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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: The overgrown ruin of a watermill in the forest. Part of the hiking trail Moinhos da Ribeira Funda. #ForestFriday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a small stream running through a deciduous forest. It also shows a footpath and the remains of a building constructed from natural materials, which is completely overgrown with mosses, ferns and other plants.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: A common sight in São Miguel: Persicaria capitata (pink knoweed). #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

This image is filled entirely with Persicaria capitata plants, which can form large carpets in semi-shaded spots in the Azores. The plants have spherical pink flowers set amongst green, pointed leaves featuring a distinctive dark arrow-shaped pattern. They grow to a height of around 10–15 cm.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: Ribeira da Ponte Nova, which marks the western border of the parish in which I live. #ForestFriday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The photograph shows a shallow stream in a rocky bed, across which lies a fallen tree (Pittosporum undulatum). The stream is situated in the middle of a deciduous forest, whose undergrowth is dominated by the highly invasive ginger lily (Hedychium gardnerianum). The tree trunk and the exposed stones in the stream are covered in moss.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: A lovely little, nameless waterfall in the Grená park by Lake Furnas. #WaterfallWednesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows, viewed from an elevated vantage point in a wood, a waterfall just a few metres high cascading into a small pool. The water reflects the surrounding woodland, giving it a greenish tinge. The rock face over which the stream plunges is covered in moss, grasses and other hanging plants. In the foreground on the left, the branches of two trees extend into the picture.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: It never ceases to fascinate me how a band of clouds forming over the island stretches out over the sea at a constant height, as if drawn with a ruler, and then dissipates there. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks eastwards over the crown of a deciduous tree towards the Atlantic Ocean. A band of white clouds stretches from right to left across the deep-blue ocean. The upper surface of the clouds is – as is typical of clouds – chaotic, whilst the underside, which hovers above the water, forms a straight line until the clouds dissipate a few kilometres from the coast. Furthermore, the bright reflections of the white band of clouds can be seen on the water’s surface.
These bands of clouds only form over the island when moist, warm air is lifted through the island into higher, cooler regions, where it condenses. This is one of the reasons why the Azores are so green...

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: View from Pico do Bartoloméu (887 m) across the Japanese cedar forests to Pico da Barrosa (949 m). #ForestFriday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks out over a landscape dotted with small hills, which is strewn like a patchwork quilt with dark Japanese cedar forests, willows and, near the ocean, deciduous trees.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: A play of colours on the rock face. Looking from Ponta da Ferraria (São Miguel's westernmost point) towards Mosteiros. #RockinTuesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The scene is dominated by a rocky cliff jutting out into the ocean from the right, which features many layers and areas of varying colours. Red tones predominate, but there are also yellowish and white areas. Grass grows in some places amongst them. In the foreground is the black, scree-covered headland of Ferraria. In the background is one of the small rocky islets off the coast of Mosteiros. The ocean is deep blue, and the sky is almost cloudless.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: Looking down the descent to the beach »Praia da Viola«. The photograph from 2018 shows the ruins of the watermills, which have been restored in recent years. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

