Today we had breakfast at the same cafe as yesterday before heading to our first lecture. Today the lecture took place at the Military Museum of São Miguel. It was a discussion about how photography can change the world and the project that Prof. Eduardo Marques was working on with the poor and homeless. He showed some examples of the photos that the homeless took and how thought out and intentional they were. I was truly blown away and very proud of the project they were putting together to send an important message.

After the lecture we had some time to explore the military museum. It was part of an old fortress for the World Wars so it was cool to explore all the tunnels and memorabilia. We were also able to go onto the roof of the fort which gave amazing views of the city and harbor. I absolutely love history so I really enjoyed exploring this place and hearing different stories about it.

Afterwards we went back to the hotel to collect everything we would need for the day. We had a full day tour and our first stop was at a small church at the top of a big mountain. We were literally up in the clouds and the view was incredible. Next to the church there was a maybe 20 foot cross that was truly awe inspiring. The inside of the church was actually pretty small and simple but beautiful nonetheless. I was able to light a candle for my grandmother which felt very powerful and peaceful.

Next we made out way to the thermal springs and botanical gardens. The springs were and orangey color which was definitely interesting. I had never been in a natural spring like that before and it was amazing. After swimming in the spring for a while I walked around the gardens which had beautiful flowers, ponds, and waterfalls.

The next stop was in Furnas where they use the natural thermal heat to cook their food in underground pots. It smelled like sulfur but wasn’t as overpowering as I thought it was going to and it was really cool to feel how warm the ground was. The cats that were wandering around definitely loved the warmth! We then drove to a restaurant that served food cooked in the underground pots. It was surprisingly very good.

Our last couple stops were at different scenic outlooks that gave us views of the island. The way the fields were set up and the dark rocky coasts reminded me of Ireland a lot which was very different than what I was expecting of a tropical island.