The Azores
Islands, Terceira island being the second largest and
habitable one along with Sao Miguel, are all from volcanic origin,
some of which seem to still be active. We first learned that Terceira
existed around 1450 with the name of Ilha de Jesus Christ but was
soon to be named as is, which means Third, the order in which it
was discovered. All these islands belong to Portugal and have played
a very important part in the Portuguese conquest of the north of
Africa, and its many discoveries all over the world. The capital
of Terceira Island is Angra do Heroismo, the most populated city,
having been its capital the city of Praia. These two city have served
many ship navegating these waters in route to the India.
Sightseeing around the Island Terceira
Angra do Heroismo
is one of the most picturesque overseas cities, coming to life
when the transatlantic trading business reached its peak. Angra
means ´bay´, closed in by an isthmus and
protected by a mountain range. The second part of the name, ´Heroismo´ comes
from Queen Maria II as an award to the city for its loyalty in the
civil wars. Since the 15th and 16th centuries, this city has not
undergone many urban changes, showing a clear similarity to the architectural
style of Brazil. Due to a very violent earthquake in 1980, Angra
do Heroismo had to be reconstructed, strictly keeping in mind the
original plans. Along this theme, we can specifically point some
very interesting features of this city. The stone framed windows
arched at the top painted blue, red, green and yellow, guillotine
locks and crackled panes call everyone´s attention. Many
of these have been made into shop windows, giving off an old
air of trading and bargaining as before.
Have wheels will travel
A sightseeing tour in your rent a car will give you the best chance
to freely choose what direction you want to go in. When you leave
Angra do Heroism, going inland, there is a fork in the road and you
can either go to the right which will take you to Lajes where the
airport is on the north coast or to the Peak of Bagacine, similar
to Sete Cidade on Sao Miguel Island. If you have flown into the island
and wish to do some sightseeing as you make your way to the capital,
then it would be wise to take the coastal highway to the east, first
stopping in Praia for a nice fish meal and some relaxation on its
beach. Praia has the most extensive beaches on all the Azores islands.
Then you follow down to Sao Sebastian to visit the quaint church.
If you take the left fork when leaving the capital, you be able to
take in great visions of a crater, the Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz,
soft green prairies and then a rough terrain.
Let´s
chow down
Tuna and sardines are two delicious fish which are both exported
and used for domestic consumption, either fresh or tinned, using
another national ingredient for its elaboration, olive oil. Many
of the spicy Portuguese foods are not found on the continent but
on the Azores islands like Terceira and Sao
Miguel or in Madeira in Faja
de Ovelha. The reason is that the natives traded fresh fruit,
vegetables, meat and probably local beer for spices that the sailors
brought from the Far East and Brazil. The Brazilian apples, sweet
pineapples and Chinese tea are predominant on Terceira.
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