The island of Flores is said to have
been sighted in 1452 and given the name Flores (meaning 'flowers') because
of the abundance of flowers on the island. It's history includes
pirates taking refuge in the grotto called Enxareus; battles between Spanish
galleons and English fleets; American whaling ships hunting sperm whales.
The first settlement is thought to
have been by the Flemish, later by Spanish
and then Portuguese. Because it is such a remote island, supplies
would arrive by cargo, making the islanders
self sufficient, hard working people, growing crops of corn, potatoes,
beans, flax for making linen, cattle for
meat and dairy products, sheep for wool. Since 1975, after the fall
of the
Salazar dictatorship, progress has brought
the people of this island a new airport, piped water,
television, a French communications base
and tourism. I hope you enjoy this small visual tour of Flores Island,
the place where I was born.
Click on the small image to see a full
size image.
Free counters provided by Andale.
