Being excellent navegators and having a deep desire to expland its territories, the Azores Islands were found by the Portuguese in 1317. This is a clump of nine islands in the rough Atlantic Ocean about 1,400 kilometers west of Lisbon, Portugal. As a curious traveller, I always make it a habit of finding out how a city, town or in this case an island got its name. The name Azores comes from the name of a bird similar to a goshawk which is what the first settlers thought they saw, but it turned out that what they were seeing in abundance was just a type of eagle.
The nine islands that make up the Azores are called Santa Maria, Sao Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, Pico, Faial, Sao Jorge, Corvo and Flores. As far as we know, they are all from a volcanic eruptions and still seem to be active as far as registering seismic movements. Culture, tradition and religion have always been closely linked and therefore there is a tight tie between the festive celebrations held all over the islands in the small chapels from the 26th of August until the 31st. This celebration is to honour the Holy Spirit which the islanders feel will protect them from any natural disaster, especially the ones related to its volcanoes.
Of all territories that Portugal once possessed, only Macao, the Azores Islands and Madeira still remain. Under the command of Henry the Navegator, these islands became a very important stop over for ships sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, they received visitors from all over the world who not only brought riches and stories but also fruits, spices and plants. In 1420, Henry sent settlers to the island of Madeira with plants that he thought would grow well in the volcanic ground and in the mild year round climate typical there; the grapevine and sugar cane being the best product up until now, both heavily used in the Portuguese cuisine and well as other spices like the black pepper and cinnamon. But nowadays, the Azores have changed their tea, tabacco and fruit fields for livestock and tourism.
As its name well announces, Terceira was the third island discovered by the Portuguese around 1450 having had as its original name that of Island of Jesus Christ. At the beginning Praia was the capital, being the first beach were the Flemish colonizer Jacome de Bruges first settled. But as we all know, improvements were made and they decided to use the town of Angra do Heroismo as the new capital, probably because it was well protected by the bay ( angro ) and the Brasil Mountain standing strong against the ocean. Here, there is a 17th century castle called Saint John the Baptist. All over the islands there are lagoons which look like big cauldrons which offer a breathtaking view of its natural surroundings. If I had to recommend one or two outstanding features, I would probably describe the beautiful Se or Cathedral with its bell tower decorated in blue, green and white tiles. Or even more so are the curious windows that the houses still have, made from stones in an arched formation with gaily painted frames such as green, blue and yellow. And the glass in these windows look like its cracked or iced.
But as all practical traveller, the question of getting there and accomodations is always an important aspect to look into when planning a comfortable holiday. On all the islands, tourism is very well cared for and the hotels are tops. You can choose between sea front four star hotels to quaint rural house in the mountains or simple campings. And in the location of Lajes on the Terceira island and in Ponta Delgada in Sao Miguel island, there are airports which have daily flights between them and to Lisbon on mainland Portugal.
Yachting vacations used to be the sole preserve of the rich or famous; the price being unachievable for most people. Prices have now dropped considerably with the introduction of chartering and many yacht owners now offer other potential seafarers the opportunity to ‘rent’ their boat for their dream vacation.
Yachting means you aren’t confined to any one area, or even any one island; giving you the opportunity to visit various beaches, coves and beautiful coastlines on your travels. Alternatively, you can remain on your boat and watch the sun rises and the sun set over the clear horizon of the
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Thousands of miles of awe-inspiring coastline have enticed a small, but growing, number of adventurers to discover the wonders of sea kayaking Southwest Alaska. At the forefront of destinations in this remote region is Kodiak. The island is the second largest island in the United States, yet, owing to it’s numerous fjords, no point of land on Kodiak Island is more than 15 miles from the sea. Don’t be deceived by Kodiak’s listing as the fourth-largest community in Alaska; it is still small enough to get by with it’s one traffic light turned off.
Locals have long known of Kodiak’s natural
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Arusha National Park is only a few Kilometers from Arusha and is a small but beautiful park set in the shadow of Mount Meru. There is a string of lakes in this park and canoeing has recently been added to the tourist activities.
One lake known as ‘Small Momela’ successful launched the canoeing safari this year. This is a great way to see the park from a new perspective. It is good to get out of your vehicle and actually get some exercise and get ‘down and personal’ with the African Bush. This chance to view the animals in their
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Anyone who has ever gone scuba diving knows what a mystical and powerful experience it can be. Observing marine life in its home is something you don't forget. Moreover, there's a peacefulness under the waves that you don't really find on dry land. Though it can sometimes seem a bit unreal, it's very soothing. But for those of you interested in a more exciting, challenging diving experience, consider wreck diving. This involves exploring the underwater resting place of a sunken ship and the chance to investigate its long-lost treasures.
Although you can wreck dive in many parts of the world, some
of the best opportunities are available in Bermuda. The
following are
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The America’s Cup competition all started on August 22, 1851 when the British challenged the United States in a sailing event which the British thought they would easily win. The British have always been known for their naval supremacy and for having been more technologically advanced in its time than the rest of the world. But it was at that event, held around the Isle of Wight, that Queen Victoria had to hand over the prize of 100 Guineas to the American team, who had sailed in their 90 foot
schooner called precisely ‘ America’, from the United States to
