Los Andennes Viewpoint

There are lots of good viewpoints on La Palma, but one of my favourites is Los Andennes, where you get an amazing view into the Caldera. The viewpoint is between km 32 and 33 on the road from Santa Cruz to the Roque de los Muchachos, and there’s parking for several cars. Most days of the year, you’re well above the clouds, often looking down on them. Soemtimes the Caldera…

May 27, 2008
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Corpus Christi in San Jose

Like a lot of places, San José in Breña Baja celebrates Corpus Christi (the body of Christ) on the Sunday ten weeks after Easter Sunday. Traditionally, they make carpets out of coloured salt, like this one from 2006. (You can see more at https://sheilacrosby.com/fiestas.php .) The most famous of these carpets are in La Oratava in Tenerife. This year they’ll be making them on Thursday, May 29th. This year’s carpets…

May 25, 2008
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Corpus Christi in Mazo

Corpus Christi (the body of Christ) is a big festival in Mazo. They decorate the streets with spectacular archways and carpets covered with flowers and seeds. The main feast day is ten weeks after Maundy Thursday, so this year it’s very early. (In 2009 it will be on the 11th of June). People collect the materials and work on the pieces pretty much all year, but it all comes together…

May 23, 2008
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How to Drive Quickly Across Garafía

Don’t. You can’t. And it’s dangerous to try. And anyway, you’re on holiday, aren’t you? Relax, take it slow, and enjoy the spectacular scenery. After all, that lovely scenery is the reason for the twisty roads. And if you get stuck behind an old man driving at 30 km/h, count yourself lucky. I seem to get constantly stuck behind one who drives at 25 km/h.

May 20, 2008
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Poppies

We have five different poppies on La Palma. Papaver rhoeas The red poppy. The Corn Poppy, Field Poppy, Flanders Poppy, or Red Poppy is easily the commonest. This is the poppy that mostly grows wild in fields. Eschscholzia Californica , the California Poppy. The next commonest comes from California, which has a similar climate. Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy. And then there’s the opium poppies, which are presumably garden escapes….

May 17, 2008
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Going up in the World

May 14, 2008

The Palmeran violet, Viola palmensis Today the whole family wound up at 2,400 m. My husband works up there, at the Galileo telescope. My son had a school trip, helping to plant out native flora, like the violet above. The island government’s been doing this for a while, and the results are really starting to show. And I was tour guiding. I showed two groups round the Isaac Newton Telescope….

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