Via Francigena:
Aosta to Rome
 
The stones of the path...
            
The Via Francigena is an ancient pilgrimage and trade route that connects France to Rome, hence the name "Francigena". The official starting point is Canterbury (England), followed by France, Switzerland and Italy. This route dates back to the Middle Ages, being one of the three important pilgrimage routes. The first and best-known is Santiago de Compostela, the second is the Holy Land (Jerusalem) and the third is Rome, where pilgrims visit the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul.
            
As this is a road with less infrastructure than the Camino de Santiago, few people are walking, but little by little this infrastructure has been growing and, especially in Italy, it is already very well structured. That's why we chose this stretch to walk.
            
The idea was to leave the Gran San Bernardo, which is a passage between Monte Mort and Pico de Drône, in the Valaisan Alps, on the Italy-Swiss border. This passage was also used by Napoleon Bonaparte's army in 1800 to defeat the Austrian army. 
            
From Gran San Bernardo to Aosta it is two days of hiking, but when we arrived there was still a lot of snow and the pass was closed. So, we decided to start the path in Aosta, a super nice city. We spent two days acclimatizing. We took the opportunity to visit Courmayeur, which is on the opposite side of Chamonix, and both in the Mont Blanc massif. 
            
On April 22, in a cold dawn and with a very blue sky, we left the city and started going up and down mountains. From there we could see the entire Valle d'Aosta. The sun got very hot and the weather, which had been very cold in the previous days, suddenly changed. It was hot, which wore us out a lot.
            
We arrived in Châtillon, after almost 30 km. The next day, we went to Verrès, also in an endless up and down. And, "in the middle of the road, there was a stone. There was a stone in the way", again. On this rock, a stumble made Vera crash to the ground. Nothing serious, just scraped my knee, hand, and fingers.
            
In Verrès we stayed in a Parish House, next to the church. It was strange that we had to leave the keys behind the altar for the next walker. But the only one who showed up was Henry, a Frenchman who we immediately identified with. An Italian couple we met in Châtillon, Dora and Gabriele, decided to stay somewhere else.
            
As always, we started to find our class.  We went together, but separately, to Pont San Martin, a flatter path and a heat that was not in the plans. The good thing is that along the way it was possible to find fresh water to drink, both in the fountains and at the price of 0.05 cents in the machines installed near the towns. In San Martin, we met again and stayed, the five hikers, in the same "Ostello".
            
We were received by Mr. Baldo, already very old, but very talkative. He told his story, the place, and the people, while we were waiting for the owner of Ostello. From then on, we strengthened our friendship even more with the Italian couple and with the Frenchman.
 
Pay to use a fork at dinner???
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On the fourth day of the hike, we left Pont San Martin and the beautiful Valle d'Aosta. We continue to Ivrea, already in the Piedmont region, the land of white truffle and Barolo, one of the noble wines of Italy. The path was beautiful and some magical places. We passed through vineyards that looked like large amphitheaters, lakes, and forests.
            
It was the day of commemoration of the liberation of Italy from the Fascist Regime. Ivrea was partying, on account of the holiday and a canoeing event, but we managed to get a hostel, a little outside the city center, but close to our way.
            
The next day, we went to Viverone, which looked more like a ghost town. So, we decided to go to Roppolo, a little further on. We stayed at La Casa del Movimento Lento where Susanne and Alberto were our super kind hosts. The place is the dream of consumption for those who walk. Easy, as the name implies. We had dinner and drank our wine in a beautiful garden, talking to two Italian bikers, Giorgio and Francesca. And, in one of those coincidences of life, we discover that Giorgio, who speaks Portuguese very well, has a company 10 km from Belo Horizonte.
 
The next day, we left early, and on the way we met the bikers again. We arranged a meeting with Giorgio in Brazil, but, unfortunately, when he was here we didn't meet. Today, we still keep in touch.
            
