I had previously been in touch with Terry Costa, an Azorean guy who grew up partly in Canada and moved back to Pico several years ago, where he now runs an organization called Mirateca Arts, producing various arts events throughout the year on Pico and other islands. He expressed interest in my project and encouraged me to look him up if we came to Pico. It’s a short ferry ride from Horta to Madalena, Pico, so we decided to make a little trip on our final day here.
Terry kindly met us at the ferry terminal and offered to take us to see his “garden.” We were not prepared for the scope of his project: he's taken over from his father several hectares of walled grape vineyards and citrus orchards bordered by dense woods, with various sculptural installations by visiting artists scattered throughout. It was a truly impressive undertaking, and he is justifiably proud of it. [Photos coming soon-ish.] It was really interesting to hear about the history of this place and how it all "works" – EU mandates for "modernizing" the vineyards versus subsidies for maintaining them in the traditional style (this whole part of Pico has become a UNESCO World Heritage site). Then we had a nice lunch and Terry graciously showed us a few more sites in the area before dropping us off back in Madalena, where we caught the next ferry back to Horta.
