unfortunately the only road that goes along the northwest corner of the island was damaged by fallen boulders and deemed unsafe. It has been closed for a year now (the barricade was painted with “first anniversary”) and is quite a point of contention in island politics. The second photo shows the hillside newly bulldozed in an effort to keep boulders from falling into the road. Still no word as to when the route around the island will reopen…
There was another largish earthquake on January 19 of this year. Raymond and I were in the kitchen preparing dinner at the time and heard the glasses in the cupboard rattling. This happens from time to time – usually for tremors around 3.0 to 3.5 – but this time was strong enough that we both rushed for the doorway. The tremor stopped before we got outside. When we checked online it showed that the earthquake was a 4.3 – the strongest that Raymond and I have experienced here.
Rain
As I mentioned above, January seemed to alternate between drizzle, bursts of heavy rain, and windy mist. We had two instances of “high water” in the stream (I don’t want say “flood” because the water never spilled over into our driveway or patio area). It is always a little scary when this happens…our little babbling brook becomes a raging torrent (which is a bit unnerving to hear while trying to sleep). With this torrent is literally tons of rocks and sand that fills up the agricultural water tank at the street. The municipality came one day to scoop out the rocks and sand only to have it fill up, again, just 24 hours later with the next rain.
Yard Projects
We found a large truck tire across the stream and repurposed it to create a raised bed of sorts around the little avocado tree. The bonus is this seems to have stopped the birds from scratching away at the mulch and dirt every morning.
Closer to the house, we started to properly fix the missing retaining wall near grill. The rubble, dirt, leaves, and branches we’ve dumped there were only a temporary measure, and, if not for the wild cannas we planted, the walkway to our backyard would have long eroded away. So I raked out the leaves and branches and dug out a space for a new wall foundation. The existing wall was made with rocks topped with concrete and cinder block so we are aspiring to match it. Raymond had the great suggestion to pour a concrete pad first for an extra bit of stability (seen above between batch #1 and batch #2 with rebar placed). Thankfully all the rocks we needed were nearby in and around the stream. Concrete and cinder blocks coming soon!
I finally got around to scraping the old, peeling paint off the gate pillars at the end of our driveway. We decided to paint them white with blue trim, like our house, and topped them with two lovely round rocks (possibly to be replaced by matching decorative pots). Now just to continue the whitewashing project to meet the pillars.
Feliz Natal! This was our second Christmas in the Azores and I still can’t get over how ‘un-Christmaslike’ it is. Aside from the occasional string of lights or Santa decoration, it is easy to forget what time of year it is. We had a rather nice stretch of weather in December – minimal rain and a number of sunny days. Daytime high temperatures tended to be in the low 60s and only a few degrees cooler at night.
Christmas Market and Botanical Garden
Raymond and I spent a lovely day in the capital perusing the Christmas Market. It was held in Praça Velha (old square) in front of the historic city hall, bedecked in lights and with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree inside. I was expecting the market to be like those in Germany, with a variety of vendors selling their wares, but on this particular day all the vendors were selling food. So, we sampled a number of traditional cakes and pastries in the square before going to the Botanical Garden to walk them off.
Bird Competition
While researching the Christmas Market schedule online, we noticed there was a ‘bird competition’ listed. Curious, we stopped by the agriculture pavilion on our way to Angra. How interesting it was! We stepped inside the indoor arena to the screeching cacophony of birds. Literally hundreds of canaries, parakeets, lovebirds, and parrots were in individual cages for the judging. Raymond and I had no idea there were so many varieties of canaries – some frizzy, some with orange heads, and some with Beatles-esque ‘mop-top’ feathers! We enjoyed whistling at them and seeing them respond (some sang quite beautifully).
Garden Projects
After more than a year of collecting bits of pottery, porcelain, and glass in the yard and garden, I finally got around to making a mosaic above the grill. It makes me smile to walk by and see the colors, including bits of Blue Willow like my family had growing up. Raymond calls it “a bit of whimsy.” I also made some improvements to the garden beds, edging each with old terra cotta roofing tiles from the rubble pile. It’s been great to amend the soil and keep it where we want it. We already planted more lettuce and beets in the additional space.
Behind the bathroom and perched between the wall of the oven and the hillside was a very large rock. We wanted it gone to expose the back of the oven and make way for the future retaining wall along the terraced garden. So Raymond drilled some holes and was able to break it into two large rocks.
The first photo shows the overgrown rubble pile to the left of the butternut squash garden bed (in October). We started to clear and expand the top terrace by first raking all of the vines and loose terra cotta tiles. Since there was a substantial amount of decades-old leaf litter mixed in, we have been grating the rubble and distributing the lovely compost to each garden bed. The bottom photo shows the top terrace’s new stone wall (meeting a mostly buried wall which marks the property line) and the new gravel walkway. The idea is to for this path to follow along the future retaining wall all the way to the oven roof on the left.