Henry continued at our pace and we met in Santhiá, but we went to San Germano Vercellese, a very small village, with few accommodation options. We stayed in a "Locanda", which is an inn above a restaurant. In this place, a very unusual fact happened. We were charged for the use of the cutlery when eating a pizza. Of course, they used it in bad faith with us. Italians usually order a pizza for each person and eat it with their hand. We followed our tradition and ordered a pizza to share and ordered the cutlery. In the end, the bill came with a fee for the use of "forchetta", the fork.
            
For Vercelli, the path was through fields irrigated with rice plantations. A plain that is easy to get lost. There were few markings on the path and immense squares limited by water. In case of distraction and error, making the return journey became a long walk. Therefore, we remain very attentive.
            
Vercelli is considered "città d'arte" for its architectural and artistic ensemble. We stayed in a very beautiful ostello, with very nice people, and shared a great dinner, made with great affection by four friendly "hosts". These hosts are people who are predisposed to stay for a while in these inns, receiving the walkers, and providing them with the cleaning of the place, dinner, and breakfast. And why not say, a good chat too...
 
Oh, we didn't pay the ostello...
 
We enter Lombardy. We passed through Robbio, Mortara, and Garlasso and arrived in Pavia, always through the plains and rice plantations. They were flat paths, but a little boring, since the landscape did not change.
            
It was May Day and the city was very busy. Arriving at the ostello, there was a little confusion about room prices, but everything was solved with the help of Carlo Gattoni, a Swiss.
            
Pavia has several tourist attractions, but we will only mention the "Coperto Bridge", which as the name says is a covered bridge very common in the Middle Ages, but with few examples today.
            
We rested and off we went to Santa Cristina. Halfway through we stopped at a café and met Daniel, also Swiss. He was not alone, he walked with Lizzy, a very docile and adorable Golden Retriever. Lizzy has become more than our mascot. The next day, from Santa Cristina to Orio Litta it rained heavily. On the way, we met the two Swiss and Lizzy. We walked together until we met Theresa, an American from San Francisco who joined us.
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All soaked, we decided to stop at a café to rest and warm up a little. It seemed like we'd known each other for decades. Elisabetta, a young Italian woman, went straight through. At that moment, she was still alone and well committed to the path. We were all in the same ostello, when a Swiss couple arrived, who joined the class. On that day there was even a visit from the mayor, who indicated a restaurant for dinner.
            
Rested and warm, we continued without rain the next day. The "gang" crossed to the other bank of the Po River by speedboat.  We both preferred to follow a variant, which would increase by 2 km. It was a very monotonous path towards Piacenza, already in Emilia-Romagna. The exception was when we stopped in a single small town and were the attraction of the place.
            
Mass was ending and curious people wanted to know more about our path. We stopped to talk and then continued on our monotonous road until we reached Piacenza. While we were in a café resting and waiting for our ostello to open, we met Carlo Gattoni, Daniel and Lizzy, Theresa and Elisabetta again.
            
The next day, we decided to send some clothes to Brazil. The cold was no longer so intense that it justified a heavy backpack. And we head to Fiorenzuola d'Arda. There we met a priest, Dom Giuseppe, who lived in Brazil for many years, and also Gisela, a German who became the youngest member of the family. And it was in this ostello that the ties became closer and we all went to dinner in a restaurant. There, we realized that we had forgotten to pay the ostello in Santa Cristina. Not only the two of us, but Carlo Gattoni had also forgotten. We wondered how we would send the money. Then, we concluded that what happened, happened... And we move on... Perhaps we have been forgiven... Perhaps..element.
 
Think of an old Ostello...
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Leaving Fiorenzuola d'Arda, we pass a small farm, by the wayside. This farm belonged to a teacher, Massimo, who was on school vacation and doing some repairs on the small property. We greeted him and he invited us to have a coffee. Accept. We spent at least an hour talking about politics in Brazil.
            
