Furnas Golf Gourse on the Azores Islands

Let’s talk about Furnas Golf Course on the Azores Islands, shall we? It’s on Sao Miguel which is the largest and most populated along with Batalha Golf Course which makes for 45 holes of golf between them. Furnas is in the Furnas Valley and a ~30-40 minute drive away from Ponta Delgada which is the capital of the island and a small city with a cool old town district. Furnas is a cool place I’ll have to discuss at another time; just think thermal baths, botanical gardens, fumerals and the like…

This course was like going back in time and on the day I went, the weather started great then went weird and ended where it started. It had this old world charm to it and the caddy manager is this friendly gent who takes care of the equipment as well, there are no caddies.  The course feels like you’re on the coast of Europe and there are these massive Japanese cedars protecting the fairways. The clubhouse is old school with friendly staff, I loved everything about this place.

Oh the greens! They re small and oh so undulated it’s almost a unfair if you’re having a bad day. I really liked that feature and it’s something you find on smaller courses like this which are filled with character. Lots of championship courses have these large kidney shaped greens which aren’t by any means easy but a totally different trip.

This course is 350E a year to join or 80E to play it once. Can you see why I’m drawn here? At that membership price you can really get your game on and who would have thought a golf addiction could cost less than the pathetic cheap buzz called coffee? Don’t get me started on caffeine; I’ve been free of it for months and hopefully will never go back but I digress.

I really liked this course and hope to play it again as soon as this summer. It’s not so difficult if you’re striking the ball decently but isn’t that always the case? As per usual I had  mix of shots which made me feel like I chose the wrong profession and other humbling debacles which made appreciate the good times. That’s golf though, it’s the one or two great shots which keep you going back.

I wrote about Furnas Golf Course in further detail here.

Golf is the best game in the world in my humble opinion.

Sao Miguel which is the largest island in the Autonomous Region of the Azores has two golf courses. One is called Batalha and it’s a relatively modern championship course with great views, greens, clubhouse, membership fees; the works. The other is Furnas which I’ll talk about tomorrow. Just know there are a total of 63 golf holes on the 9 islands and 45 of them are on Sao Miguel.

I really loved this golf course and the three 9 hole courses are all similar but distinctly different. Which one is most challenging, who knows but they were all fun. I played Batalha twice and I’m keen on making it my home course. You know, flying my clubs out to the Azores, getting a locker, a bar tab and calling it a day. The clubhouse has insane views and is oh so peaceful; it’s also a short ~10 minute drive from downtown Ponta Delgada.

I’ve written a whole post about Batalha Golf Course; click to read.

I landed in Toronto on Saturday night and met up with a SHABL crew member for a quick dinner and a drink. One thing lead to another and the 11pm flight got missed. As a result, I found myself on a ridiculous road trip early Sunday morning from Toronto to Ottawa. All I can say is wow, this place is huge and a bit of a boring drive, 5+ hours of the same exact scenery on loop, it never ends!

There is nothing more abundant than undeveloped land in Canada. That said, it could probably house the entire world in its borders if need be. This is something I really realized after being gone for another 14 months or so; Canada is collosal. We all already knew this but when you’re driving at 100-120km an hour, you can go for days and days and everything is so spread out. What’s crazy is it’s the same scene over and over again until the driver loses his / her mind.

That said, fall is a beautiful time for a drive, yes?

It’s also cold. I was just in the bathroom and I felt the heat of a vent hit my leg and it was the first time in years I believe. I had forgotten what it’s like to live somewhere cold and for the most part, I think it’s sh!t. Life is too short to hold onto toxic trades, drink bad wine or be cold if you ask this gent. That said, sweating to death isn’t the best alternative either so I’m guessing there is no real “perfect climate” unless you’re willing to move with the seasons.

Finally, the reason I made this post is that people often ask me if I get lonely traveling as I’m always moving blah blah. To be honest, no I don’t as a rule but there are always the odd exceptions here and there to everything, yes? That said, I’ve been home for a day now and if I lived here, I think I’d die of loneliness. If you work for yourself and don’t have a traditional office to commute to daily, I see no reason to live in one of these countries.

I’m in the suburbs of Ottawa at my parents  and I can assure you nothing interesting will happen on the street outside today… Everything is so spread out, where is the town square? Where’s the sense of community? Instead of a neighborhood vibe which is a collective of sorts, it feels more like everyone in every house has their own life independent from their neighbors and that’s a shame.

