ponta delgada — Hannah Elise Schultz

Adventures in
Serendipity

— Hannah Schultz (biographical name): a Kentuckian, traveler, PhD student, hiker, environmentalist, and Great Pyrenees enthusiast

When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry, The Peace of Wild Things

São Miguel, The Azores (Day Two): Dophin-Sighting and Snorkeling at Vila Franca Islet

Our second day on São Miguel, we booked a full-day whale and dolphin watching tour that included a snorkeling excursion to Vila Franca Islet. We booked our tour through Picos de Aventura, and it was a good experience. The tour left from the marina, where we were given heavy-duty raincoats to keep off the cold sea spray. The boat itself was pretty small, so you got hit by a lot of spray. The seats were fairly comfortable on the ride out to the island—you were essentially horseback riding the cushion, with each space for a passenger separated by the seat back. On the way back, my thighs and butt were definitely feeling pretty sore from this position and the up-and-down motion of the choppy waters.

Travel, NatureHannah SchultzJuly 8, 2023sao miguel, portugal, azores, travel, International travel, dolphin, snorkel, vila franca islet, ponta delgadaComment

Travel With Me: São Miguel, The Azores (Day One)

After our overnight flight to PDL, we decided our first stop would be to see some nature before checking into the B&B. The Jardim Botânico António Borges was founded in 1861 by a wealthy citizen of Ponta Delgada, and it is now a free public park. There are tree species from across the globe, caves, and a viewpoint that you can access at the top of a restored cistern. This introduction to the island did remind me of Hawai’i, as that was the only other place I’ve ever seen Moreton Bay fig trees like the one pictured above.

TravelHannah SchultzJuly 8, 2023travel with me, International travel, azores, islands, portugal, sao miguel, ponta delgada, botanical garden, Jardim Botânico António Borges, Pópulo beach, Forte De S. Caetano, Lagoa das Sete Cidades, Vista Do Rei, Boca do InfernoComment

Adventures inSerendipity

— Hannah Schultz (biographical name): a Kentuckian, traveler, PhD student, hiker, environmentalist, and Great Pyrenees enthusiast

Adventures in
Serendipity