Here we are, we went back to the computer and we decided to introduce an important novelty in our blog! The thought is this: why not also deal with distant places, outside Italy or Campania, to see how in those places they have faced and solved the problems of reduced mobility?
So we invented this new category, that of ACCESSIBLE HOLIDAYS, and we inaugurate it with this post on the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores islands, where we went in May of this year 2018 with an organized trip and where we shot with a van for the roads of the largest of the islands of the archipelago, Sao Miguel.
Sao Miguel is a beautiful island, starting with the capital Ponta Delgada, a town full of life and historical testimonies; then continuing with the natural parks, the splendid coast, the volcanic areas, the tea plantations (unique in Europe), the magnificent viewpoints (miradouros in Portuguese); all these places are served by excellent roads and are almost entirely accessible by wheelchair and equipped with adequate services. Let's start with one of the most beautiful of the natural parks, the Parque Terra Nostra (*), a private structure open to the public and rich in plant species from all continents, thermal springs, lakes and easily accessible paths:
We are located in the area of Lagoa das Furnas, a volcanic lake on whose banks you can visit active fumaroles, while in the ground, in special holes, the restaurants in the area stew the meat for cozido, a robust local dish that for the "normal" stomachs solves lunch and dinner:
And other fumaroles are found in the town of Furnas:
And now we see some of these miradouros on the sea: let's start from the Miradouro de Santa Iria, on the north coast:
and we continue with the Miradouro do Escalvado, on the same coast:
But in Sao Miguel there are also beaches and we went there, although May is certainly not the time for swimming there; in particular we found this Praia de Santa Barbara (*), an accessible beach equipped to accommodate the disabled:
Another interesting visit we made is the one to the Chà Gorreana tea plantation (*), where you can taste the various types of tea grown on site and shop for tea and other products, as well as see the machinery used for production.
Another natural park that can be visited easily for us too is the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes (*), complete with river, waterfalls, well-kept vegetation and handicraft shop:
And before closing this post with the images of Ponta Delgada, a look from two of the many observation points, the one on the Lagoa de Fogo:
and the one on the Lagoa de Santiago:
So let's go for a walk to Ponta Delgada and start from the seafront, beautiful, full of bars and restaurants and absolutely "walkable" for us:
Note the black and white cobblestone pavement of the sidewalks, very neat and that we find in all the streets of the center, with even complex decorative motifs:
The cathedral is dedicated to San Sebastian and here we see it during the day and illuminated in the evening:
Another symbol of the city are the Portas da Cidade, three arches that a few centuries ago were lapped by the sea and marked the entrance from the sea to Ponta Delgada:
And we conclude with a suggestive example of popular religiosity, the church of Christ of the Miracles, which in those days of May was festively decorated for the annual anniversary:
Of course, what we have presented is a selection of what we have seen in a week, so don't be satisfied, there is still a lot to see and photograph, and excellent fish and meat cuisine to taste! (*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for the disabled