4 November,2017,Azores,Ponta Delgada

Azores are a cluster of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic,about half-way between Portugal and New York.Ponta Delgada is the capital of the largest of them,Sao Miguel.Sao Miguel and the island of Santa Maria were discovered by the Portuguese explorer Diego de Silves in 1427.Azores have been self-governing since 1976.The language spoken is Portuguese,the currency is Euro. Sao Miguel acts as a stop-gap to the yachts crossing the Atlantic.Yachts come,yachts go.Truth be told, I cannot imagine any-one voluntarily deciding to settle here.This is my third visit to the Azores,the cruise ships sailing to the Caribbean usually give passengers a breather after 3-4 solid days at sea.I wish they didn't,there is nothing here to offer a discerning traveller,except the alluring name -AZORES.It implies something utterly wonderful and nothing cold be further from the truth.Th architecture at the port would make proud Mr Ceausescu as it resembles the buildings of his era in Rumania,to perfection.Grey slabs thrown on top of each other without any rhyme or reason.If there was a structure that Jack built this is the one.Wires and cables hanging from the exposed ceilings.Sao Diego is not rich.I have walked the breadth and the width of it and can confirm it does not have one single ostentatious house.At least I have not come cross one.Nor have I seen a porsche on the streets.But the port is the first thing the thousands of people the ships bring,see, it is sad to how little pride the town has in itself.How much would it cost to cover the ceilings,make them safe, and spruce the ugly greyness up with white paint?