Where would I be if, in Covid year, I had walked in one direction instead of up and down the paths of North London?
While the northerly walking would have left me shivering on Shannon Island or in Arkhangelsk, warmer options unfold walking South West!
Flores Island. The Ilha das Flores and one part of the Azores that I could reach (again walking on water). Here's the tourist blurb:
The island of Flores is the westernmost point of the Azores and Europe. It offers some beautiful landscapes and, together with the nearby Corvo, it shapes the western group of the archipelago. Just like the other Azores, also Flores has volcanic origins and it has a mountainous territory cut through deep hills. Its highest peak is Morro Alto, with an altitude of 914 meters. The water flows create several waterfalls and its coasts are characterised by very tall cliffs. The inland of the island is filled with craters that turned into lakes. The most popular is “Caldeira Funda“, which is located between laurel trees and hydrangeas plants. A world made of nature, walks, and breathtaking landscapes.
Is it Covid-safe?
The Azores have fared quite well, and this is an isolated isle.
On the Plus Side:
Warmth, natural beauty, seaside and generally a big improvement on East Finchley High Road.
On the Minus Side:
The odd hurricane - plus a legal ban on leisure travel.
Has it got a Football Team?
Clube Desportivo Santa Clara are only an island hop to another Azorean island, and they play in the main league of Portugal. And during the pandemic they have been playing in Portugal itself for home games due to quarantine restrictions. On Ilha das Flores there is Gremio Recreativo FC.
Has it got a Baptist Church?
I think I'll have to settle for https://igreja-ilhadasflores.wixsite.com/adflores , the Assemblies of God.
Prospects out of Ten:
Eight. Difficult to beat, but perhaps a little small to stay too long.
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