King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia - Part V. June - July 2005 - Page 8

Elsa M. · #**141** 07-28-2005, 08:29 AM

http://actualidad.terra.es/articulo/html/av2423204.htm

Although the historians do not agree about the origin of the bullfights (as some of them say that they began in the times of the Spanish domination, during the reign of Felipe II, and others assure that its origins are Portuguese), the first bullfight in Angra took place in 1622. Every year, between May and October, numerous touradas à corda are celebrated in the capital of Terceira and in other places of the island, in the streets and with colourful scenes and a rich spectacle of emotions.

The president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio (who host, along with his wife Maria José Ritta, this first private visit of the Kings to Açores) wanted to show to his Spanish guests how the inhabitants live this celebration in Terceira. For days, the commerce of Angra do Heroismo (Patrimony of the Humankind declared by UNESCO in 1983, three years after being seriously damaged by an earthquake) was exhibiting posters announcing the presence of the Kings at the 'tourada à corda’.

From a adorned balcony, Don Juan Carlos, Doña Sofía and the Sampaios contemplated, in a warm afternoon with the sky full of clouds, how the men of this island face bulls of smaller size than those that grow up in Spain or in continental Portuguese territory, but equally of brave.

Before attending the bullfight, the Kings, Sampaio and his wife had strolled by the historical centre of Angra do Heroismo, by streets flanked by houses of colonial taste, with facades painted in showy colours. The retinue took place at the Rua da Palha, where a plate hang on a facade remembers that the maternal family of the poet Fernando Pessoa lived there, and which ends, like the rest of the streets, in the sea, at the Porto de Pipas, protected by Monte of Brazil, an old volcano surrounded by a wall constructed during the reign of Felipe II. For centuries, this port had vital importance in the commercial routes with the Western Indias for the Spanish galleons, coming from Cartagena de Indias, and after crossing the Atlantic, way to Seville and Cadiz, carring gold, silver and other treasures of the New World. The port of Angra do Heroismo, now inhabited by 36000 inhabitants, was also saturated during centuries with the Portuguese ships that travelled to Lisbon, coming from Ceylon, Guinea, Japan, China and Malaysia, and that used to land in Açores, to repair or to protect themselves from the pirates.

In a while of the stroll, the four seated in the terrace of a coffee and, after minutes of chat, they visited the church-convent of São Gonçalo, the first that was constructed in Angra, in 1545, in where they contemplated its rich tile decoration and its facade painted in blue. After having lunch together, and before the stroll, the retinue raised the place in which there was the first castle of the city, São Luís, and where today there is an obelisk, constructed between 1845 and 1855, and which remembers the stay in Terceira of King Don Pedro IV, defender of the liberal cause during the constitutional fights.

Alexandria · #**142** 07-28-2005, 09:08 AM

Thank you everybody for the great pictures! The King and Queen looked very relaxed and enjoying the company of their Portuguese hosts.

I love this picture http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...hmentid=173904 because the two couples seem like any other two couples enjoying a leisurely afternoon drink together! If you didn't know better you would never have guessed that it's the King and Queen of Spain and the President of Portugal and his wife!

And I love how obviously affectionate and friendly and warm Juan Carlos and Sofia are with everyone (such as Sofia earlier this year with Lalla Salma).

The King accompanying Maria by the arm here: http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?i...80018516ih.jpg.

And the Queen laughing with Maria here: http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?i...94088467gg.jpg.

rchainho · #**143** 07-28-2005, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Rchainho, you posted a few wrong informations:

Juan Carlos was born on January 5th 1938, not in Brazil as you say, but in Rome, where the Royal Family was living, since the Proclamation of Republic in 1931.

Although, Don Juan Carlos lived his childhood in Portugal (Estoril), where his parents had been living since 1946, he went to Spain at the age of 10 years old to make his studies. As for Sofia, after marrying Juan Carlos in Athens (on May 14th 1962)they went on honeymoon (which lasted five months), and then Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia went to live at La Zarzuela till nowadays...

