Sao Miguel is filled with a lot of “Ribeira”s. Technically. the word means a river but these are more like rivulets. Basically, the rains just hurry down the sides of the volcanoes and head towards the ocean.

Ribeira Grande is the original town in Sao Miguel. (Now the bigger town of Ponta Delgada is the more important town).

I love how they have dug into the side of the slope and built the sitting benches..

Apparently, the previous government of Azores Islands (held power for some 16 years or so, our driver told me) needed all houses to be painted white. The new government has given full freedom for home owners to choose their outer wall colors. And the home owners have responded effusively. A lot of houses we saw in Ribeira Grande were being colored. A few more years later I am sure this will small town will remind us of the town of Burano in Italy…

Azores Islands!!

There are about 7 (8 if you count the Australian and Indian plates differently) tectonic plates in the world. The ones underneath the Atlantic Ocean are the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate.

Right where these three meet (see the Google map attached – magnify it time see some islands) as expected, there has been some pushing and shoving due to the tectonic movements. As a result of the pressure, the earth has moved up and created some volcanic islands – right where these three plates meet.

In fact thirteen such islands. These are called the Azores Islands…

That is where we have landed up after a rather circuitous route from Atlanta to New York to Paris to Lisbon to Ponta Delgada for the Thanksgiving and Sharmila’s birthday!!!!

Hopped from Paris to Lisbon. A wee bit tired. But not done with our flights yet…

Where to next?