Leaving the farm, we found Theresa. We continued talking to Fidenza, where we met Daniel and Lizzy, Elisabetta, and Carlo Gattoni, who decided to move on. It was always like this, sometimes we walked together, separately, we met all or part of the group. Early in the morning, we always left after everyone, because we ate our breakfast calmly, but we arrived earlier, because they always stopped at a café or rested longer somewhere. Each one had their rhythm.
            
In Fidenza, we were invited to stay at the house of Dora and Gabriele, whom we met at the beginning of this path. They live in Parma, which is close to Fidenza. We found the logistics complicated. It was necessary to go to the laundromat and organize the groceries for the next day. Anyway, we couldn't meet, but the couple understood. After that, we already found ourselves on another path and spoke regularly via WhatsApp.
            
The next morning, going up and down, we went to Medezan. We went out together with Gisela, but at a certain point, we separated, after a rest in a trattoria in a small town.
            
In this stretch we would have to cross a river, wetting our feet, but a gentleman gave a valuable tip to avoid this crossing. Further ahead there was a bridge. We didn't get our feet wet, but we came across an unforeseen event, a huge snake in the middle of the road. We let her pass and went on our way.
            
Medezano only had a hostel for 4 people. When we got there, we met Daniel, Elisabetta, and Odete, who was Belgian. It turns out that there was room only for those who made the reservation. We, Daniel and Gisela, who had not yet arrived, stayed in this hostel. The others settled into a hotel outside the city. And they were much better than us.
            
The place we stayed was a school. It had a hall with a huge table. And, a room, where a man was already sleeping who, when he entered, already drunk, exhaled the smell of alcohol and cigarettes from every pore. Daniel went to the salon. And we, at the same time, decided that we would not sleep in that "alcoholic ashtray". We took the mattresses and also got ready in the lounge. We did the same for Gisela when she arrived.
            
The next day, we went to Sivizzano. It was already known that the place had no infrastructure. There was only one ostello that was where we would all stay. We bought food at a great supermarket in Fornovo, which was a few kilometers before Sivizzano.
 
Sivizzano is a tiny village in the Apennines, which is a mountain range that runs a thousand kilometers along Italy (central and east coast), forming the backbone of the country. The ostello was constructed in 1098. Next door is the Church of Santa Margherita and a small monastery. A beautiful and peculiar place.  It was a community dinner, with lots of conversation and wine. Then we all went to rest for a new day of walking.
 
Saying goodbye to some friends...
 
This was our seventeenth day of walking. We left Sivizzano early because we knew it would be a difficult day, walking in the middle of the mountains. At the top, with a breathtaking view, we find the Italian version of the famous Shangri-La, from the Himalayas. We spent some time observing. We get emotional... It was a true divine gift...
            
In Cassio, we are in an ostello, disturbing, to say the least. For gluttons, it would be paradise. Everything referred to food. In the bedroom, an old refrigerator served as a closet. Outside the room, a table is set as decoration. And in the pantry/kitchen an infinite amount of food: breads, cheeses, wines and beers of all kinds, pasta and various sauces, jams, coffees, teas, cookies, cakes and cold cuts at will, the most diverse spices, fruits and juices, and many more things that we can't even remember anymore. In short, everything to make the party of the gluttons. And the payment of all this? A donation, to be placed in a little pig. We've never seen anything like it.
            
It was time to cross the Paso della Cisa. The day started with a lot of rain. Halfway through, a stop for a coffee in Berceto, where we met Maricho, a Mexican, who was also in Cassio, along with a Swiss woman. We followed a trail, which was practically impossible to walk. It was very slippery. We arrived, muddy and skating in the mud... But, the ostello was already waiting for us with a warm bath, a lit fireplace, wine, sausage, bread, and a nice late afternoon among friends and lots of music.
            
Maricho was responsible for the music played on the guitar that Daniel carried, but we never saw him play. She made the party, singing in almost all the languages of the people who were there. And it didn't stop there, the dinner was equally tasty. And there was no shortage of wine and a lot of laughter.
            
