Hiking a Mountain in Flip Flops

Right next door to the hot springs in Furnas on Logo do Fogo, aka Fire Lake, is some great hiking and scenic tours around this amazing body of water. Not knowing we were about to adventure into a long trek, we started up the trails, through abandoned plantation houses engulfed by nature over the years and stoic trees towering overhead. At this point, flip-flops still in tack-thank you Sonuk! , we realized we were 1/2 way up this mountain already. And with both our strong minds and determination-we were going to the top! The inclines began getting much steeper, and the soiled path wet from the previous rain and from sitting in the shade. Alas, we finally made it and the breathtaking views of the lake were well worth the effort. We signed and dated the paper, leaving our mark and took a rest-absorbing our immeasurable views.

The Hot Springs of Furnas

After driving the northern coast, we reached mid-island to the city of Furnas. Called Furnas because of the numerous hot springs right under the ground's surface. The locals cook their food in small pots heated by these springs, and the hot baths are only 4 euro! The night sky dances with all the steam emitted from the springs like a creepy horror movie, and remnants of the distant past are left behind of retired bath houses and stairways to these springs.

The Azores: Sete Cidades

Sete Cidades might just be one of the most magical places on Earth. With its hydrangea-lined roads, rolling hills, and cattle grazing peacefully along the horizon, it’s a place where you can breathe a little easier-move a little slower-take it all-and repeat as many times needed. We were lucky enough to see a stunning rainbow as we were driving through the hilly valley on our way back into town (after I had gotten sick for 2 hours on the whale and dolphin tour). We made friends with Tiger Lilly and her 4 kittens atop of the mountain, visiting her daily with food and water and soaking in the sunset views with our 1 euro bottle of wine. Our view from the casa in the AM was equally as stunning, watching the clouds float on by while encompassed in white linens. We came across an abandoned hotel, all in concrete with its exoskeleton still in tacked-nature reclaiming it for its own with overgrown branches and moss-still water sitting in crevasses, voices echoing within and its body badly tatted with graffiti. Like a zombie apocalypse, it was left to fend for itself.   

The Drive to Furnas

Driving from Sete Cidades, we decided to take the longer, more scenic route on the north side of the island- stopping at breath-taking overlooks. Along the way, we found natural swimming pools which we took a break for a little dip. We also saw an old-school windmill which still works and is launched once a year. We also got to see a crochet wrapped and ate at an interesting place which served us a "hamburger," since that was the only thing we knew how to order;)