I came back from the barbecue looking rather pink in places. Obviously I should have used suncream. And then, like a twit, I sat on the balcony for about twenty minutes next morning, enjoying the view and a cup of tea, without cream again. It didn’t look bad. At least I had the sense to wear suncream when I went out to photograph the crosses. (See the blog about La…
Cue the BBQ
Since yesterday and tomorrow are public holidays, my son had the day off school today. Since it’s Friday, Helen and Theresa would be coming to Santa Cruz for a Spanish lesson, and visiting me afterwards. Meanwhile Lou would be stuck alone at home with her foot in plaster and a toddler. Cue for barbecue. And then we found Lou’s partner had the day off too, even though he hadn’t been…
Fiesta de la Cruz
Tomorrow is Fiesta de la Cruz — The Festival of the Cross. Like many Catholic places, La Palma has a great many roadside crosses. Tonight, practically all the ones in Santa Cruz, Breña Baja and Breña Alta will be decorated, most of them gorgeously. Since most of the crosses are hung with jewelry, the people who worked on them sit close all night, usually making a party of it ans…
My little bit of Heaven
I’m not usually big on possessions. I don’t find happiness in the “right” designer label on my handbag, or a flash car. But my goodness, I’m happy with my new patio furniture. Our house has a terrific view from the balcony, but I never spent much time out there because it was a mess, the old plastic chairs were uncomfortable, and we had no table. It was one of those…
San Jose Manor House, R.I.P.
San Jose has a ruined manor house, dating from something like the C16th. I don’t know the building’s history, but the island has lots of old manor houses left from the days when sugar cane made the island was rich. I’ve always dreamed of one day being filthy rich enough to buy it and restore it, because it must have been gorgeous once. It’s no bigger than my modern house,…
Still Hot
The weather was supposed to have got back to normal by now, but it’s still too hot for my taste. All right – it’s less hot. In fact it’s just about perfect for lazing on the beach. Me? I’ve been rushing around again. I’m still taking little Sam to and from nursery. Actually this is a small job, and a rather nice one. I’d forgotten how nice it is to…