I Have lived in the São Miguel Island, in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) for 21 years before Moving to Lisbon and I still dream about it!

THE AZORES ARCHIPELAGO

   The Azores are one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean.

     S. Miguel's diverse scenery is a pleasant awakening to visitors, with beautiful lakes, sandy beaches, rolling hills, high mountains, green plains and blue ocean.
There are some hot springs, generally located in the center of the island.

     Activities in S. Miguel include whale watching, swimming with dolphins, walking and trekking, diving, fishing, jeep safaris, bird watching, sailing, snorkeling, swimming, golf and many other outdoor and indoor activities.
The weather is best between June and October with the hottest months being July, August and September. November to January is also pleasant but temperatures dip slightly. February through May tend to be on the rainy side.
     
     Its main industries are agriculture, dairy farming (for cheese and butter products primarily), livestock ranching, fishing, and tourism, which is becoming the major service activity in the region.  

SÃO MIGUEL ISLAND

São Miguel Island (named for the Archangel Michael), is also referred to locally as "The Green Island", is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The largest city in the archipelago is Ponta Delgada.

     S. Miguel is also the island in the Azores with the most to offer. Its cosmopolitan town of Ponta Delgada offers the visitor a blend of contemporary life with historic flavor. S. Miguel monuments, turn of the century architecture, parks and cobble stone streets are interlaced with a modern marina, nice restaurants, shopping, bars, night-clubs, and ocean-front cafes.

In the island I live in there is a legend about the origin of two lakes that were formed at the crater of a sleeping volcano. It is called The "Lagoa das Sete Cidades" (The Seven Cities's lake).

 The legend says there was once a blue eyed princess, and the princess hated being inside the castle walls feeling like a caged bird...

So she would run and dance everyday in the meadows and woods. She just loved the green, the birds's songs, the sea in the horizon...

One day she met a humble green-eyed Sheppard boy, and they talked all evening and even found out they had many common interests.

And so they would meet and talk everyday and eventually they fell on love.

But the princess destiny had been decided many years ago, for she was promised to a prince of another kingdom, in arranged marriage.

And as her father, the king, found out she had been seeing a Sheppard boy he immediately and totally forbid  her of ever again talking to him, because he was just a Sheppard from a poor family.

But he granted them one last date, so they could say goodbye, forever.

So they met one last time, they hugged and they cried. 

And they cried so much their tears formed puddles, and as they cried the puddles later turned into two lakes.

One of these, the blue lake, had it's color due to the princess blue eyes.

The other one had it's color from the Sheppard's green eyes.

And now they are forever side by side ...

If you would like to one day get to know this wonderful making of nature you must visit "São Miguel" island, In the Azores Archipelago, Portugal.

I hope you enjoyed reading!

Hugs and kisses,

Reny