And it happens to be in the small island of Sao Miguel in the Azores Islands. We went there today and tried out their “Cha”! Indeed, in Portuguese, tea is the same as in China or India – “Cha” (or minor variants thereof).

This is the Tea Plantation of Gorreana.

(I could not find the name of the area)

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…