What drew us to Fogo was this mystical hotel whose existence is integrally tied to the community and rocky coast, lashed by salty waves, as anyplace in the world is. This deep sense of place enticed us to overpay for AirCanada flights and then continue to rejigger them 4 or 5 times after they changed the arrival times.
![20190706_095811-_Z7A7580 20190706_095811-_Z7A7580](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/745a28e01b22c575aecadb85b93fb354/20190706_095811-_Z7A7580-900x900.jpg)
And even more beautiful were the people, who talked with reverence of the cod, the coast, the wildflowers, and each other. And how they stayed, even when the fish were taken, and taken again.
![20190706_100049-_Z7A7581 20190706_100049-_Z7A7581](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/2cbf555891ccbfda31b8111ffa21a03b/20190706_100049-_Z7A7581-900x900.jpg)
One of them, our community host, Fergus, suggested we do the Great Auk Walk, a local trail near the hotel, so when we had a bit of free time on our first day on the island, we headed out.
![20190706_095356-_Z7A7577 20190706_095356-_Z7A7577](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/9630ad724e8c412fcf8b2600cc5967bc/20190706_095356-_Z7A7577-900x900.jpg)
Just around the bend of the harbor and through the small village of Joe Batt's Arm was the start of the walk, and it was very reminiscent of the marshes of Maine. A bit of clay soil, dampness, low grass, and salt water,
![20190706_113131-_Z7A7675 20190706_113131-_Z7A7675](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/1354bc7ba6335ba2635d5d599c851667/20190706_113131-_Z7A7675-900x900.jpg)
and these Atlantic rocks.
![20190706_101617-_Z7A7593 20190706_101617-_Z7A7593](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/6e6714633cf789a94957b9c6aa5d56b9/20190706_101617-_Z7A7593-900x900.jpg)
It turned out to be a good introduction to this winded and succulent-coated land. This feature of the water lighter than the color of air we saw over and over in Fogo.
![20190706_100458-_Z7A7583 20190706_100458-_Z7A7583](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/a1dd4e43aae9375f336a5e0cf3330863/20190706_100458-_Z7A7583-900x900.jpg)
One of the little treasure hunts of Fogo Island is to find the four Artist Residences, which house new artists yearly, one of the most coveted residencies in the world. One of them was along our walk, designed by the same architect as the hotel.
![20190706_100433-_Z7A7582 20190706_100433-_Z7A7582](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/11c144ba0cf85fa8841d49830b16400c/20190706_100433-_Z7A7582-900x900.jpg)
![20190706_100558-_Z7A7585 20190706_100558-_Z7A7585](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/d10635b093dedd067a0cae14d9648c15/20190706_100558-_Z7A7585-900x900.jpg)
I also found a historic fortress along the coast, a structure of wood and stone, still standing and marked by the islanders.
![20190706_100515-_Z7A7584 20190706_100515-_Z7A7584](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/8e13c4e815f09b4a9c4ba5091030696f/20190706_100515-_Z7A7584-900x900.jpg)
and a place to sit, here and there.
![20190706_101545-_Z7A7592 20190706_101545-_Z7A7592](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/c3e832b3c871e87fe75a62b57500961d/20190706_101545-_Z7A7592-900x900.jpg)
I loved this natural stone divot, which felt like a portal to a fairy world.
![20190706_102946-_Z7A7611 20190706_102946-_Z7A7611](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/71448a086a8598f8a91bf7d95d2d4774/20190706_102946-_Z7A7611-900x900.jpg)
But really, led here.
![20190706_103344-_Z7A7616 20190706_103344-_Z7A7616](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/407a06366ec07fc674667b02ff8979f6/20190706_103344-_Z7A7616-900x900.jpg)
What is not pictured is a group of 30-40 ladies, finishing a yoga pose on the rocks, a local yoga retreat of happiness.
![20190706_104217-_Z7A7620 20190706_104217-_Z7A7620](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/360c5e1b264c35dd3b9c80314035f055/20190706_104217-_Z7A7620-900x900.jpg)
![20190706_104725-_Z7A7633 20190706_104725-_Z7A7633](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/7254006643a19747aeeb8111957ef934/20190706_104725-_Z7A7633-900x900.jpg)
They kindly let us get a hug in at the main attraction, the Great Auk statue, an extinct bird that was in the puffin family but actually human-sized.
I ended up chatting with a group of the ladies on the walk back, and they shared the story of the annual retreat, a yoga teacher from the island as a child who comes back yearly to lead it, them waving at the fishing boats off the shore "that's my cousin!"
![20190706_105626-_Z7A7640 20190706_105626-_Z7A7640](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/d07f9500a6afdceb441bdc51b5197e86/20190706_105626-_Z7A7640-900x900.jpg)
![20190706_105853-_Z7A7644 20190706_105853-_Z7A7644](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/f2d1acf4baeed5e98115778fd94f7ace/20190706_105853-_Z7A7644-900x900.jpg)
It started a thin drizzle on the walk back,
![20190706_110009-_Z7A7648 20190706_110009-_Z7A7648](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/1ba4466ca442c0a0161017c681524439/20190706_110009-_Z7A7648-900x900.jpg)
the sky melding into the sea.
![20190706_110623-_Z7A7658 20190706_110623-_Z7A7658](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/dcbefa65b6d58cbfeb6cc55ea21b85ed/20190706_110623-_Z7A7658-900x900.jpg)
![20190706_110739-_Z7A7659 20190706_110739-_Z7A7659](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/17dcbe168d42fbf97b12d5b5a74df480/20190706_110739-_Z7A7659-900x900.jpg)
![20190706_110815-_Z7A7662 20190706_110815-_Z7A7662](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/0651d87a21a21d2734976d8a60bfd758/20190706_110815-_Z7A7662-900x900.jpg)
![20190706_110855-_Z7A7663 20190706_110855-_Z7A7663](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/99683e3dd0cf2247536420dd672ee1bb/20190706_110855-_Z7A7663-900x900.jpg)
The pace of our walk matched this small fishing boat, who ended up along the coast much of our walk back.
![20190706_111238-_Z7A7666 20190706_111238-_Z7A7666](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/5ffd74c715d1cb6c3d39dad7c864b288/20190706_111238-_Z7A7666-900x900.jpg)
![20190706_113131-_Z7A7675 20190706_113131-_Z7A7675](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/1354bc7ba6335ba2635d5d599c851667/20190706_113131-_Z7A7675-900x900.jpg)
And then there she stood again, our little week's retreat.
![20190706_095539-_Z7A7579 20190706_095539-_Z7A7579](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/cff425e5315bc6074b44b6892f74dcd1/20190706_095539-_Z7A7579-900x900.jpg)