More Sao Miguel..

As I write it is 3 AM and drunken residents or perhaps tourists are singing 🎵 outside my hotel window. It is Carnival week, and tomorrow a parade is scheduled.

But enough of the drunken sailors. Here’s a recap of the earlier day.

Began early with touring the other side of the city. Captured this beautiful shot of sunrise on the port then my journey brought me to another gorgeous church. I believe it is the church of Saint Cristo. That is what one of the attendees told me in broken English.

More golden statutes of my mom, Mary❤️

In front of the square where this church lies is a statue of Azores people leaving for America.

They have some fascinating trees in this city. Believe this one is called the Christmas tree as it has weeping strands from its limbs.

And this one from our garden tour is 150 years old and has steel beams holding up the limbs. The Azores are very into their gardens and protective of the environment.

Now onto the tour.

This tour was very similar to the one the day before, however, had a few different spots to visit.

When the orange 🍊 groves failed in the 1800s the government invested in tea. This tea company is a fifth generation tea company, and the owner was on site!

40 tons of tea are made anually and this supplies much of Europe. It takes nine years to develop a tea bush and while originally the tea leaves were plucked by hand, this is now done by machine. Following are pictures of those machines with all from the 1800s!