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Abstract

id="7609">I had known that winter would not be the best season to visit the islands and I had owned it, but I had not expected it to be so bad. I was however reminded how much the sun could change everything around as we also had a sunny day from three (this was a longer trip and after spending a few days in the Azores, we were heading to another destination).<h2 id="c59c">Hydrangeas</h2>I know what you think. You probably agree with me that the rainy weather could have had quite an impact on how one was perceiving the surroundings, but hydrangeas?!How could this particular flower be so important as to change my whole perception of a place?Well, bear with me.<figure id="c930"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*io5o5PzAL-hX3vRMwzyuJQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Hydrangeas. Photo credit: author</figcaption></figure>The first time I visited these islands, I was amazed at how green the landscape was. It seemed to me that all the meadows around were even greener than in Scotland (and before having visited these Portuguese islands, Scotland and the UK, in general, had seemed to me to have the greenest green I had ever seen).Also, there were hydrangeas everywhere contrasting with it. Blue ones, white ones, pink ones, and purple ones.<figure id="3d95"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*iQ660co9I2Q4DcGzIYAUNw.jpeg"><figcaption>Hydrangeas. Photo credit: author</figcaption></figure>Can you imagine? No, you can’t, I’m telling you. I couldn’t either before seeing it with my own eyes. These flowers were guarding ALL the roads, they were on the hiking trails, in the forest, and everywhere.<figure id="7381"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*wHi3EKIgKm-LVy-XzRv-tA.jpeg"><figcaption>Roads were guarded by hydrangeas during the summer. Photo credit: author</figcaption></figure><figure id="ade2"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1

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*n9sgArph764G3XY7MTxJyQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Roads were guarded by hydrangeas during the summer. Photo credit: author</figcaption></figure>And, since there was an ever-present humidity in the air in certain corners of the island, not only once could one see drops of water hanging on the petals. I know this might not sound like much, but in some places, this thing alone would make one stop in his tracks and admire their beauty.In December however, there were almost no hydrangeas in bloom.And this was quite a disappointment. My travel companions who had not been there before were not aware, of course, of how much better these places could look, but everything lacked luster for me this time as I was.<figure id="e8c5"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*zUvoJRQaO1Q8Ixi9Z4vFXQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Roads guarded by hydrangeas (seen from a distance). Photo credit: author</figcaption></figure>The roads that had seemed almost blue from a distance during the summer didn’t look that special anymore. They just looked like… regular streets. Everything around was still “very green” because of the humidity, but since there were no more vivid colours to contrast with, the impact just faded in intensity.<h2 id="84fd">Conclusion</h2>Our local guide told us that the best time to visit the islands would be between late April and the beginning of September as the hydrangeas are in bloom for all that time. The weather is also friendlier during that period.I know plane tickets and even accommodation might be cheaper off-season, but it’s totally worth it to pay more and see the places in all their splendour, with hydrangeas and many other flowers in bloom, especially if you plan to go there only once.If you enjoy reading stories like these and want to support me as a writer, you can <a href="https://medium.com/@cosmic.dancer/membership">sign up for Medium using my referral code</a>.</article></body>

If You’re Planning to Visit the Azores

Do it when hydrangeas are in bloom.

I have visited the Azores twice so far: once in July (2017) and once in December (2022). I loved it the first time and raved about the whole experience for months, but I was slightly disappointed the second time.

The reasons? Well, there were two:

the obvious one — the weather
and the less-obvious one — the hydrangeas.

The weather

When I visited these islands for the first time, I was really amazed by the weather. It was the beginning of July and it was starting to be unbearably hot in the city I live in. On the island of San Miguel (one of the Azores islands) however, the weather was spring-like for the whole duration of my stay. Also, the mild wind was carrying a lot of wonderful scents around as very many trees were in bloom.

Trees in bloom in the Azores. Photo credit: author

Even though there was fog in some places, so much fog that you could not see the wonderful lakes that everybody was talking about from a viewpoint, it made the surroundings seem so eerie that it was rather pleasant to be there and get to experience that type of weather too. Also, as we only had a day or two like this, it didn’t end up becoming bothersome.

In December however, during my second visit, it rained furiously. We literally had to find things to do indoors as there was no way we could stay outside at all in that crazy rain and wind.

I had known that winter would not be the best season to visit the islands and I had owned it, but I had not expected it to be so bad. I was however reminded how much the sun could change everything around as we also had a sunny day from three (this was a longer trip and after spending a few days in the Azores, we were heading to another destination).

Hydrangeas

I know what you think. You probably agree with me that the rainy weather could have had quite an impact on how one was perceiving the surroundings, but hydrangeas?!

How could this particular flower be so important as to change my whole perception of a place?

Well, bear with me.

The first time I visited these islands, I was amazed at how green the landscape was. It seemed to me that all the meadows around were even greener than in Scotland (and before having visited these Portuguese islands, Scotland and the UK, in general, had seemed to me to have the greenest green I had ever seen).

Also, there were hydrangeas everywhere contrasting with it. Blue ones, white ones, pink ones, and purple ones.

Can you imagine? No, you can’t, I’m telling you. I couldn’t either before seeing it with my own eyes. These flowers were guarding ALL the roads, they were on the hiking trails, in the forest, and everywhere.

Roads were guarded by hydrangeas during the summer. Photo credit: author

And, since there was an ever-present humidity in the air in certain corners of the island, not only once could one see drops of water hanging on the petals. I know this might not sound like much, but in some places, this thing alone would make one stop in his tracks and admire their beauty.

In December however, there were almost no hydrangeas in bloom.

And this was quite a disappointment. My travel companions who had not been there before were not aware, of course, of how much better these places could look, but everything lacked luster for me this time as I was.

Roads guarded by hydrangeas (seen from a distance). Photo credit: author

The roads that had seemed almost blue from a distance during the summer didn’t look that special anymore. They just looked like… regular streets. Everything around was still “very green” because of the humidity, but since there were no more vivid colours to contrast with, the impact just faded in intensity.

Conclusion

Our local guide told us that the best time to visit the islands would be between late April and the beginning of September as the hydrangeas are in bloom for all that time. The weather is also friendlier during that period.

I know plane tickets and even accommodation might be cheaper off-season, but it’s totally worth it to pay more and see the places in all their splendour, with hydrangeas and many other flowers in bloom, especially if you plan to go there only once.

If you enjoy reading stories like these and want to support me as a writer, you can sign up for Medium using my referral code.