My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

Recently I learned that the Azores Islands were once again rated
the Most Beautiful Region of the European Union. How marvelous
to say that I was born on such a beautiful Archipelago.
All the islands are of volcanic origin, beautiful and different. There
are a total of nine islands, with a semi-tropical climate, rich in
vegetation, beautiful trees and exquisite flowers, rare birds, crops
of all kinds, pastures with fine cattle, dairy products, fish, sugar
and tobacco factories. The island is home of the only Tea
Plantations in Europe. The sand on the beaches is very dark, much
like on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Each island has its own characteristic. The island of Sāo Miguel,
for example, where I was born, is called Ilha Verde, the Green
Island. It is largely covered with fields and meadows in the
lowlands. Its ancient laurasilva forest has mostly been replaced by
cultivated fields and imported trees and plants. There is a town
named Furnas, where there is still an active volcano in the form of
hot springs. There are three exceptionally beautiful lakes named
Sete Cidades (Seven Cities), Lagoa do Fogo (Fire Lake) and
Lagoa das Furnas (Caves Lake). It is not unusual for the people to
often feel the island’s tremors. The people of Sāo Miguel are very
industrious and hard working. They are most proud of their
Pineapple Plantations and the incredible taste of their pineapples.
The pineapples are grown in green houses, taking about two years
to mature enough to be consumed. The pineapples grown in Sāo
Miguel have a very distinctive taste, compared to those grown in
Hawaii, the Caribbean and South America. The Pineapple
Plantations with its greenhouses are a popular stop for tourists that
visit the island.
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