Sao Jorge Cheese and New Island

Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Velas, Azores, Portugal
After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and put our bags in a storage room.
We then walked to Pastelería Vértice Di Triángulo where beautiful pastries are made. We watched a couple women make some rolls and bought a bag of the special cookies with cinnamon and spices. The shop is across from the fire station so Dave went over and got a picture of the three firefighters with an engine. A couple of doors down from the pastry shop was a coffee shop. We ordered coffee au lait  and got way too much milk. We tried it and then all went back for an extra shot of espresso. We haven’t gotten the coffee order right yet!
We tried our newly purchased cookies which were definitely the best and freshest so far.
We drove to the cheese factory in Santo Amaro, a short drive from Velas. It was a huge place with not only the factory but also gift shop and lunch counter. We checked in and were given our sanitary kit to put over our clothes. We had to wear a poncho, shoe covers and head bonnet. We had to take off all jewelry and wear gloves if we kept our rings on. Our guide was a sweet girl, but had limited English, which frustrated her. She guided us through several rooms which showed the progression from milk to curds to solid rounds. The rounds were waxed, turned and numbered. Independent tasters decided whether the cheese would be aged up to 24 months and whether it was sold as “local” or under the Sao Jorge name to be exported throughout the world. After aging, the wax was shaved off the rounds. That process looked like the hardest job of the whole process. The cheese was cut automatically into wedges that were then weighed and hand trimmed to package exactly 400 grams. The trimmed pieces were used for shredded cheese. There were three cooperatives using the same name on the island, we had now visited two of the three. The farmers just sold their milk to the cooperative and had no ownership. The corporation is headquartered in San Miguel. 
After touring, we tasted the three cheeses. The sharpness was really defined by the age of the cheese. We bought a piece of the 24-month aged cheese plus two cans of locally canned tuna which was seasoned with different herbs and spices.
We headed back to Velas with an hour to spare. We went to the Visitor’s Center and they suggested we go to the local museum. The museum was quite interesting with rooms with farming tools; an oxen cart and tools for tending and marking cattle; sea-related objects such as boats, fishing and whaling gear; weaving and spinning machines; weights and measures; carpenter and blacksmith tools and historic clothing. We also watched a short film showing activities accomplished throughout the years. We learned a lot during our visit.
Back to the hotel to pickup our luggage. We were packed like sardines into our car for the drive to the airport. We got checked in before the rental car company representative got there. 
Our flight was delayed by almost an hour which was actually fine because we were suppose to have almost an hour layover in Terceira. As it happened, we got off the plane in Terceira and immediately boarded the next plane. Again, we landed at the ex-US Air Force Base, Lajes, in Terceira. The runway is huge and could accommodate very large planes. The locals are complaining about the hazardous materials spilled there. Nothing is growing and people nearby have gotten sick. Evidently, they are talking with US Officials about cleaning up the area.
We arrived to San Miguel nearly on time. We grabbed a van to Ponta Delgado. The Moody’s were dropped at their hotel and we were taken a couple of blocks further.  We were staying at Casa do Campo de São Francisco on São Francisco Square. The cab driver told us to go to the large door. We saw the sign for the Casa, but it had no knob or latch. We walked to a few more doors before going back to the large door and finding a doorbell. When we rang it, Teresa, the proprietor, came and welcomed us in. It is an impressive 18th century mansion with antique furnishings decorated to reflect the Baroque period. She explained that when her mother died she returned from Lisbon and turned this portion of the property into a B&B. Her Uncle is still alive and owns the rest of this spectacular property (larger than hers). She was very knowledgeable about the sights on the island and so personable; but she suggested we go to dinner immediately because it was getting late and without reservations, we would probably have to wait.
We called Karl on WhatsApp and made arrangements to meet them on our square. We walked toward a brew pub, stopping in a couple places to look at souvenirs. When we arrived at the brew pub, they told us it would be at least a 45-minute wait. We moved on without a plan. We found a cute street with lots of sidewalk cafes, but everything was full. While we were searching for dinner, we stumbled on some beautiful architecture and sights. We found a really nice Italian restaurant, Calcada do Cais, that had a four-top available so we grabbed it. It was a great choice. We had seafood risotto, a linguini, steak, green salads and great wine. We were all really happy with our choices and later when we told Teresa where we ended up, she agreed that it was a great choice. 
We did some sightseeing and picture taking on our way back to our hotels. Ponta Delgada is a beautiful city and we passed by the gates to the city (three ornate arches built in 1783), past the harbor, and Church of St. Sebastian. 
There was a souvenir shop still open around the corner from our hotel, so we purchased a bottle of Vinho Verde and sat on our balcony overlooking the beautiful San Francisco Square. Since the Square was getting ready for the big festival, Senior Santi Cristo dos Milagros, there was a carousel and a couple of carnival booths within view.
Off to bed to explore our last, and largest, island tomorrow.

Comments

2025-02-14

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank