But why on earth would someone come up with an arts festival that, literally, hops between islands for six weeks before the tourist high season? I’d say because the Azores are not a huge vacation resort that only opens for business from June to September (you’d be surprised how many people email me asking about tips on things to do in the rest of the year). To say that I’m incredibly curious to see a little of the 5th edition of this festival in action is an understatement.
‘m a firm believer that if you want things to happen, you have to make them happen. However, I feel like most people have a biased image of the Portuguese (and I’ll include the Azoreans in the mix) as lazy folks who are always mourning something or complaining about fate or lingering in the past. As much as it might seem quirky to portray us like that, that’s not how the story goes anymore.
Tourism is an important industry on the Azores, but there is so much more that the Islanders want you to see (and it doesn’t always include what the tourism boards think you should see). If you read part one and part two of my series “The Azores, a Tale of Three Returns” (the third part will be published soon), you’ll see what I’m talking about.