Making Waves: How a Flatbed Truck and a Touch of Pirate Magic Brought Us Together

18/05/2026

The Thursday Night Scramble: Cardboard Reefs and Hidden Chairs

The Thursday before the parade, a massive flatbed truck (one meter by two meters) was delivered right into our garage, courtesy of Marco. I stood there looking at it, thinking, “Okay, how do we make two mermaids look majestic on the back of this thing?” Realizing they needed to be elevated so the crowd could see them, I dragged two of my own lawn chairs out and bolted them to the flatbed deck. Then, I called in the reinforcements: the Tiago & Francisco brothers.

They showed up Thursday night loaded with props—a treasure chest, a rombero, some building blocks, and a mountain of cardboard. From 7:00 PM until midnight, we worked like crazy. We wrapped the lawn chairs in cardboard and shaped them to look like an underwater reef so nobody would realize our beautiful mermaids were just chilling on patio furniture!

Friday Night: Flowers, Waves, and Pirate Ships

On Friday, three more helpers arrived. We had a second mermaid shield that hadn't been used yet, so we decided to transform it into our official sign. The Francisco brothers brought a bamboo frame, we wrapped it in bright yellow fabric, and mounted the shield.

The Freguesia (local parish council) delivered some blue cloth and a bunch of flowers. They also brought a picture of a Disney castle to use as a backdrop, but we tossed that aside because the Apolinario brothers brought something way cooler: the literal side of a pirate ship, which we mounted to the back of the truck.

To bring the ocean to life, we took some plant wiring I had lying around, bent it into the shape of rolling waves, and safety-pinned the blue fabric over it. It looked just like waves slapping up against our cardboard reef!

To keep the flowers alive for the big day, we lined the edges of the float with floral foam soaked in water. Eliana Santos from the Freguesia lent us her expert eye and beautifully arranged all the flowers right between the waves and the reef. Meanwhile, Anna managed to score a massive black backdrop cloth from an old theater, which the Apolinario brothers painted to perfection. Add a massive speaker brought by Marco and David to blast our pirate soundtrack, and by Friday night, we were officially ready.

Saturday: Costume Chaos and Showbox Success

Saturday morning was pure, chaotic fun. Getting everyone dressed was a comedy routine in itself. Marco kept going back and forth on whether he wanted to dress up, even running out at the last minute to buy proper boots—but we finally got him, his son David, and our wonderful flower-arranging lady into full pirate gear!

When the dust settled, Oliver and I were the only expats. Our crew was proudly made up of 5 Portuguese pirates and one local Portuguese mermaid!

We rolled the truck out of the garage, attached the final sail at the last possible second, and headed to the starting line.

While the other floats in the parade might have been "prettier" or more traditional, we were hands-down the most lively group there. We didn't just march; we put on a show! Marco went totally wild, getting fully into character and playfully scaring the kids and old folks in the crowd. Everyone was laughing, singing, and having the absolute best time.

Finding My Place on the Island

Looking back at the whirlwind weekend, we didn't just build a pretty float—everyone supported each other, pulled their weight, and made it happen.

But on a personal note, this was a massive milestone for me. It has been two years since I moved here, but this festival was the very first time I felt truly integrated into the community. Working side-by-side with a beautiful mix of expats and local Azoreans to create a community event made me realize something special:

I am finally finding my place on this island. And man, does that feel good.