28.05.2024

Last day on Pico, the day began hazy and the waves of the Atlantic were not insignificant. It was planned anyway as a reading day with new reading material that we had exchanged along the way. In the afternoon, the highlight was to book tickets to visit the Gruta das Torres, a lava tube system. This cave system is 5km long, 250m of which can be explored with a guide. Beforehand, everyone was equipped with helmets and flashlights and off we went into the depths. Similar to a stalactite cave, with algae that even shone gold or silver, there was life here. You could see how the magma moved forward in waves and then cooled. At its highest point, the cave was 15m and at its deepest 1.20m. The helmets were useful. The winemakers store 1200 bottles of white wine here every year from the Vedelho growing region nearby. This would give it a special quality. We don't know and there was nothing there to taste. Trees grew on the outside of the cave where earth particles had settled on the lava. Very impressive! And now the island is again covered in clouds, there is still time to read and tomorrow we are going back to Sao Miguel, from where we will fly on Sunday. Incidentally, microwaves on the side of the road on the walls surrounding properties make excellent mailboxes! Another practical lesson learned!