Nordeste, the eastern most town on Sao Miguel was our destination this morning. Jeanine got wind of a Sunday brunch at a highly recommended restaurant which turned out to be phenomenal and well worth the one hour excursion. We slowly worked our way up and down the coastline in our trusty if diminutive car. Operating a manual transmission in such a mountainous region (10% grades are quite common) is not for the faint of heart and I was pleased that the skills I developed as a teenager came back so quickly. Pictured above is the Ponta do Arnel lighthouse and public boat launch.

After brunch we made our way up to the Reserva Natural do Pico da Vara where we did a bit of hiking among the great trees which cover most of the island.

Later we visited a salt water swimming pool in Lomba da Fozenda. During the summer months, sea water is captured in the pool where locals enjoy swimming without the risk of the dangerous rip tides and treacherous shorelines. Jeanine did not like the grade or condition of the road which took us to the base and elected to hike back up rather than drive with me. Dotting the coastline are a series of miradores (scenic overlooks) which we visited without exception over the course of our week long stay. Jeanine is pictured below at one which included a small cylindrical building used by whale spotters to survey the ocean.

Our final destination for the day was Lagoa do Fogo, the highest point on the island. Overcast skies made for poor photography so we descended to the Caldeiro Veldha where geothermal springs feed a waterfall and man made pools where visitors indulge in the warm baths.