I was up before the sun to photograph some of the more prominent architecture in downtown Ponta Delgada. The lighting is interesting but more importantly there are fewer cars and people to meander into the scene. It is also a quiet and serene time which makes appreciating what you are seeing that much easier.

Driving in the Azores requires constant vigilance. Around any given curve you might find a bicyclist, an old man riding a horse carrying huge milk containers, a massive tour bus speeding towards you, a parked truck whose owner is having a chat on the side of the road with his friend the farmer, a massive tractor pulling a wagon laden with bails of hay, or a herd of cows making their way to their milking station.

We started the day with a visit to the Jose Do Canto botanical gardens located within walking distance of our hotel. Not as opulent or large as the Terra Nostra gardens they were still quite impressive with several really massive trees including the rubber tree shown below.

Later in the afternoon we went hiking in search of a vantage point from which to observe Lagoa Pau Pique, a small lake within a perfectly circular crater, the perfect reminder of the archipelago’s volcanic origins.

Jeanine indulged me as I made a second visit to the natural pools of Mosteiros to make a long exposure of the waves breaking against the rocks. My attempt earlier in the week produced an OK image but I was much happier with the one I made this evening. I was also much more careful with the cadence of the waves (every tenth or so is much larger than the rest) and managed to avoid being drenched as was the outcome on my first visit.