Pico

We left the port of Horta on Faial and had a sunny, relaxing passage to the island of Pico. The views of Pico were, of course, spectacular. Before our cruise, Dan went on a climb with some friends. I've included a photo from his trip below. The most memorable part of Pico for me were the vineyards nestled in walls constructed from lava rock near the town of Madalena. A taxi driver explained that the lava rock walls are necessary to protect the vines from constant dry winds. We went to a winery nearby and were able to sample some of the wine made from these vineyards. We had a winetasting experience very reminiscent of trips to Napa or Sonoma in the wine country of California. The winemakers had wines from a variety of different types of grapes made in various styles. The quality was very high, and I was surprised I had never heard of Azorean wines before this.

The vineyards.

The view from the top of Pico.

We had some interesting beer snacks in Pico. We struggled with the waitress to order something appropriate, and the waitress went away a bit flustered. We had no idea whatsoever what we had ordered. We were very surprised when these salty, smelling of low-tide crabs appeared on the table. I was in shock, as you can see, but I had a couple. They were made with an extremely spicey, salty sauce for what I think is a very good reason. They are eaten shell and all, although the shells aren't thin enough or soft enough to go down easily.