Author Archives: thetorzorean

My parents, Berta and Antonio de Melo before coming to Canada   I am grateful to Susan K. Riggs for her insightful read of A Journey of Promise In this compelling, autobiographical tale, Melo relates the story of his move … Continue reading →

  I spent the weekend sitting in my garden, with a most enjoyable read of How to Clean a Fish: And Other Adventures in Portugal by Esmeralda Cabral. I haven’t been to the Costa da Caparica, near Lisbon, but after … Continue reading →

Photos by Antonio Cabral de Melo The second procession of Senhor Santo Cristo in Toronto was held on April 30, 1967. My father’s photographs document, each with a caption written on the backside, a moment in the history of Portuguese … Continue reading →

“à saída da igreja”  The first festa do Senhor Santo Cristo in Toronto took place in May of 1966.  I was still living in the Azores then but my father, Antonio Cabral de Melo, who had immigrated to Canada the … Continue reading →

428 Wood Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts I started my blog seven years ago as a way to explore and hopefully come to an understanding of my place in the world as an Azorean-Torontonian. My first blog entry on January 11, … Continue reading →

Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Pranto As much as I like to walk alone while exploring the countryside during my sporadic visits to São Miguel, there’s an advantage in knowing family who live there who can show me places (by … Continue reading →

 Terceira, Azores This road, somewhere in Terceira, one of the nine Azorean islands, leads to nowhere and at the same time to everywhere. It’s an inviting place to let yourself get lost in time and simply meander without the expectation … Continue reading →

Convento de Nossa Senhora da Esperança, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Açores The photograph for this post’s heading shows only a hint of Senhor Santo Cristo ensconced behind the grill. If you look through the top bar next to the column … Continue reading →

Tulips Waiting to Open Soon! It’s springtime but still too chilly this early May and so my Toronto east-end garden is awakening with reluctance. The greening has started but the tulips have yet to open, understandably so. They wait for … Continue reading →

Scarborough Bluffs by Lake Ontario, Toronto There’s a slow start of spring in Toronto but we can finally see the first signs of soft colour appear along the Scarborough Bluffs by Lake Ontario and the first flowers blooming at Rosetta … Continue reading →