Without doubt, this spot is a highlight for me. It is amazing what mother nature has borrowed us.
6:30am sharp we were in the saddle for another ride. As Rene had some morning commitments in town he kicked me off to tackle some uphill miles towards Sete Cidades before him turning back. Thank you! It was a ride driven by some eye-catching weather.
After many attempts in the past, today morning Rene (skipper SY Momentum of Fal) and myself finally managed to get on a bike ride together. It was a short one as I am still careful with the hay fever being around. There are many things, which connect us besides riding Specialized bikes: Hallberg-Rassy and Asia! We never run out of subjects to chitchat. Not the last ride together, I hope. Fair winds…
It was a steep downhill to get to the natural pools of “Termas da Ferrari”. I was told, these are the nicest ones on the island. Well, I was not that impressed. Getting back up again was a challenge at 15% slope and I had to walk the bike up for a while. No chance – I will never become a mountain goat rider.
This tour got heavily impacted by hay fever. The grass is blooming at its peak. Not good.
It is not very common that an official bike track goes through a desert. This red desert on Santa Maria is part of a unique protected landscape area of the Azores.