The Azores
Here’s a fun fact about The Azores: When the Portuguese arrived on what is now known as the island of Santa Maria, they found it populated by many birds, thought to be goshawks. The island’s name comes from the Portuguese word “ açor ” meaning hawk. However, according to ornithologists, there have never been goshawks in The Azores. The birds those settlers saw in 1432 were most likely buzzards. Here's what I like about this story: The Portuguese were not deterred by a little misunderstanding. They rolled with it. They didn’t change the name of the archipelago to “The Buzzards.” If you look at the Azorean flag, you’ll see a giant golden goshawk, wings spread, beneath an arc of nine stars representing the nine islands. View from the top of Sete Cidades I’ve heard it said that the land of The Azores is what it might look like if Hawaii and Ireland had a baby. Volcanic craters, beaches, lush green pastoral hills, and a temperate climate. What could be a better destination for our sprin...