Horta is the "sailing capital" of the Atlantic, a favorite stopping
point for those who cross the Atlantic by sailboat--early trans-Atlantic
aviators landed their primitive hydroplanes there, too. Located on the
island of Faial, it offers a magnificent view of Portugal's highest mountain
(comparable to Smolikas) across the narrow strait between Faial and Pico.
It has museums featuring scrimshaw painting and fig-tree-wood sculpture,
but its most impressive "museum" is probably its breakwater, decorated by
the countless painting-signatures of passing sailors. I saw at least two
murals made by Greeks, the corresponding sailboats being "Danae III" and
"Iliopotissa" ("Sun-drinker", cf. Elytis' poetry). There has been another
Greek, however, who turned out to be more sublimal than artistic: right
by the entrance to Horta's "inner harbor", where the murals begin, I saw
the words "Maria s' agapo" ("Maria I love you") painted by white spray
(or otherwise "engraved") on a black rock :-)
Most sailboats cross the Atlantic during the summer months, out of respect
for the great ocean's winter storms. The most impressive of those arrived
at Horta on the noon of February 15, 1986, with gusts exceeding 150 mph.
Jose Henrique Azevedo, whose family owns "Peter Cafe Sport", a gathering
place (as well as "post-office") for passing sailors, took some photographs
during the storm; one of those, featuring breaking mega-waves of spray
height 200 ft and resembling a reclining bearded person's head, has been
immortalized in post-cards (sold only at "Peter Cafe Sport") as "Neptuno
na Horta" ("Poseidon of Horta"). Mr. Azevedo, who picked my nationality
at once, paid at some point a visit to the Greek Embassy in Lisbon, hoping
that the Greek government might be interested in "promoting" his photograph
in one way or another; of course, nothing happened in that direction :-(
[Article posted on soc.culture.greek in April 1995 following my January
1995 trip to the Azores ]
Surprise
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