Left: more clearing of the soil and rocks along the oven wall. Right: the Golden Hour – sunrise on the newly expanded top terrace.
Fall is here again on Ilha Terceira. Rainy, cool days are disrupted only occasionally by little bursts of sunshine (often with simultaneous mist). And let me tell you about the wind! It gusts through our little gully like a wind-tunnel, howling through the rafters in our attic and rattling the reed grass that grows along the stream. One upshot to the cool wet weather is that the landscape has become incredibly green again.
Kitchen Update, Part 2
Having modernized our stovetop from gas to electric, we decided to do the same for our old, rusty gas oven. The vent fan rattled loudly and, for some reason, the burner was not able to regulate its temperature (it was just ‘on’). So Raymond and I shopped around a few appliance stores and found a Black Friday deal on a nice convection oven. We baked a delicious apple crisp today it works like a dream!
Out and About
One particularly sunny day, Raymond and I took the opportunity to visit a forest park near our house that we had driven by dozens of times. The trail wasn’t very long, but it did reveal the tallest tree fern we had ever seen (note me standing next to it). Another day with especially big surf we visited the swimming area in nearby Biscoitos to see and hear the waves crashing on the dramatic black lava field. The last three photos are snapshots taken from the car – just some local scenery on the way to get groceries!
A Day in Angra do Heroísmo
As is so often the case, our cloudy, misty side of the island is juxtaposed with the sunny, bright south side. On a recent trip to Angra we got a dose of sunshine and visited a fabric store we know to check out material for curtains. Back at home I sewed the fabric into three handsome curtains: one for the main bedroom (see below), one for the living room, and the remnants fit precisely in the guest bedroom window.
Garden Projects
The fava bean garden bed in the back yard is doing well – great germination rates and lots of leaves from the chestnut trees for mulch. The black plastic was to cover and help compost the yard and garden waste we had filled alongside the logs (it also helped to kill weeds and opportunistic tomato sprouts).
In the terraced garden near the house we are still harvesting beets and carrots (and occasionally black-eyed peas from a grouping that seems to have found its second wind). We replanted more beets, along with lettuce, in the near half of the lower terrace and dug up and transplanted an araçal tree to make way for an expanded planting of carrots in the far half. In the middle terrace the potatoes are doing well and the leeks are ever-so-slowly reaching maturity (I need to start replanting there as well to replenish what we’ve harvested).
The upper terrace, once full of yellow pear tomatoes, is now entirely covered by sweet potato vines! They are growing remarkably well despite the cooler weather and less sun. As I understand it, the plants require a soil temperature of 70+ degrees to produce sweet potatoes, but I’m hoping that by establishing themselves so well now they will be primed for producing by Spring.
Ah – the return of the dark and stormy North Atlantic. As beautiful as the sea and sky were in the summer, that brief season has passed and the great grayness of winter is now upon us. When the undistinguishable sea/sky is broken only by distant white caps and occasional breaks of blue. When the thunderous sound of waves crashing resonates in our house and yard. The reality is that this moody scene was so common over the past year that its return feels like a homecoming. Summer is for tourists…this is the real Terceira!
Chestnut Season
What a difference from last year! Since clearing the undergrowth from around the three chestnut trees, the shiny brown nuts are much easier to find. We have been gathering upwards of a pound of chestnuts every day.
Photos, L to R: the first harvest (mid-October), a single day’s large haul, boiled nuts being peeled, Raymond and I and a pile of shells. Below: Raymond made a contraption to pull off mature spiny-husked clusters from the trees (before rats can get them overnight).
So…what do we do with the finished peeled nuts? We’ve tried cooking them all kinds of ways. A favorite is simply sautéed with some olive oil and salt, but we also made a French cream of chestnut soup (gray and kind of bland), sautéed them with butter and brown sugar, and have tried candying in sugar syrup. At this point, we’re starting to freeze the peeled nuts due to gathering more than we can consume.
Kitchen Upgrade
After more than a year using the camper-style butane gas stove in our kitchen (and dealing with the corresponding fumes…) we are happy to share that we’ve joined the 21st century and replaced it with an induction stove top. We are absolutely loving it! So fast…so evenly heated…so precise in its levels of heating…why didn’t we replace the old stove sooner!
Boulder Breaking: The Finale
After much drilling and hammering, we finished the boulder project! Well, we removed enough that we were able to cover the remaining rock and considerable excavation hole with dirt. What a relief it is to be able to walk behind the house without stepping over a giant boulder.
Before and after: Oct. 2023, April 2024, Oct. 2024
Whitewashing
After stuccoing the stone wall of the driveway, Raymond suggested applying whitewash instead of paint. He did some research and realized that now, while the cement is fresh, would be the perfect time to try this traditional method. So for 1/20 the cost of a big bucket of paint, he bought a 50 pound sack of lime. Just mix with water and apply the whitewash thinly (and again, and again…). Raymond has so far applied 5 coats and the wall keeps getting brighter and brighter. Aside from the price savings, lime is also non-polluting, anti-mildew (to hopefully keep the moss and lichen at bay), and actually soaks into cement further hardening it.
