The westernmost island of the Azores is Flores – the “flower island” – a small (around 30 * 20 km) and little inhabited island, yet highly green and still very much in pristine state. Technically it is already part of America as it lies – together with its sibling Corvo – on the North American tectonic plate and thus moves away from the European plate (where the other islands are) by some 2-3 cm / year. Due to the exposed situation rainfall is more abundant here (2-3 times) than on the other islands which makes it rather wet…

The eastern and southern coastline is scattered by small farms and hamlets (the west cost is nearly pristine)

Yet always the original forest (mainly laurel and juniper) can be seen in patches coming through

“Siesta”

Gin is growing…

Nice patches – no idea why they are so round…

Our lunch was taken in a local “restaurant” (you don’t have too many with a population of around 12,000). It reminded quite a lot of a very, very deep countryside inn…

Including the local art

and the food. Delicious it was, nutritious as well Everyday? No way… You cannot walk enough on these islands to compensate such food – not considering the amount of alcoholic beverages you need to digest as otherwise you’ll still have an upset stomach after 8 hours processing time…

The mirror for sure has seen some better times

From here we went towards the higher slopes (the main volcano) and suddenly were covered in clouds… Still hydrangea looks nice (it blends in – camouflage )

It is not really cold – around 20°. The only problem it’s 10° lower than at the coast…

Don’t walk too far – no lights…

Strange roads through lava cuts

For sure this plant likes the moist climate…

A local kind of strawberry – if edible we didn’t know and didn’t want to try either.

Now on the track it is getting really boggy and swampy. Brown water, mud, lava – lovely

The moss at the sides is sometimes 30 cm thick

A real carpet

Providing life of its own – being the host to other smaller plants

Life is hard here

The way is cut through lava and is just beautiful

Careful – hikers approaching

Small tress on moss

A dried caldera lake

As soon as the sun breaks through sights change and everything gets really glorious

Even the small dwarf-forest (the bonsai junipers are just nice )

Old, torn, blown away

Another cloud coming in

and some sunny spells in between

With all that moisture lichen is growing alongside the road

in thick patches

Just on bare lava

Another wet spell

3 min later…

The world changes instantly

The biggest problem with the clouds is that they are wet as well as a little bit salty (as they come very low over the sea they accumulate some salt as well). All this together leaves a wonderful film on you glasses which you can hardly get away. The big question is then – glasses with moisture or no glasses and poor eyesight

Due to the moisture all mosses grow nicely as well…

Hydrangea (being imported from Japan a long time ago) is the predominant plant here

Blooming everywhere

along the road and meadows

cows between them

it just looks nice

the flanks are covered, too

As well as whole hillsides

A slight glimpse of the neighbour Corvo with the typical hat

On Thursday we will go there… Vomiting badly after 24 km over open water in a big dinghy