The information about Juan Carlos I it was from a journal and the matter about Estoril it was through a book that i'm reading now "golpe a golpe".

lula · #**144** 07-28-2005, 09:45 AM

Since they were explaining badly in this book. Elsa has reason the Queen Sofia never lived permanently in Estoril, they could spend seasons there, but to the return of the honeymoon they established themselves in the Zarzuela, it is more, one of the reasons of the long honeymoon is that they did not know where they were going to live to the return. So the King was not even living in Estoril from child, since he realized his studies in Spain.

rchainho · #**145** 07-28-2005, 09:48 AM

more pics in starface.

http://62.23.125.151/wimsol_starface/index.php?idPageWeb=79&afficherParNew=vignette&asPageNew=1&afficherVignetteDuSujet=6269&libSujet=Sofia%20et%20Juan%20Carlos%20d'Espagne.&PHPSESSID=33a7b38fc458a033398bc19ca8def409

lula · #**146** 07-28-2005, 11:37 AM

From Terra:

marezdote · #**147** 07-28-2005, 11:49 AM

Another pic from yesterday. Reuters via Yahoo News.

LaChicaMadrilena · #**148** 07-28-2005, 11:52 AM

Thej really seem to spend an awesome time.

Elsa M. · #**149** 07-28-2005, 12:02 PM

The remaining photos from yesterday, pointed by Rchainho.

From Starface:

rchainho · #**150** 07-28-2005, 12:15 PM

thanks lula for the photos. Good ones. Why the queen uses lots of jewlery?

lula · #**151** 07-28-2005, 01:01 PM

More from terra:

lula · #**152** 07-28-2005, 01:30 PM

From Hola:

The Kings visit Horta in their second day in the Azores
The Kings of Spain visited today Horta, the capital of the island Faial, the Blue Island, together with the president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio, and his wife, Maria Jose Ritta on the second day of the private visit that don Juan Carlos and dona Sofía realize to the archipelago of the Azores. In the Blue Island, the monarches visited a museum that exhibits artistic objects realized with bones of cachalot or shark.

marezdote · #**153** 07-28-2005, 03:28 PM

From Terra.

Elsa M. · #**154** 07-28-2005, 04:28 PM

http://actualidad.terra.es/articulo/html/av2425078.htm

The Kings, who today visited the islands of Faial and Pico, confessed that they were feeling so nice in Açores, and so impressed by its calm way of life and its exuberant landscape, that they promised to return: 'I am enjoying very much’, said the King in the presence of president Sampaio.

In this second day in Açores, and after visiting yesterday the island Terceira, the Kings and their hosts, the Portuguese president and his wife, Maria José Ritta, travelled to Faial and, from there, by boat, to the island of Pico. Before landing at this island, in the port of Madalena, the president of Portugal said to the journalists that this visit will contribute 'without any doubt, to narrow the already tight relations, between both countries, which are friends and neighbours’.

At mid-morning, the retinue arrived at Horta, capital of Faial, after travelling by airplane from Terceira. There, in that small and marine locality, with little less than seven thousand inhabitants, the Kings had opportunity to know how, until few years ago, whales were captured in the waters of this archipelago. The boats that, until the 60’s, used to search the great cetaceans are now loaded of tourists carrying photo and video cameras and waiting to see the whales. The bones and teeth of the sperm whales and whales captured with harpoon were used by the islanders to make artistic utensils of daily use. The Kings contemplated an exhibition of that delicate crafts in a small museum in front of to the port of Horta, in the same house where there is, since 1918, the Peter’s Coffee, a well-known coffee shop, frequented by all those who cross the Atlantic in candle boats.

In order that the travel happens without problems, the villagers advise the navigators to leave a draw on the walls and grounds of the docks, that are today completely painted.

From this placid village located in the island of Faial, well-known as the Blue Island, one can see a beautiful panoramic view of Pico, dominated by the mountain that bears the same name and that, with its 2351 meters, is the highest of Portugal. Today, although it was sunny, the clouds covered this mountain of volcanic origin and that is usually covered with snow, during the winter.

In Pico, the Kings could see how their inhabitants - little more than 14000 people, living in almost 450 kilometres of surface - have made the vines to grow in fields of lava and volcanic ashes; a grape with which they make a very appreciated wine. The Kings proved them in lunch time, which took place in the Museum of Wine. That landscape of green vineyards and black earth has been declared by UNESCO Patrimony of the Humankind.

From the island of Pico, the Kings travelled to the island of São Miguel, the greatest and most populated one of the whole archipelago, in whose capital, Ponta Delgada, there was a dinner tonight, offered by the insular authorities. The Kings, who tomorrow in the evening will return to Mallorca, and the Sampaios crossed the historical centre of the city, in a carriage that took them until the door of the hotel, where they are lodged.