As we were still traumatized by the mud from the previous day, and the rain had not yet stopped, we had two options to get to Pontremoli. The first was to follow the road. The second was to cross the mountain, with more slippery mud. This time, we are left with the first and easiest option. Going down the road was very beautiful, but, honestly, we regret it. It would have been better to follow the mountain, where the border between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany is located. Today our choice would have been different.
            
In Pontremoli, we stayed in a huge Franciscan convent. As he had a kitchen at his disposal, it was Helinho's day to cook for everyone. He made a Spanish dish, the delicious "revuelto de setas con huevos". Theresa bought testaroli, a typical pasta from the region, and Gisela bought the wines. This was a farewell dinner for some of our friends. Some would go ahead faster, Theresa would spend a few days with a friend, and still others kept us company until Aulla and Sarzana.
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After Sarzana, on a Sunday, we decided to walk a little further and stop in Avenza, which was just after Carrara, the city where the famous marble is extracted. We rested, met other people, and even saw one of the stages of the Giro d'Italia, the famous bicycle race.
 
Under the Tuscan sun...
 
Now we are halfway through this Via Francigena, "under the Tuscan sun", ma non tanto per agora... But, calm down!
            
It was fourteen days in Tuscany, enough time to see the sun and lose your breath, both for the beauty and for the ups and downs in the mountains. There were many beautiful, medieval, intriguing, tourist-filled, or quiet cities.
            
We went to Massa. Mike, our English friend, who was spending a few days in Italy with his girlfriend Connie, decided to meet us. It was a very delightful meeting. Daniel joined us for dinner and a good conversation late into the night. The next day, we went to Pietrasanta for a short walk. Pietrasanta is a stronghold of artisans and sculptors. It is a small city, but cosmopolitan at the same time. It was nice to arrive early, enjoy the cultural atmosphere of the place, and meet Mike and Connie once again. We had lunch and said goodbye. They continued by car heading north and we continued walking to Valpromaro, with a strategic stop for a coffee in Camaiore.
            
Valpromaro is a village that is literally on a bend in the road. A charming place. The ostello had two very fun hosts, Rosa, Puerto Rican, and Carlo, who was Italian. We met Mirella and Piero, whom we met in Avenza, and a Frenchman, whom we had not yet met. We all sat at the door of the inn to sunbathe and exchange information about the way. At night we had a dinner washed down with a lot of wine. This helped us relax and sleep very well to go to Lucca the next morning. In Lucca, we met Theresa, our American friend, and Henri, the French friend, whom we hadn't seen for many days.
            
The next day was full. We woke up with the idea of escaping on the way. We took a train and went to Pisa, which was very close by. We stopped at a station near the Tower and came across a crowd of tourists. Still, we took the opportunity to take some photos and continued walking to San Miniato.
            
Arriving in San Miniato, all the accommodations were occupied. The "1000 Miglia" was happening, which is a big parade of classic and old cars with a lot of partying wherever they go. The "1000 Miglia" was once a long-distance race on the route between Brescia and Rome. Today it is just an event that has many fans and local people waiting for the passage of old cars.
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Anyway, despite the difficulty, there was an indication, from a person from one of the ostellos we visited, and we got a super nice place. It was a fifteenth-century building, with small apartments. The furniture was original. It was beautiful, but a little scary because in the whole building, only the two of us stayed. We think we even heard some chains being dragged... J But I'm glad we managed to stay there because we wouldn't have any more chance to continue the walk.
 
And in Tuscany continues beautiful...
 
The scenery that followed was of indescribable beauty. From San Miniato we head to Gambasi Terme, under a scorching sun, without any shade. We almost had heat stroke. But, we were rewarded with a meeting with Maryam Arefnia, our Iranian friend from the Le Puy Way. She was in Italy with a Dutch friend, Roger. And being near, they went to meet us. We toasted with some very cold and invigorating local beers. We talk about our plans, remember our walk in Le Puy, and kill the nostalgia. The next day, we went to San Gimignano.
            