From a height of a good 50 metres, the viewer looks down a steep slope towards the turquoise ocean, where a wave is just breaking.
Along the slope, one can make out several ruins of natural-stone buildings situated one below the other, a shoreline formed by large rocks, and some green vegetation. The structure in the foreground is the inlet for water, which then falls from a height of about 5 metres onto a horizontal millstone.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Picture from my homeland: Alpine foothills? No, it's the parish where I live, with São Miguel's highest peak (Pico da Vara, 1103 m) behind it. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks out across a meadow full of yellow composite flowers towards a striking range of hills with a clearly visible highest peak. The landscape beyond the meadow reveals maize fields, bushes, reeds and trees. A white farmhouse indicates that people live here. The mountain slopes are wooded. The sky is blue with tiny white clouds. The whole scene is reminiscent of a postcard cliché, as one might find in the foothills of the Alps in Upper Bavaria or the Allgäu.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Picture from my homeland: An illuminated rocky outcrop at the Lagoa do Fogo. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer stands on a gravelly strip of shore and looks out over the waters of a mountain lake of volcanic origin. A short distance away, less than 50 metres, rises the densely vegetated slope of the lake. The shore displays the ribbed shape typical of volcanic craters in this area. The water itself and a protruding volcanic rock are illuminated by the sun, whilst the rest of the slope lies in shadow. The water is light green near the shore and then changes abruptly to a dark sea-green.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Picture from my homeland: A picnic spot with a view of the Salo da Farinha waterfall in the neighbouring village of Salga. Alternatively: a view of the ocean. #WaterfallWednesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a picturesque, green, hilly valley, at the far end of which a rock face can be seen, over which a waterfall cascades. Above it are trees, shrubs and giant reeds.
In the foreground of the picture, on a well-tended lawn, you can see three pavilions with red roofs, containing concrete tables and benches. There is also running water and a few brick-built barbecue areas.
Anyone wishing to have a picnic there is now spoilt for choice, with the option of looking out either at the waterfall or at the Atlantic Ocean.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Picture from my homeland: Looking through the opening in the rocky outcrop at Portinho das Fenais da Ajuda (the little harbour of Fenais da Ajuda). #RockinTuesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks through an oval opening in a rock face made of almost black volcanic rock. Through the opening, one can see part of the surrounding, densely overgrown cliffs, the Atlantic Ocean, and a shallow pool fringed by rocks.
The whole scene is less than 2 km from our house and forms part of the ‘Fenais da Vera Cruz’ walking trail. It is also a popular spot with anglers.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Picture from my homeland: Our recent guest: "São Miguel looks like Tahiti and Ireland having a baby". Maybe there was one Tyrolian ancestor as well: Lombadas valley. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks along a picturesque, turquoise-coloured mountain stream towards the side of a valley. The aquatic plants in the stream are vividly coloured due to the high mineral content. The valley is reminiscent of Tyrol or even the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It consists of rock and scree and is covered in coniferous trees. One can see the endemic tree heath and Japanese cedars. At the end of the stream (which flows into a larger stream there, running from left to right), one can see the ruins of a house. This was once a bottling plant for mineral water, which still flows freely there. This mineral water contains natural carbon dioxide. Production ceased many decades ago, presumably because access to this valley is virtually impossible for large lorries. Every few years, rumours resurface that an investor has finally been found who wants to revive the mineral water bottling operation, but so far nothing has come of it. Until then, armed with wellington boots and empty bottles, you can fill up as much as you like to your heart’s content.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Picture from my homeland: An old camellia tree in full bloom by Lake Furnas. Photographed in February. #ForestFriday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a gnarled tree with dark green leaves and pink, white and red flowers. Surrounding it are the trunks of other, much larger trees. The photograph was taken in the ‘Mata Jardim José do Canto’ park, which is situated on the southern shore of Lake Furnas. This park is home to many old camellia trees, some of which date back to the 18th century. The flowering season there runs from mid- to late January to early March.