There is nothing like walking out your door on a warm sunny day and immediately being inside a scene while tipping your hat to new and old acquaintances with a wide smile. I’m rambling and I have much to do on my short stay so I’ll leave you with these random and relatively coherent thoughts that just passed through my mind as I stare out my window into boring suburbia; so slow it’s like a painting besides the odd cars leaving for work.

It’s October 6th and it’s cold, people were swimming in the Azores when I left…

This bloggery is about a hike to the waterfall at Salto do Prego which isn’t far from the parish of Faial da Terra on the southeastern tip of Sao Miguel of the Azores Islands. Faial da Terra is one of the most famous trails and it has all sorts of paths you can take, we took the one to the waterfall at Salto do Prego; that link brings you to my full post on SHABL.

The hike isn’t too bad but it was my first in a while and while others had their walking sticks and hiking boots, I had a loosely tied pair of Nikes and a shopping bag to carry a rain jacket and my GoPro; it was more than sufficient but throughout the week there were “close calls” of the rolled ankle variety, I assure you.

It’s a ~2 hour or so trail and the waterfall is quite cool. In the summer it’s a popular swimming spot and on the way there you pass through this tiny hamlet which was built when the pirates and buccaneers started coming through the islands. You know the expression “head for the hills” well yeah, it rings true here.

If you’re coming to the Azores, consider doing some hiking. There are all sorts of trails and I’m not a “mile eater” as they call them. I don’t want to hike for 8 hours and then brag to other people about how far I went. That said, I do like going for a stroll for a few hours and enjoying the sights, smelling the roses and all that jazz before a nice meal.

In a few hours I’m flying to Canada for a week; it’s Thanksgiving after all.

Tips hat,

P.S: All those kids are scouts we met on the trail.

Greetings,

I just finished a week of hiking on the Azores Islands. I started out playing some golf here on Sao Miguel which is still my favorite, fyi. I also did some sight seeing as well as hiked to waterfall of Salto do Prego from Faial da Terra which is a small parish on the southeastern tip of the island.

After that we flew to Sao Jorge which is long, high and really slow. The type of place surfers looking to live without electricity go to surf insane breaks in a small parish accessible only by quad bikes. It also has incredible cheese and hikes.

I wrote ~1,100 words on the topic – Hiking on the Azores Islands.

After that it was off to Faial which is the hot spot for yachts coming from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and the reverse. It was a cool place and Horta is the main city which is right across the channel from Pico. Pico is the newest of the volcanic islands and home to Mount Pico which is the highest peak in Portugal and third highest peak in the Atlantic Ocean at 2351M.

I climbed it one day and it nearly killed me. Way up wasn’t so bad but way down was intense and I cracked my knee caps long ago and it was a reminder to take care of yourself today because if not… One day you’ll be doing something in the future thinking how you wish you had, yes? It was quite the feeling getting to the top; a real sense of accomplishment with insane views.

This trip kinda rekindled my interest in the outdoors and hiking.

No, I’m not about to go all granola.

All the islands are cool but I like Sao Miguel because it’s most developed, has golf courses, the international airport, great dining options and blazing fast internet. Also, Furnas Valley has these thermal pools not to be missed as well as fumerals which are pretty cool. It also is home to the Furnas golf course which is like a trip back in time. Also, it’s got lots of summer houses and cottages for affluent folks from Ponta Delgada aka the capital.

Second most developed is Terceira; need to visit sometime.

I’m planning on renting a spot for ~6 months next summer and working on golf game while doing more hiking. I’m not into big death hikes but I do like a casual walk through the woods. Mix in some good company, wine and weather and I do believe you’ve got an afternoon. It’s early October now and the weather feels like summer, the sun is shining and from my bed at Caloura Hotel Resort, all I can see is the deep blue North Atlantic Ocean.

That said, my plans change faster than the direction of the market so who knows?

One thing is sure, the Azores have skyrocketed to one of my favorite destinations.

Tips hat,

Above is a photo of the Green and Blue Lakes on Sao Miguel of the Azores. It’s in an old volcano crater which collapsed endless centuries ago and just one of the many sights you can see on this beautiful island which is quickly becoming my favorite anywhere.

