Category: Terrain
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Highlands and More
Various Points in Scotland (January 2000) We used to be able to take spur of the moment trips before we had children. Thus, all the way back in 2000, one of the airlines offered an absurdly low fare for a last-minute trip to Glasgow, Scotland. I think it was something really crazy like $120. But…
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Neolithic Henge, Cairns and Standing Stones
Kilmartin Glen, Argyll, Scotland (January 2000) The Kilmartin Glen contained an impressive collection of neolithic sites. The richest cluster in the valley included Temple Wood Henge and the various Nether Largie artifacts. Conveniently they all sat within close proximity of each other (map). A circular structure set off from the surrounding landscape by an earthwork…
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Dunadd
Kilmartin Glen, Argyll, Scotland (January 2000) There are few places in Scotland with such an incredible collection of archaeological sites as Kilmartin Glen. There are hundreds of monuments, fortresses, cairns, standing stones and carvings between Lochgilphead and Kilmartin (map). They range from the prehistoric all the way to the early days of the original Scottish…
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Ilhéus das Cabras
Terceira, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) Two dramatic rocks rise above the ocean off of the eastern end of Terceira’s southern coast (map). These are the Ilhéus das Cabras, the “Goat Islands,” and they serve as silent witnesses to the power of the Earth. Not too long ago these jagged fragments joined to form…
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Porto Martins
Terceira, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) Porto Martins lies due south of Praia do Vitória along Terceira’s eastern shore (map). It is a scenic fishing village and summer resorts with a popular natural swimming pool at the waterline. We stopped where land met water. This was the location of the swimming hole set among…
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Serra do Cume
Terceira, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) Serra do Cume is a mountain in eastern Terceira. It quickly rises to 545 meters (1,788 feet) from the relatively flatter terrain that surrounds it. However, the summit is actually quite accessible. Visitors can drive right up to a viewpoint, the Miradouro da Serra do Cume (map). This…
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Miscellaneous Scenery of São Miguel
São Miguel, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) This page focuses on miscellaneous scenery throughout São Miguel. We took lots of photographs as we drove throughout the central and eastern portions of the island. However there weren’t enough photos to justify an individual page for each of the locations shown below. Caloura The picturesque town…
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Furnas Fumaroles
São Miguel, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) Furnas (map) is reputed to be one of the most active geothermal areas in Europe. It is like a miniature version of Yellowstone in Wyoming. However, visitors generally don’t have to deal with swarms of tourists. Steam and heat scorch the earth, leaving behind a barren landscape…
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São Roque do Pico
Pico, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) São Roque do Pico (map) appeared in the distance from the cross-island road. This photograph gives a good perspective of the steep descent from the interior. Then, down below, towns could be observed on the relatively flat coastal plain. Of course, this placement also offered excellent oceanfront access.…
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Porto do Cachorro
Pico, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) Porto do Cachorro meets the sea on Pico’s northwestern coast (map). It is an old, traditional town with narrow streets along a rugged coastline of rapidly cooled lava flows. When people settle the island they naturally used locally available building materials. For Pico that meant charcoal-black volcanic rocks.…