Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Terceira Island - Portugal

Exactly 1 month ago i was in my hotel room in Angra do Heroísmo on the Terceira Island. I'm really glad that i decided to spend part of my holidays there and i highly recommend a visit to this island.

Photo by © Maurício Abreu
 The delightful capital of the lovely Terceira Island, Angra do Heroísmo, is classified since 1983 as World Heritage by UNESCO, filled with beauty, history, monuments, cosmopolitism and a very own ambiance.
Situated on the south coast of the Terceira Island, by a small and beautiful bay, Angra do Heroismo has much to show and tell. This was the first town in the Azores Archipelago, in 1534, and was already by then a very important and influent place, a big port of commerce and trading and a mandatory port of call in the transcontinental crossings, in the search for the “new world”.
Angra opposed heroically to the Spanish domain and was headquarters of the government between 1580 and 1583, and with the surrender of the Spanish troops in 1641 was named by the king as a “forever loyal town”. The toponym “Heroismo” (“Heroism”) comes from the liberal fights of the 19th century, where Angra stayed firm defending the freedom ideals.
Angra’s beautiful and typical streets are the reflex of years of history, influence of the several inhabitats which came from several mainland regions, and of traders and business man that worked in its important Trading and Commerce Maritime Port. Angra’s wealth is also visible on its monuments, like the many Manor houses and small Palaces that can be seen throughout the region, such as the Bettencounrt or the Capitães Generais Palaces or the Madre de Deus Solar, among many others. - in: http://www.getportugal.com/en/poi-angra-do-heroismo-18594
 
 Photo by Afonso Alves
Visiting this island was the opportunity to meet a new postcrosser, Lurdes. She and her husband were my guides and they shown me all the island. I even slept at their house one night. They were really great.
One of the places we visited was São Bartolomeu village. On this card there's the village império, built in 1875.  

© Grafipost - Editores e Artes Gráficas
Is commonly said that in the Azores there's 1 cow for every two inhabitants. And that's probably true because they're everywhere. I love cows, i think they're cute and adorable. After sharing my love for cows with Lurdes,  she sent me this card with two cute little cows.

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