Today we decided to head east. Our first stop was for a special pastry called Queijadas made at a bakery in Villa Franca do Campo. The history is that in the 15th Century, nuns were using egg whites to starch their habits and didn’t want to waste the yolks so they came up with a sweet pastry that became quite a popular treat.

After breakfast we visites Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Paz. It’s a church built in the 1700’s reached by a series of steps. At each landing there is a mural that depicts the life of Christ and Mary.

Next, we headed to the town of Furnas. The town is built inside the crater of a dormant volcano. It hasn’t erupted since the 1600’s but it is still bubbling, boiling and steaming all around. Here they make a special stew called Cozida that is cooked in the ground from the volcanic heat. Of course we had to give that a try for lunch. The stew is chicken, beef, pork, chorizo, blood sausage and vegetables.

Furnas is an adorable town so I want to share some random pics…

After returning home, I began hearing men’s voices singing. A quick glance out the window and I realized pilgrims were walking through. I had read about their pilgrimage and knew they were walking this month but was delighted to see them coming up our road. Read more about them here. https://azorieden.com/the-romeiros-pilgrims-of-sao-miguel-tradition-belief-and-emotions/amp/