The back garden between the chestnut trees freshly planted with fava beans.
Happy Equinox! After a very warm July and August, it was a welcome change to have cooler days (and nights) in September. Of course, all of this is relative – where we are on the north side of Terceira the hottest days in August were only about 81 degrees (in September the average has been around 73 degrees). Doesn’t sound like much, but with the addition of cloud cover it has made all the difference.
It was a bit sad to see our local swimming area close for the season. The last few times Raymond and I went to swim there were far fewer visitors and the sea was noticeably cooler. Alas, summer has past…
New Garden Bed
We expanded last year’s small fava bean patch into a much larger garden. Because the property slopes from the neighbors hillside to the stream, wished to create a more level area. Following permaculture best practices, we repurposed some recently sawed tree limbs and backfilled with smaller sticks, leaves, and kitchen compost to create a level area with increased soil fertility. It’s already attracting lots of worms. We can’t wait to plant a winter crop of favas again!
Back Wall Project
Before and After:
The stone wall has reached the end of the property and it is now a matter of building it up higher (in time). We had an interesting surprise while completing this section: a big rock we had been using as a seat near the chestnut trees was, once we flipped it over, a water trough chiseled in stone. So we placed it in the wall as a birdbath and lined the sides with rocks (I call it “the grotto”).
Nature’s Bounty
We were delighted to harvest our butternut squash and made a DELICIOUS soup with one of them (can’t wait to have eight more!)
It’s the time of year again for araçal fruit. We finally got a bird net for the trees and, between the trimming last fall and the netting, they are huge this year and have ripening perfectly (the red ones are from another tree). They are a little tart but sweet, and when extra ripe taste a bit like a pineapple/banana (the red ones taste like strawberry/cherry).
Raymond and I also harvested our watermelons – a total of six and an even mix of ‘good’ and ‘lackluster’ – plus black-eyed peas (daily) and the occasional bunch of bananas (pictured: new flower opening).
Boulder Breaking
After removing the old terrace behind the house, we discovered that a humongous boulder lay at its base. For months we navigated around it knowing that it had to be removed eventually in order to level the ground. So Raymond ordered some ‘wedge and feathers’ (from Amazon of all places…) and started drilling into the boulder. It was amazing to tap them into the drill holes and hear the pitch change higher and higher…and then the anticipation as the rock begins to crack. It has been slow-going but the boulder is about 2/3 gone at this point. We are looking forward to pouring a slab of concrete over this area for the purposes of a tool shed / future bathroom expansion.
August 21 was the one-year anniversary of our arrival here on beautiful Ilha Terceira! It has not escaped Raymond and I just how fortunate we are to own our little slice of paradise, and how blessed we have been over the course of the past year. In that time, we have become fixtures in our little village; greeted when walking along the street and recognized everywhere from the swimming area, to the home improvement store, to our favorite bakery. We have made our little house into a comfortable, cozy home. We have transformed our yard from an overgrown jungle into a productive terraced garden and bright, open orchard. It has been a lot of work but absolutely a labor of love.
August 2023 vs. August 2024
Back Wall Project
It has been incredibly rewarding rebuilding the wall in the back yard. The orchard now has a defined border with the neighbor’s hillside and feels so much bigger! We even built in a few ‘bench stones’ for sitting. The wall is now all the way to the back near the chestnut trees and nearly complete. Next we plan to expand and improve upon last winter’s fava bean garden bed with the excess soil from the wall project (more to come on that).
Enjoying a cerveja at the Bar/Sociedade in Quatro Ribeiras
It has been said that Terceira is the “island of festivals.” Indeed, especially in the summer, one can go from festival to festival every week in some corner of the island. Raymond and I were happy to share in our village’s annual festival this past week in honor of the local parish, Saint Beatrice.
On one particular night there was a fado concert (traditional Portuguese folk music) in the church yard at the center of the village. It was fun so see so many locals out after dark, partaking of beer and bifanas (simple pork steak sandwiches). The music was fantastic!
Of course, the highlight of the festival was the bull running! We had attended the tourada in other villages, but it was amazing to see the crowds and beer/food vendors come to our sleepy village. To review, the bulls are on long ropes held by a cadre of brave men and let out in 15-minute intervals to run around in the center of the village. Brave bull ‘fighters’ then attract their attention with red banners and umbrellas, taunting the bulls as they run circles around them. The bulls are then returned to their carriers to run in another festival.
Bull #4 noticed us at the end of the first day of the tourada, just as the sun was setting and we were heading down the hill to our house. Such a beautiful golden hour!
Azores RLLZ 