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On April 30th at 2:30 AM Azerbaijan Time ( GMT +4) TotalAdventure began the journey from the shores of the Caspian to the Mid Atlantic Ocean. The first flight , from Baku to Istanbul arrived at 0430 GMT +3. After navigating the stringent security control at IST , I boarded my connecting Turkish Airlines flight arriving in Lisbon at 1050 GMT+1. Checking into the EU, and one more control , I had a good Portuguese lunch and boarded the last flight to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores Islands, a Portuguese Territory in the mid Atlantic arriving at 1500 GMT. One third of the way across the Atlantic and 60% of the way home.

The first view of São Miguel. An amazing entity in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Azores have been Portuguese since 1427. They stretch 350km along the high 30s latitudes.

The volcanic Mid Atlantic Ridge stretches from Iceland to Antarctica.

There is good surf almost every day of the year, between winter storms and summer hurricanes.

The ocean was about 17 C. ( 63 in American temperature) Perfectly comfortable for TotalAdventure.

A volcanic formed valley with extremely fertile soil. The climate ranges from an average of 13C 55F in winter to 23C 74 F in summer.

Portugal’s currency is the Euro, as of this writing is US $1.07. Costs are slightly lower than the rest of Western Europe or the USA.

TotalAdventure had only local produce and seafood . The Azores are a gastronomic paradise.

Sopa do Bacalǎo. Cod Soup.

Blood Puddding.

Grilled Sardines.

Cod Steak.

Local Pineapples.

Shrimp with head on. 90% of the shrimp flavor comes from the head. Americans have a peculiar habit of decapitating it before sale.

A Peaceful Country Lane.

In Sete Cidades.

THe islands are of course, mainly Catholic. I was not there on a Sunday,so not known on how many attend Mass.

TotalAdventure will definitely ride the next time in the Islands. It was now time to ride hime across the Ocean – first to New York and on to Miami,

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After sailing southeast to 33°7.8′N 17°16.65′W we reach another Portuguese outpost – Madeira. According to Wikipedia it t lies between 32°22.3′N 16°16.5′W and 33°7.8′N 17°16.65′W, just under 400 km north ofTenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union.^[4] The archipelago comprises one of the two Autonomous regions of Portugal (the other being the Azores located to the northwest), that includes the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, the Desertas and the Savage Islands.

Madeira was re-discovered by Portuguese sailors in the service of Infante D. Henrique (Henry the Navigator) in 1419, and settled after 1420. The archipelago is considered to be the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the Portuguese Age of Discovery.

While the islands have an adventurous potential, most visitors are sun-starved Northern Europeans visiting on cheap package tours who stick close to the town beaches and bars. This is good news for explorers however, almost everywhere else in this remote archipelago is empty.

In a  sailboat one can visit the Ilhas Desertas .

Explore the incredible North Coast. The north side of Madeira is rainy, while the southern side is very dry. Below uninhabited Savage Island – on the way to the Canaries.

After a rough sail southwards from Iceland, dodging icebergs along the way, we finally make landfall about 10 days after leaving Reykjavik Harbor. At 39’30’ North, 31’ 10” West we reach Corvo.

Corvo

Flores

Most of the islands were or are still volcanic. Many have hot springs. The Azores are one of the the highest mountain ranges in the world after Hawaii.

Faial

Pico

The mild mid North Atlantic is not known for snow – but Pico is snowcapped half the year.

São Jorge

Though in the high 30’s North Latitude ,São Jorge has an almost tropical feel.

Terceira

From here one can fly to Lisbon, and in the summer – to Boston.

Graciosa

São Miguel

Santa Maria

And now, we continue to the Portuguese islands of Madeira.  An interesting note – almost all the islands of the Atlantic speak either Portuguese ,English or Spanish– or dialects thereof.

In the mid Atlantic the Azores are an almost untouched natural paradise, with some of the best wine and fish in the world. Volcanoes are viewable while surfing incredible waves.

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