The Hole in the Wall - Azores Style

Before the days of piped water, direct into your home, the stand-pipe and a bucket was a daily chore. The Fontana still exists in the Cabo Verde. In the Azores the last remaining ones have been demolished -well nearly. To preserve the last on Terciera, one local took on the local government. To ensure its survival he connected it not to water, but to a keg of beer. Now, for one day a year on the day of that streets bullfight, the brewer, Super Bock, connects up the beer - and its free!

The locals board-up their houses, and visitors, like me, are invited into their gardens, and onto their balconies, to enjoy the running of the bulls.

Standing on top of a 4ft high, 2ft thick stone wall topped with a thick timber barricade a further 3ft high, I felt quite safe. Safe, that was, til the taunting of one family opposite, irritated the bull who with one lunge, ripped away their boards, sending then running indoors for cover as he lunged at them again!

Anyone can run with the bulls, and the bulls will run at anyone. It's mostly the young men who taunt the bulls, each trying to get as close as they can without being gored. The bull is no respecter of age either. If you are out there - you are fair game, and if the bull picks on you, you have to move fast - very fast!

Even the young are encouraged to take part. Not in the streets, but on the beach. Young cows, still with big horns, charge at the kids who scatter before it, mostly into the sea, only to be followed by the beast. I watched from the top of the sea wall - 30ft above!

Tonight its our turn, the bulls are run around the marina.....