It’s been a much more productive week. For one thing, I finally got up to the little castle above Los Llanos. I’ve seen it for years and wanted to get closer, but the hill is very steep so it takes time to walk up. The roads are narrow, twisty and often one way or indeed suddenly turn into steps, so it’s not simple to drive up either. But on Thursday…
The flea market in Argual, just outside Los Llanos, takes place every Sunday from about 10 am to about 2 pm. It’s smaller than the monthly market in Santa Cruz, but it’s a much nicer situation. I think it’s been a market square for a very long time. At any rate, it’s surrounded by beautiful old buildings and has trees growing in the middle (which must be really nice…
The view of Los Llanos from La Cancelita La Palma has even more glorious viewpoints then the other Canary Islands. One of my favourites is La Cancelita, where you get two amazing views for the price of one. The good view covers Los Llanos and a good chunk of the surrounding plain. (Los Llanos means ‘the plains’ but it’s not that flat by UK standards. The view of the Caldera…
The Sanctuary of Anguish (Santuario de Las Angustias) The Church of Our Lady’s Anguish lies near the bottom of Las Angustias Ravine, where the river Taburiente runs out of the Caldera. (Well, they take a lot of the water for irrigation, so in the middle of summer it trickles. That still makes it the only year-round river in the Canaries). To find it, take the road from Los Llanos to…
From 23rd – 25th March, Fotonature will run photography classes on La Palma. All classes take place in Spanish in the Casa de Cultura in Los Llanos de Aridane, although two of the teachers are from the United States and will presumably give their talk with a translator. These classes are free. Jane Menyawi is the photography editor for National Geographic books. She’ll talk about designing and creating your own…
Most places in Spain end Carnival with a funeral for a sardine. It’s like being inside a Monty Python sketch, with the crowd dressed in black (some tarty, some elegant) and screeching with fake grief. “WAUUUGH! She’s dead!” The whole thing’s deliciously bonkers. This bizarre finale to Carnival was traditionally held on Ash Wednesday, but most places on La Palma hold it at the weekend, so people don’t have to…