Next to it is the city of Seven Sisters and really, lots of ideas where that name came from but I think it has something to do with 7 being a mystical number. The lakes have an a few interesting stories as well but only one really makes sense to me.

You see, a princess was dating a shepherd and the king said no way so they met one last time. They both cried so much that they filled the lakes. Naturally the girl had blue eyes as she cried more and made the biggest lake and the shepherd had green eyes. I mean, this has to be the right answer, yes?

This photo was taken from King’s View Point as well they brought the King and Queen of Portugal there in 1901 when they came to visit a well; it’s a view fit for a king.

I’d go on but I need to shower, eat something and be ready in 45 minutes to go on a long hike not far from the Furnas Valley which is known for a few things including the Furnas Golf Course, thermal baths and more. More on everything later but thought I’d make this update quick as clearly I have no sense of time management.

This is one beautiful place…

Greetings,

I’m loving the Azores and their location in the North Atlantic aka middle of nowhere aka midway between Europe and North America might just be perfect. Mix that in with two amazing golf courses comprising of 45 stunning holes for an annual membership fee of 800E and I think we have a winner.

I’ve been playing golf the last two days and the course I played which is Balatha is incredible. I’m in Ponta Delgada which has all the charm of any old city and is right on the ocean, obviously.

I’d continue but more golf tomorrow and I’m exhausted. When you know, you know and I think this place makes perfect sense for me. I’m not abandoning Little Corn Island, just it is what it is, a great spot to unwind and drink rum in the sun for 3-4 months a year.

Much more on this spot later and above is one of the views from the golf course today…

Tips hat,

P.S: Internet is blazing and 4GB of data starter pack on Vodafone costs 12.5E.

Behold the Milan Stock Exchange. It’s not too far from the Duomo which is the Milan Cathedral which I’m sure you’ll visit if you’re in the city. Just ask for the Borsa and someone will send you in the right direction.

Italy has been insane and tomorrow I’m off to the Azores Islands.

Hopefully much more on Italy later, the last three weeks just flew by…

Good day,

Video above tells best story and this was just one room in the three storey house. What’s interesting is this was just their “hunting house” and their massive crib was taken out in the devastating landslide or 1618. Since this was up in the hills and slightly removed from the village of Chiavenna, it was all that really survived.

Chiavenna used to be part of the only route from Central Europe to the Mediterranean via the Alps and the Vertemate Franchi were smart people who charged a toll and arranged safe transportation. This opulent crib is merely the slightest sliver of their immense wealth.

I have photos for days and I’ll make a photo essay one of these days I hope. Just know this, Chiavenna in the Italian Alps is a scenic spot which most Italians from Milan I’ve spoken with haven’t even visited. I’m very glad to have visited and I’ll return, you can bank on that.

I love finding little-known places with great people, food and scenery.

Speaking of banking and coin, these people used to print their own gold coins, those types of people… The rich of yesterday really knew how to live, didn’t they?

More on Chiavenna? Click here and also here.

Tips hat,

P.S: On the map, look at where the house is, then see the palazzo where town used to be and all the blue roofs belonged to them.

Greetings,

I’m back from the Sagra dei Crotti Festival in Chiavenna, Italy. It’s in this quaint town in the mountains which is right up my alley and probably yours too. I will elaborate about it later but for now, behold their food and wine festival. I’m still stuffed thanks to a gregarious chef who gave me handfuls of diced cheese on top of all the other plates I ingested throughout the day.

The city is beyond picturesque and they have these grottos called crotti; roughly 1000 of them which have the breath of the mountain and as a result keep a perfect temperature of 8-10 degrees year round. Only 10 are open to the public, the rest are all held privately by people who know how to live.

This festival opens some of them up to the public and all money raised goes towards a local association. It’s a great time and people from all over were there, met crews from Milan an various other places. Also, I eat so much top shelf cheese and meats and drank red wine like it was going out of style. I never drink red wine as it stains your teeth but this time, I made an exception.

It also has a crazy palace but more on that later…

Here are a few pics, click here to read the full story. I’d share more here but It’s Sunday afternoon in Milan and I’m feeling FRESH so I’m going to stroll the streets with a fistful of fiat currency and buy whatever I feel like putting in my suitcase; it’s that kinda day.

Picked up these kicks, my feet are wondering why I hadn’t sooner.