As usual, I seem to be drowning in small-but-urgent things to do. My friends in the north of the island have been adopted by an abandoned kitten. This is not much of a problem, except that a) they’d just booked a holiday and b) there’s no catching the kitten to take it to the cattery and c) the neighbours are away too. So it’s cancel the holiday (and they’re exhausted),…
Regatta in Tazacorte
Better late than never – I’ve just found out that Tazacorte is hosting a regatta this weekend for “international class 470” boats. (I hope that means something to somebody. My ignorance about sailing is vast, mostly because I get very, very sea-sick indeed.) It started on Friday. Sunday’s the last day, with the fleet setting sail at 11 am, the races starting at 2pm, and the prize-giving at 3 pm….
A Grotto in Breña Alta
La Palma has a network of marked hiking trails. The LP 19, in Breña Alta runs up from San Pedro, past a series of springs, into the lower end of San Isidro, and back down to the main road. Like most of these paths, the scenery is beautiful and keeps changing. And this path included bonuses. Several of the springs feed laundry bowls. Since it’s easier to carry clothes than…
Paperwork Dragons
I should have done it years ago, but better late than never. I’ve finally started the process of getting my English university degree registered in Spain. Actually progress to date consists of going to the government offices this morning and asking what I have to do. So far it’s not as bad as I feared. If my subject (mechanical engineering) is on the list of EU professions covered by the…
El Time Viewpoint
The viewpoint (or mirador) at El Time is perched on the northern edge of the Angustias ravine. Coming from Los Llanos, you drive down and down and down, round some pretty steep bends. After you cross the river, almost at sea-level, you drive up and up and up and up and up, until you’re seventeen hundred feet up (535 m). There’s a small car park on each side of the…
Superman’s big sister sells fiction
Yesterday was a great day. In the morning I did my usual guiding job around Grantecan. It’s particularly nice to show people around at the weekend. Since there’s no engineering work going on, the duty engineer has time to do things like move the telescope. Yesterday, he took the brakes off in azimuth (the bit that goes round like a merry-go-round) and asked who wanted to move over 400 tonnes…