4 Days of Hotspring Wellness in São Miguel
After our neighbors finished their one year of constructions and having a big house-warming party I fell into some whole and got very sick with bladder inflammation and severe abdominal pains. It was very tough on top of my pregnancy of course (while from the second trimester on it was very unproblematic), but mostly of a Christmas, where I felt very lonely and sad here on Graciosa, my third Christmas of my life apart from my family of origin. Most of my very good newer friends here were travelling themselves in this winter.
We got the opportunity to meet with our friend Verónica (read the story of our Flores trip together) in São Miguel! A promise of some relaxed hotel days, away from our own messy renovation works, and luxurious (while some for free for us Azorean residents!) and healing hot springs on a big, interesting and beautiful island!
Also the chance to visit an already flourishing permaculture project from our friends Anne, Géraldine and Hélga from France, who have been living for a long time on São Miguel already. The exchange was inspiring for all of us.
And just touring around the island with a rental car, some sight seeing like the traditional tea factory (São Miguel is the only place in Europe where tea is grown!), eating some different foods again… The flights with some super anxious virus-phobic people with a stick up their asses were a bit heavy for me with the already big pregnant belly and not being able to breath freely like I needed, but I am grateful for these holidays.
Jan´s parking lot at the airport 😉 
The coast of Faial da Terra 
In Faial da Terra Anne Brujer from France and her daughters are running a permaculture project with a lovely guest house 
View from their land 
Anne gives us a tour over her permaculture garden 
Relaxing in the hot springs and mineral rich water in magical Furnas 
The botanical garden of Furnas. The water is rich in iron, you can swim in this amazing thermal water in the middle of the park. 
I just HAD to do it: I haven´t had chinese buffet in over three years! 
Visiting the hot springs of Caldeira Velha 
Oh this is so amazing for my expanding pregnant belly and the bladder inflammation. 
Forgetting the duties of the farm for some time 
Isn´t it magical? 
Afterwards we visited the tea factory Chá Gorreana 
Sao Miguel is the only place in Europe where they grow tea! 
A lovely tour and demonstration of the old tea machines, which are still in use! 
The tea is packaged… 
Making tea bags… 
Tea tasting 
Thank you for this wonderful trip, dear Verónica! ;-* 
A photo from the old times of tea production 
Visiting a real shopping mall – total sensory overload for us xD 
Maybe they went whale hunting with this old boat? 
Real good steak house in Ponta Delgada 
Visit of Anne Brujers atelier in Ponta Delgada 
So amazing paper art with plant materials from the Azores 
Strongly recommend a visit or to participate in one of her workshops!
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