As I used to say when teaching in early years, there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.
One very wet day we don our raincoats and walk from the seafront at Sao Vicente along the old coast road to Ponta Delgada. Most of the coast roads have been replaced by the new 'Via Rapida' which takes you quickly, via roads, tunnels and bridges, around the island. Only the area between Boaventura and Santana is not serviced by the VR making Santana difficult to access from the north. The old coast roads, however, are still there and many can be walked; in fact, because they are closed to traffic, they are quiet and usually have spectacular views out to sea. Word of warning though, please heed any danger signs that have been put up as some can be susceptible to rock fall and can be dangerous to pass.
Although closed to traffic, the toad from Sao Vicente to Ponta Delgada is safe to walk, and on a stormy October day the sea was rough with high breakers pounding the rocks beneath.
The road leads along the coast the whole way, the first part leaving Sao Vicente via the bridge and past the two large hotels, the Estalgem do Mar and the Calamar, into the more residential outskirts of the town. We pass prettily painted houses with gardens still full of flowers, as well as plots of vegetables and vines. Small paths lead off the road where we can take a closer look at the sea, but the tide is high and the sea is rough and there is a high risk of getting wet today so we retreat quickly to the road. We pass through the old tunnel. It is very different from the new tunnels having been carved from the rock and left unlined. It is dark and damp and at some points rainwater pours from the walls and roof filtering through the rock. Emerging on the other side, we are now flanked by the sea on our left and sheer cliffs on our right. They rise straight from the road and are quite intimidating, especially as the sound of the sea echoes back from them making it feel as though you are surrounded by the waves. The vegetation at this point is sparse and the only birds we see are a kestrel and a buzzard darting in and out of the folds of the cliffs high above. A little further and the cliff recedes leaving space for plants to grow. There are a lot of brambles and the ever-present ferns but among them rise the bright red blooms of Candelabra Aloe and huge orange flowers of the Angel's Trumpet. Here we see a partridge in flight - we must have startled it as they rarely fly, and a curlew with its long curved beak. We continue past what looked like a scrap metal site and begin to pass the outlying houses of Ponta Delgada perched high above the sea. There have been a few showers along the way and we have had to seek shelter briefly during the heavier ones, but it has not spoiled the walk and as we walk through the small town we are treated to the song of blackbirds and chaffinches and even a canary which is native to the Macronesian area. We make our way to the church 'Igreja do Senhor Bom Jesus' and are pleased to see that the doors are open to welcome visitors, a common practice across the island. The church dates from the sixteenth century and is adjacent to the Quay. It is beautifully adorned with guided altar pieces and vestry in a baroque style and unique ceiling paintings. It is beautifully adorned throughout and well worth a visit.
After a drink in the bar across the road, we make our return journey along the coastal road. The rain has passed and the breeze is warm making the walk back very pleasant, and we arrive back in Sao Vicente at dusk feeling quite pleased with ourselves for making such good use of a rainy day.
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