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Picture from my homeland: View from the Miradouro Pedra dos Estorninhos (Starlings' Rock viewpoint). #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks eastwards from a height of around 100 metres towards the cliffs of São Miguel and the Atlantic Ocean. In the foreground is a bay flanked by high, partly heavily overgrown cliffs. At the bottom of the bay is a small bathing facility (changing rooms, shower). Access to the rough sea would be via the rocks, which, understandably, no one wishing to stay alive would attempt. At this spot, however, during periods of extremely low tide (low tide at full moon and new moon), a sandy beach several metres wide emerges. Further back, the coastline continues. The sky is cloudless; the sea varies in colour from green to blue. The horizon is blurred by a light haze.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Picture from my homeland: Salto do Prego in the parish of Faial da Terra (the south-east end of São Miguel). #WaterfallWednesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks through a gap between several slender tree trunks (Pittosporum undulatum) at a picturesque waterfall with a drop of about 10 meters, which ends in a rocky pool. All around are trees, ferns, mosses, shrubs, and a completely overgrown rock face.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Picture from my home. Shadowplay in the Reserva Florestal of Água Retorta (Água Retorta claims to be the most picturesque parish in the Azores). #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a meadow sparsely covered with tall deciduous trees, whose branches and leaves cast bizarre shadow patterns on the ground. In the centre, you can see a number of tree stumps arranged in a circle, which serve as seats.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Picture from my home. Another picture-postcard view: Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul, the village of Sete Cidades and a blooming hydrangea, seen from Visto do Rei. #Stunday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The photograph shows the two interconnected crater lakes of the large Sete Cidades crater. The smaller one in the foreground, known as Lagoa Verde (Green Lake), has a slightly greenish hue, whilst the larger one in the background appears blue and is accordingly called Lagoa Azul (Blue Lake). Steep, densely vegetated crater rims surround the lakes beneath a brilliant blue sky. On the left, inside the crater, lies the village of Sete Cidades (Seven Cities). In the foreground – how could it be otherwise? – are hydrangeas, although at the time the photograph was taken, only a single, still rather small, young bloom was visible.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Picture from my home. An idyllic scene in the evening light. Right behind our garden. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks out across a pasture towards the Atlantic Ocean. The sky is mostly blue, with just a few harmless clouds near the horizon, which are tinged with yellow by the low-set sun. In the pasture there are a dozen young Holstein Frisia heifers. Further away, a large, white farmhouse can be seen.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Picture from my home. A view through the endemic tree heather towards the north coast. Taken on the Salto da Farinha hiking trail in the neighbouring village of Salga. #ForestFriday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks out over the northern, rocky and, in places, densely overgrown cliffs of São Miguel, set against a brilliant blue sky and the deep blue Atlantic. The scene is framed by branches of the endemic tree heath (Erica azorica), which can grow to a height of 5–6 metres.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Picture from my home. My favourite flower inside the botanical garden "Parque Terra Nostra", which, btw., is one of the largest of Portugal. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks at a bright red, vertically rising flower stalk, which consists of scale-like leaves and forms a tuft at the top. It looks almost like a small, bright red pineapple. Two yellow, elongated flowers (shaped like those of Kalanchoe or Echeveria) protrude from this structure at the same height, giving the whole formation the appearance of a bizarre tropical bird perched there.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Picture from my home. The little house I didn't use to live in. The pump house at Lagoa Rasa, at 580 metres above sea level. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a tiny hut built of natural stone, with a door opening on one side that has no door panel. A few years earlier, a wooden door panel had still been visible there.
The hut is completely overgrown with moss, grass and lichen and is surrounded by a landscape reminiscent of Scandinavia.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Picture from my home. #ThickTrunkTuesday Australian Banyan tree in the botanical garden Jardim José do Canto (the other one☺️) in Ponta Delgada. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The photograph shows the base of an Australian banyan tree with its enormous buttress roots. This particular tree stands in the Jardim do José do Canto in Ponta Delgada, the capital of São Miguel (the best-known and probably oldest of these trees stands in the neighbouring Jardim António Borges).

