Ilha da Vinho...or two

Pico Island looks like a sombrero.  Its crown is, would you believe, the tallest mountain in Portugal, Pico Alto at 2351m.  The top is capped with a crater and then a smaller volcanic cone.  All this is often shrouded in cloud.  And it’s still fumes (to a degree) so we are told.  Six of the (nine) Azores islands are considered actively volcanic.  Have we said that before?  Nooooo, we’re not nervous!

So, it was on a Friday we caught the local ferry across “the Canal” to Madalena on Pico.  We decided we wouldn’t do the round island trip, view lakes or volcanic craters, or peek into dimly lit churches.  We couldn’t take in the panorama from the view terrace on Mt Pico (too much cloud cover) and the 6 hour climb to the peak was never on our TTD (things to do) list.  Instead we lunched at a cute harbour-side café in the sun.  The Cap’n had a real fish (salmon) burger and GS sampled octopus salad, which looked more like a plate of octopus salsa swimming in oil and vinegar.  But with a little fresh Portuguese bread, it tasted just fine. 



Dragon under the Dragon Tree _Wine Museum Grounds

What we did come to Pico to do though was to visit the Wine Museum.  Volcanic soils (lava fields) made Pico a wine producing centre as early as the 18^th century and its famous produce, verdelho, was even enjoyed by the Czars of Russia.  That landscape has now been declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site (2004) and a Wine Museum has been established in the old Carmelite Convent to tell the story of this unique method of cultivation.

Aside from producing wine, early settlers also grew figs in amongst the vines.  Those tasty figs were then refined into a potent brandy.  The museum had a restored “still” set up so I’ve taken a set of plans for you Mum and we’ll be home to install it shortly.  In the meantime, get Dad to empty out his garden shed…..


Looking Back at Madalena _ Pico Mtn under cloud cover