Azores High? What Azores High?

We've now been here for a week and a half and have to admit that today we are slightly bored.....the last 2 days have been so windy and wet that it is virtually impossible to do anything......it has been force 6-7 gusting 8 (in the shelter of the marina!) for about 48 hours with long sustained periods of over 30 knots and it has now been gale force raining for about 6 hours non stop. 

We have been for a couple of hours walk today but got soaked right through to the skin! We have only had about 2 sunny days since arriving and are beginning to think the Azores high belongs in the same category as the Loch Ness Monster! However the good things are:

1. We are not at sea
2. We are not at work
3. Andy and Eskild have dug the Jackass DVDs out and are currently wetting themselves laughing
4. Nimrod's central heating
5. We can probably just manage with the wine, beer and food on the boat today without needing to venture out to the supermarket or bar (although the bar is a lot closer so we don't need such a long break in the storm to get there)
6. There are lots of other boats and people here in exactly the same position

Last week we did manage to have two days touring this island (Faial). Andy, Eskild and I walked around the top of the volcano crater and it was actually sunny at the beginning and the end although we got completely soaked in the middle and the visibility was about 10metres!

On Saturday some of the huge Norwegian contingent organised a model boat building competition, (from sticks, tape, bin bags and sand) which Andy & Eskild participated in. Unfortunately their rather delicate catamaran design was the second of 3 entrants to sink! The 2 winners that actually sailed right across Horta harbour were most impressive.

We've been making full use of the local wine, port and cheese for some good 'Nimrod nights' firstly with Eskild & Ed, then Jez and Lisa from Phantacil, then Anders and Bjorta from Fryd and last night we had a lovely supper on Dutch boat Green Saga with Michaela and Harm............actually anything not to go to Peter's Sports Bar - we have discovered that once you go in you cannot leave until you are thrown out at 1 or 2am - every night is like a New Year's Eve party and even Eskild, at only 20, can't keep the pace up for more than a couple of days at a time!

So now we are just hoping for a let up in the weather soon, so that firstly we can take a ferry to a couple of the close by islands (Pico - see photo, Sao Jorge) for some more sight seeing and different volcanoes, and then sail to some of the other islands (Graciosa, Terceira, Sao Miguel) before heading for Europe proper. Our thoughts are very much with anyone at sea, particularly Phantacil going to England, Pendulum en route to France and Orkidd on its way here.

Lucy, (Thurs 16th June)