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Picture from my home. A striking cliff at the mouth of the Ribeira do Guilherme in Nordeste. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a rocky outcrop of brownish volcanic rock, the end of which appears to form a face that is sticking its tongue out.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Picture from my home. The north-western coastline of São Miguel with flowering Erica azorica. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

To the right, the viewer looks out over a high, steep rocky coastline, and to the left, the deep blue Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is covered with grasses and other plants, whilst still retaining its rocky character. In the foreground are two endemic tree heaths (Erica azorica). The one on the right shows brown ‘discolouration’ on its branches. However, these are tiny, dark-red, tulip-shaped flowers, of which each plant bears thousands during the flowering season.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Picture from my home: It's #ForestFriday Picture from the footpath to the waterfall Salto do Rosal, near lake Furnas. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a jungle-like, humid landscape with tree ferns, ginger lilies, trees, mosses and a stream. There is also a footpath leading up some steps. The steps are cut into the loamy soil and fastened at the front with a piece of a branch (usually the invasive sweet pittosporum).

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Picture from my home. Lombadas valley. In the upper reaches of the Ribeira Grande, the water is extremely rich in minerals and CO₂, which explains the unusually vivid colours of the aquatic plants. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The photograph shows what appears to be a typical Alpine mountain stream flowing through a rocky bed lined with conifers (here: Cryptomeria japonica). Among the rocks, some of which are covered in lichen, are flowering gorse, ferns and a number of endemic plants (e.g. Erica azorica and Frangula azorica). The clear water of the stream clearly reveals the extremely vivid dark and light green colours of the algae growing in and along the stream. The small river is fed by several small streams, which in turn are fed by a mineral water spring containing naturally dissolved CO₂.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Picture from my home. A view over the embankment of the dirt track that circles the crater at Sete Cidades. The cows appear to be surprised. #Stunday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks out between hydrangeas just coming into bloom and a wooden fence – roughly nailed together and overgrown with lichen – at three of the ever-present black-and-white spotted Holstein dairy cows. The cows seem to be looking at the camera with utter surprise. To get this view, I had to climb about half a metre up the embankment. This means that the cows don’t usually see any of the people passing by here.
You can also see the Atlantic Ocean, a blue sky with a few harmless white clouds, and a grassy hill sloping down towards the sea. If you look closely, you can even spot a fourth cow on the right, hidden behind the hydrangea leaves.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Picture from my home. A clearing in a Cryptomeria japonica forest with taro, nasturtiums and purple morning glories growing all over the place. Part of my "home hiking trail" Moinho do Félix. #ForestFriday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The photograph shows a clearing in a forest of Japanese cedars leading down to a ravine with a small stream. In the background is a steeply rising slope covered in a forest of Pittosporum undulatum. In the foreground are the enormous leaves of taro plants, which are widely used in Azorean cuisine. Behind them, you can make out the leaves of nasturtiums, which give this clearing its very distinctive scent. Several trees and a few shrubs are overgrown with purple morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), which is spreading like a plague in some parts of São Miguel.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Picture from my home. A cultural landscape shaped by volcanic activity in the north-west of São Miguel. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks down from above onto a typical plateau, characterised by lush green pastures, tufted grass and strips of woodland. In the foreground are the grassy hummocks of a raised bog landscape. On the right is a distinct volcanic cone, in whose crater a pond has formed, which in turn is surrounded by Japanese cedars. In the background are a few houses in a village, with the blue Atlantic Ocean beyond. A few low-hanging white cloud edges peek into the picture from above, whilst the sky itself remains hidden.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Picture from my home. Despite the light rain, not much water – but still lovely: Salto da Inglesa. #WaterfallWednesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks up from below at a high, steep rock face, over which a thin, narrow stream of water cascades, breaking onto several rocky ledges. The top of the cliff edge is wooded, as are the steep slopes on either side of the stream. Only the vertical sections of the face reveal bare rock; the rest is covered in mosses, ferns and grasses. The name "Salto da Inglesa" translates "English woman's leap".

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Picture from my home. Vista do Rei (King's View): A picture-postcard view of the twin lakes in the Sete Cidades volcanic crater (with hydrangeas in the foreground, of course!). Taken by me. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

Probably the best-known view of the Azores. The picture shows two large crater lakes connected by a narrow passage over which a bridge spans.
All around are the steep, densely vegetated walls of a volcanic crater. To the left of the lakes lie the white houses of the village of Sete Cidades. There are also pastures, woods and hills. In the foreground are the ever-present hydrangeas; here, there is even one of the rarer mountain hydrangeas. Above, a blue sky with a few white clouds.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Picture from my home. A contemplative scene at Castelo Branco in the parish of Ponta Garça. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer stands at just under 700 metres above sea level and looks along the ridge of a grass-covered hill towards the south-east. On the ridge is a dirt track that ends at a very light-coloured, crenellated tower, which has a medieval appearance but is made of concrete blocks. One large and two smaller semi-circular openings, reinforced with iron grilles, are reminiscent of a face. Between the viewer and the tower (Castelo Branco – White Castle) stand a good 20 young Holstein-Friesian cows, some of them huddled close together.
To the left, a small coniferous forest (Japanese cedars) is visible, behind it the Furnas valley and, beyond that, the Povoação valley. To the right, there is also a small wood, fields and the Atlantic Ocean. There is also a cluster of flowering hydrangeas.
The sky is about 60 per cent overcast, with the clouds reflected in the water.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Picture from my home. The waterfall of Padrão das Alminhas in Achadinha. This landscape, which is almost alpine in character, is just 200 metres from the Atlantic coast. #WaterfallWednesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks out over a green valley, at the centre of which stands a waterfall cascading into a small pool. In front of it lies a green meadow dotted with a few boulders, the sort one would expect to find in South Tyrol. To the left is a rugged rock face over which a few trickles of water flow. To the right is a steep ‘alpine meadow’. In the background, the stream that feeds the waterfall disappears into the forest. In the foreground on the left, someone has grown taro, which grows almost anywhere it is too steep, too dark or too damp for other crops. In the foreground on the right is the ubiquitous giant reed.

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Norbert, Açores @nobbrt.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Picture from my home. Basalt columns in the evening light. Ponta da Ajuda at low tide. #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows, on the left, a rocky outcrop jutting out into the ocean, consisting of hexagonal basalt columns. Just above the water’s surface, the rock columns are brownish-red, followed by a yellowish layer and a white layer, with the characteristic basalt black above them. To the right are a few columns and a small islet, which protrude only just above the surface, revealing their algae-covered tops. The ocean is very calm and reflects the violet hues of the setting sun.

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