We had a lot of expectations and couldn't wait to arrive in that city and have ice cream at Gelateria Dondoli, which is said to be the best creamy ice cream in the world. But we were a little disappointed, not with the ice cream, but with the city crowded with tourists, which detracted from the medieval atmosphere of the place. Luckily for us, when we left, very early the next day the city was empty. Then we could feel it as we wanted and take some pictures for our memory. And we continue to Colle di Val d'Elsa.
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The clouds formed a white carpet in the valley. We walked along a small road and entered a forest with a lot of mud and river crossings. Arriving in the city, we were surprised. The medieval part, which was beautiful, was at the top. In the lower part, which could be reached by an elevator, was the most modern city, with all kinds of services.
            
We stayed in a huge monastery in the medieval part. Only we occupied one of the rooms intended for those who walked and for seminarians. A priest accommodated us and left. All that gigantic monastery building was all ours. It was very good, but a little lonely for not having someone to share our experiences with.
            
From Colle di Val d'Elsa to Monteriggioni it was under a lot of rain. Monteriggioni is a small medieval town, completely walled. The city was mentioned in Dante's "Divine Comedy". Another curiosity is that Monteriggioni also appears in the Assassin's Creed game sequence. It was the main city under the domain of the Assassins, enemies of the Templars. But that's another story, which we only learned later.
            
And we went to Siena, a city that needs no introduction. On this day, we walked all day in real mud. When we entered the city, full of tourists, we had pants and feet full of mud. We were two people strangers to the environment, contrasting with the well-dressed tourists and elegant shops... But, the good thing was to stay in a nice place, right in the center of the city. With that, we took the opportunity to visit the sights and prepare for the next day. We left very early because the walk was long to San Quirico d'Orcia, a city that, when we were planning the walk, we chose to spend the day of another Vera's birthday.
 
Another rich anniversary walked...
 
One day a friend asked if we were rich, since since 2013 we have traveled every year to walk. We've been traveling for over 45 years. We give up what we consider less important, to travel. Then, the friend said that she paid many euros for mineral water in a hotel in Paris. Well, everyone has their travel style. After she told us about her trip, we are sure that with the money spent in a week in Paris, in our hand it would yield much more travel time. J But if this question were asked now, our answer would be different. We would answer "- yes, we are rich! Because, for us, wealth is not in money and possessions, but in the places, people, and stories we have to tell."
            
And in this year 2018, we also had many stories to tell. Vera's birthday celebration, in San Quirico d'Orcia, was simple, like all the other years we spent walking. But being in that small and charming town was a wonderful gift. In addition, the celebration continued in Radicofani and Acquapendente, already in the Lazio region.
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From Acquapendente we left early, with more than two thousand walkers in the company, towards Bolsena. It was a "marathon", not of running, but of walking. We had to answer countless times how many kilometers we had already walked. We were invited to stop at all the support points to get water, sandwiches, and fruit. The participants were not in a hurry, despite the 42 km they would have to travel to Montefiascone. It was a real party!
            
Halfway through, a gentleman, wearing a green T-shirt, stood out from the others, who wore the official orange T-shirt. As he passed us, he asked where we were coming from and if we were going to Rome. We said that we left Aosta and that, yes, we would go to Rome. But we were worried because there was a week left before we arrived and the Spedale Della Divina Providenza di S. Giacomo e S. Benedetto Labre, the ostello that receives walkers in Rome, did not make reservations, and we had not yet thought of anywhere else. Our arrival was on a Sunday, the day of the celebration of Corpus Christi. The city would be full, including the hotels. Then he laughed and told us, "Go to the pilgrims' ostello, and you will be very welcome." He said that everything would be resolved in due time. We found it strange. We relaxed from this issue that worried us, and we moved on. And it's not that when we arrived in Rome we went to the ostello and, believe me, we took the last two places... Coincidence?!?!?  
 
I had never seen a Nutella plantation... oops, hazelnuts...
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From Bolsena, we went to Montefiascone, this time, alone. If Bolsena is famous for its lake, considered the largest of volcanic origin in Europe, Montefiascone is known for its Est! Est! Est!
            
