Back at Rivendell

Laptop on a table in front of a window, with the Caldera de Taburiente outside
January 28, 2017

Yay! I’m back at Rivendell for the weekend. Only I have to say it’s not as good as last time. It’s better! There are kittens and I’ve got wi-fi, which is why I can upload this post. This time, the place is petty full.We all had a BBQ last night. As so often happens with BBQs, we ate far later than expected, but we had a good time. I love…

Read More >>

Rock Art

A wet, spiral rock carving at La Zarzita, Garafia, La Palma island
November 24, 2015

I’ve been having fun hunting up the local rock art with an archeologist from Northumbria. There’s lots of it, but while the rock art from the North Pennines is about 5,000 – 3,000 years old, the Palmeran art is much newer at 1,200 – 500 years old. We went to El Verde near El Paso cemetery, where most of the carvings line up with midsummer sunset or midwinter sunset (well,…

Read More >>

Stargazing in El Paso

The old moon in the arms of the new, Virgen del Pino, El Paso, La Palma
April 21, 2015

On Monday and Tuesday I showed a journalist around for the Tourist Board. On Monday night we went stargazing with Astrolapalma. I loved it. Agustín was very enthusiastic, and now I understand why people enjoy my enthusiasm so much. We started off just after sunset, and we had a lovely view of the old moon in the arms of the new. That’s the poetic name for when you can see…

Read More >>

Flags Galore

Garafía's flag
June 11, 2014

  You see a lot of flags on La Palma. Most English visitors will recognise the flags of Spain and the European Union. But the Canary Islands are an autonomous region within Spain, and they have their own flag too. You see it a lot, especially around May 30th, which is Canary Day. And then each island has its own flag. Here’s the flag of La Palma: And as if…

Read More >>

The Sacred Heart 2012

It’s the Sacred Heart fiesta in El Paso this weekend, where they make archways and beautiful salt carpets. Here’s a few photos. These panels and archways area around the church and old church, and the street leading downhill from there. And the church gets decorated too, this year with pink calla lilies.

June 22, 2012
Read More >>

Summer Solstice

This evening will be the solstice, when the sun appears at its farthest north in the sky. For the northern hemisphere, it’s the longest day of the year. (And for the southern hemisphere, it’s the longest night of the year.) Cielos La Palma will be holding an activity on Wednesday 20th in El Paso, at the archeological site “El Verde”, which many believe was created to enable Awara observers to…

June 20, 2012
Read More >>