summer!!

Lots of pictures are being accumulated in my computer to be edited and uploaded, 

but the nice summer days in São Miguel had been "forcing" me to spend my free time at the beach :P

Hope you are enjoying your summer time too!

Sunset in Santa Barbara

Sunsets are always beautiful in Santa Barbara beach, but yesterday, with those clouds,  the low tide and the absence of wind... 
it definitely reached the top of the ranking!

Sorry for the poor quality, it was taken with my phone.

Other posts of Santa Barbara: during the day and at the dusk

Alfama - Lisboa

I think it's time to share a few images of my trip to Lisbon last April. 
I went to meet my mother, my grandma and my aunt after 4 months not seeing them!! :)

For those who still do not know Lisboa, it's a city that invites you to walk along every single street, to sit down in the hundreds of beautiful coffee places, to admire the views from the different hills of the city, to watch the sunset from São Jorge castle...

I simply adore this city and I could not stop making click and click with my Nikon in every step  :)


These pictures belong to Alfama, a neighborhood full of narrow streets going up and down, 
houses with red tiles which beautifully contrast with the blue sky, 
the castle of São Jorge overlooking the city... 
There's charm in every corner and a lot of history, since it is the most ancient neighborhood in Lisbon.

♥ ♥ ♥

Lagoa do Congro

Not very happy with the result of these pictures. But still I wanted to share them with you, so that you can know this place: Lagoa do Congro.

Since I arrived in Azores (more than one year now), I had never visited Lagoa do Congro until last month. It is really a nice feeling to keep discovering new places in this island even after such a long time living here :) 

Lagoa do Congro is located a few kms from Vila Franca do Campo, to the interior of the island, about 5km east from Lagoa do Fogo. What makes this lake different from the others is that its embedded in a crater in a relatively flat area, like in a large open hole, instead of occupying the "top" of a volcano as happens with Sete Cidades Lake, Furnas Lake or Lagoa do Fogo.

To reach the Lagoa do Congro you will have to hike a little bit: you should park the car in the same unpaved road as soon as you see the sign. Keep walking entering the forest going all the way down. 

After some minutes you will arrive at the yellow water of Congro, where just the singing of the birds and the croaking of the frogs will interrupt your thoughts. 

Check the video at the end to believe me :) 

Miradouro da Vista do Rei + Miradouro do Cerrado das Freiras - Sete Cidades

The Miradouro da Vista do Rei is absolutely a must-to-visit in São Miguel. From here you will enjoy the sublime view over the twin Sete Cidades Lakes and the village with the same name. I guess there's no need to tell you that this is the caldera of an ancient volcano. But don't be afraid, the last eruptions dates back to the 15th century. Anyway... you never know... :)
PD: Maybe you will remember this place, because I already posted it here last year!! 

And here you have a view of Sete Cidades from another angle: the Miradouro do Cerrado das Freiras, which is on the road going down to the village of Sete Cidades. And more or less at the same place, on the other side of the road you can enjoy the Lagoa de Santiago. Don't miss it either! 

Praia de Santa Bárbara

Do you have any special place where all your thoughts escape from your head and your mind feels peacefully free?  

Santa Barbara beach is definitely my place of Zen. And it was funny when I recently saw this new YVES' Graffitti saying 

A minha vida mudou aqui (My life changed here)  in the same spot... I guess it's the magic of the place that catches many people.

Let me know about your special places of Zen! :)

Lagoa do Fogo... Again

Living and working just 15 minutes far away from this natural wonder, the Lagoa do Fogo, makes me wanna go quite often. However, the clouds up there are very usual so it is not always possible to enjoy this amazing view.

If you feel curious, you can check my other posts of Lagoa do Fogo:

• Lagoa do Fogo in June 2011: http://ariadnabach.blogspot.pt/2011/06/lagoa-do-fogo.html 
• Lagoa do Fogo in March 2012: http://ariadnabach.blogspot.pt/2012/03/lagoa-do-fogo.html 
• Trilho Praia - Lagoa do Fogo in March 2012:http://ariadnabach.blogspot.pt/2012/03/trilho-pedestre-praia-lagoa-do-fogo.html 

Ribeira Grande - Cavalhadas de São Pedro

O passado 29 de Junho de 2012, passaram pelas principais ruas de Ribeira Seca e Ribeira Grande dezenas e dezenas de cavalos e cavaleiros vestidos de roupas branco e capas vermelhas. A cidade encheu-se durante algumas horas do som do trote dos cavalos e dos seus sincerros.

Sem dúvida foi e é uma das festas açorianas mais originais e interessantes.

Para finalizar, duas panorâmicas:  

Vista da Praia do Monte Verde e o Vulcão das Sete Cidades ao fundo 

Vista da ribeira da Ribeira Grande :p