There are many legends about the origin of this name. One of them says that a German bishop would have liked the wine made there so much that he decided to stay in the city. When he died, his cupbearer, Martino, placed on his tombstone a tombstone with the inscription: "Est est est propter nimium est hic Johannes DeFuk dominus meus mortuus est", that is, "for having too much 'est' here lies my master Johannes DeFuk". It is said that the bishop left a good inheritance for the village, on the condition that on every anniversary of his death a barrel of wine was dropped in his tomb. The fact is that everyone who goes to Montefiascone has to taste the wine. And so we did.
            
The next day, with the sun rising, we left for Viterbo, passing by the Rocca dei Papi, which is a hilltop fortress. It was a quiet walk. Viterbo became known as the "city of the Popes" because many pontiffs had their country residences there. Then, we left Viterbo behind, with very frowning weather, dark skies, and lots of thunder. We passed by the Cathedral, and the Palace of the Popes, and descended some stairs, entering the Etruscan Via Cava, a strange and fascinating scenery at the same time. That took us back to a very distant past. The day darkened by the threat of rain made everything much more bizarre.
 
In Vetralla, in the heart of the Etruscan territories, we stayed in a monastery and met Raffaella, who we met in the days that followed. The next morning, we went to Sutri. This was a good day to walk. We passed through a beautiful forest and hazelnut plantations. Although the sun was very strong, we walked almost all the time in the shade, next to a river in a magical setting. We saw the city, but we decided to first pass by the archaeological site. We saw the Roman amphitheater, and the Etruscan necropolis, with dozens of tombs, Etruscan walls, and many other evidence of its past dating back to the Bronze Age. We rested in Sutri and concluded that Rome was only 45 km away.
 
Rome, eternal city...
 
We were two days from Rome, practically, on its periphery. We thought walking there would be boring, but it wasn't. From Sutri to Campagnano in Rome, the walk was very difficult, due to the intense heat, but we could still feel nature. The city was nice. We had dinner with Raffaella at Ostello, chased away the heat with some very cold beers, and, the next day, we left for La Storta, a rural area around Rome. On this day, the backpack seemed to have increased weight. It was the result of the physical fatigue of the 42 days, already walked, mixed with the emotion of arriving in Rome.
            
We stayed in a convent, with a very large outdoor area. The weather was very pleasant. We ate pizza sitting at a picnic table, drank wine, and talked a lot with our companion from the last days of the journey, Raffaella, and with a boy from Milan. We were all very anxious for the arrival. We woke up early and left. We wanted to arrive in time to attend the time of the "Angelus", where Pope Francis would give the blessing of Corpus Christi.
            
It was a path that started between cars, but suddenly we entered a huge area of forest, beautiful and comforting. It was a huge park. From up there we can see the Vatican. We stayed there for some time, watching and with our hearts beating strongly. We were moved. We arrived at our destination after 43 days of walking. We walked a long time in that scenario, always going down. When we left this forest, we entered a long avenue that would lead directly to the Vatican.
            
A crowd of people walked in the same direction. And there we went too. At the entrance to St. Peter's Square, we find many guards and reinforced security. When we said that we were coming on foot from Aosta, the guards looked at each other and let us pass with everything we had, without searching for anything.
            
And finally, we arrived at our destination, in the center of St. Peter's Square. There was Carlo Gattoni, who earned the affectionate nickname "Strong Man". He arrived a few days before us and was already enjoying what Rome had to offer. Finally, we saw the Pope, we were blessed, we looked for our Testimonium, which is proof that we did the entire Via Francigena we went to take the opportunity to see the city again.
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Well, about the other people we met on the way, Daniel had to take Lizzy, our pet dog, home. Passing through a thicket, she was bitten by ticks and became ill. But she recovered and Daniel returned, the following year, to complete the path. Elisabetta made part of the way by train, arrived before us in Rome, and had already returned to her home. Theresa, unfortunately, could not complete the path. He broke his foot in Siena. He had to spend many days recovering in the city. She did not arrive walking to Rome but then went with a friend to Nepal, Myanmar, and other Asian countries. Gisela had no plans to get to Rome this time.  Afterward, she resumed the path and even took a photo delivering a gift to Pope Francis.
            
