Some of the older houses still use these water filters and coolers in summer. You put the water into the bowl at the top, made of a porous stone (I think it’s volcanic tuff). The water filters through, and drips into the bottom bowl, which isn’t porous. Obviously this filters out any impurities, and because some of the water evaporates, the rest cools down. The stand for the wooden bowls…
A Supernova near Ursa Major
A new supernova has been spotted just 12 light years away in M 82, the Cigar galaxy, which is between Ursa Major (the Great Bear or Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor. It’s a type 1a supernova, which is what happens when a white dwarf sucks gas from a companion red giant, until the white dwarf reaches 1.4 solar masses (the Chandrasekhar mass) when the core becomes hot enough to…
“Goodbye Street”, Tijarafe
This is the street in Tijarafe which leads from the church to the Town Hall, where the cemetery used to be. Consequently it has the eloquent and poignant name, “Goodbye Street” (Calle Adios) This stuck in the mind of a local girl who emigrated to Cuba and became a poet: “If you come to visit my island, La Palma, do not forget Tijarafe where there is a street called Adios……
Jorge Beda Exhibition
Jorge Beda lives on La Palma, but he will be having an exhibition of painting and sculpture on Tenerife, at the Casa de Cultura in Los Cristianos from January 27th – February 28th. The exhibition will be open from Monday to Friday, and entrance is free.
American Express gift cards : Guest Post by Hank Quense
Want an American Express gift card? My friend Hank Quense is giving two away, and you won’t need an Amex account to use them. This guest post tells you all about it. Hank Quense Strange Worlds OnlineMy Amazon pageMy blog siteSelf-publishing Guides I’ve written a series of four books to demystify the self-publishing and book marketing processes. I’ve spent a year on these Self-publishing Guides and now it’s time to…
Almond blossom
The north-west of the island is home to great many almond trees, and at this time of the year, they’re all blossoming. The trees in El Paso and Garafía are beautiful, but the best display of all is at Puntagorda. In fact Puntagorda hosts an annual almond blossom fiesta. The date varies — the Town Hall sets it a couple of weeks in advance, to (hopefully) coincide with the best…