• The Seer’s Stone
  • The Dodo Dragon and other stories
  • About Sheila Crosby
  • A Breathtaking Window on the Universe

Crafts in Fuencaliente

Fuencaliente town hall has decided to have a craft stall in the visitor centre at San Antonio volcano, just for those days when there’s a cruise ship in port. As you can see, there’s plenty of embroideries on sale, but they also have lovely soaps, hand made with olive oil and natural fragrances.

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A new beach

Santa Cruz de La Palma has been working on a new beach for some time. The idea is to create better sea defences (very necessary with global climate change) which look good. I’ve always rather liked the idea, although we all dislike the lack of parking space while the work goes on. Now that it’s nearing completion, I think the idea’s getting rather more popular. At the northern end, the…

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Stars being born inside the Sharpless 2-106 Nebula (S106)

Star birth

  This amazing picture of stars being born inside a nebula was taken by Daniel Lopez using Grantecan. Near the centre of the picture is a dark red spot – that’s the new star which shines mostly in the infrared. The butterfly shape is a large disk of dust and gas orbiting the star. The gas near the star shines because it is ionized (like the inside of a flourescent…

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The Molino Museum

A collection of old weights As well as the workshop making replica ceramics, the windmill at Mazo houses a small museum. Entry is free, but there are a couple of places you can make a donation. Upstairs is mostly a collection of old tools: an old Singer sewing machine, combs for flax, knife grinders, braziers… Oil lamps … the millers glasses, shepherd’s poles, long handled pallets for putting bread in…

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Pre-hispanic Ceramics in Mazo

Inside the workshop at El Molino The Benahoaritas (or Auaritas or Awaras) were the people who lived on La Palma before the Spanish invasion. They lived in caves and wore animal skins, but they farmed, and they had ceramics. The older ceramics are simpler, and the newer ones usually more decorated. At El Molino, in Mazo, they make replicas of these ceramics. The business was started by Ramon and Vina,…

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