And we, who heard about La Verna, with the friends of Valpromaro, were itching to continue walking there. But, after much thought, we decided to visit the Azores and discovered that it is also a great place to rest and walk. So, we decided that we would return, next year, to do the Way of St. Anthony (from Padua to La Verna), followed by the Way of St. Francis (from La Verna to Assisi).
 
A break in the Azores...
 
We took a flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores. We didn't know what we would find, except that it was a very beautiful place. Graça, Gê's wife (our Brazilian friend), was born on one of the Azorean islands and whenever we met they commented on the beauties of the Azores. Still at the airport we were very well received by the friendly Henrique, a Brazilian who, with his family, decided to put a suite in their house on Airbnb. It was a very large house and we were very well installed and independent.
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We inform ourselves how to go to the most beautiful places on the island and head on to our adventurous incursions. First, we went to Sete Cidades, a small town on the opposite side of where we were. The narrow road was green, with pins, and flowered by hydrangeas. The Lagoa das Sete Cidades is characterized by blue and green colors, crossed by a bridge from where you can see the two shades. We climbed a mountain and saw the lush landscape. In the crater of the extinct volcano emerged the lake and the city. We also saw Lake Santiago, on the other side of the mountain. Going down, we tried to go to the tunnel, which goes to the monastery, but it was time to go back to Ponta Delgada.
            
The next day we went to Vila Franca do Campo. We walk through the village and go up to the Chapel of Our Lady of Peace, from where there is quite a view. Vila Franca is a place of volcanic sand beach and an islet with a crater that takes a boat is a great place to swim. Another very interesting place was Furnas. We climb to Pico do Ferro. It is a beautiful climb, but very steep, with a view that is worth the effort.
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Back in the village, the attraction is the famous "cozido", a typical dish of the region. But this is not just any stew. A huge pot is placed inside some holes in the ground that reach a temperature of 100 degrees. Remember that this is a volcanic island. The moment of removal of these pots is an attraction for visitors. Each restaurant digs up the pot with the "cozido". The place smells of sulfur which, in a way, contaminates the taste of the food. We didn't feel like it. We prefer to delight ourselves in the Poça de D. Beija hot springs, bathing in the various hot water wells in the middle of the Azorean nature.
            
Ribeira Grande, on the other side of the island, is very interesting to get to know and enjoy the beauty of Lagoa do Fogo, elected one of the wonders of Portugal. It also has other attractions such as the Caldeiras da Ribeira Grande, Salto do Cabrito Waterfall, Mata Dr. Fraga and Lagoa de São Brás, Gruta do Carvão, and other viewpoints. It was a lot to see and, unfortunately, we didn't have time to get to know everything we would like.
 
It would be unfair not to mention that Ponta Delgada is a city to walk and get lost among the old buildings and churches. It reminded us of our Minas Gerais. From the City Gates to the São Brás Fort, from the urban art to the Graça Market, everything can be seen very calmly, as it is a small and very interesting city.
            
It was time to return to the Continent. We took a full flight. They had two children, one of whom was very annoying. The grandparents with this annoying little child stayed in the seat behind ours. We had to hear the screams and feel the kicks throughout the trip. The little sister, sitting with her parents, on the other side of the aisle, was a sweet child. But only when we were close to our destination, they decided to change the children. A relief for our ears. At the time of landing, there was a scare. A very strong wind threw the plane from one side to the other. The tension was great, when suddenly, the annoying boy, in one of the very strong swings, shouted: "- look at the hole". Everyone laughed and the annoying boy became our hero. The tension of the moment was gone and the plane landed quietly on the runway...