I love Christina’s shop. She started off in the local flea market, selling fancy knitting yarn in the most wonderful colours. I always wanted to buy the lot and spend the next year knitting. Now she has a shop on the Calle Real, still selling the yarn, but also finished knitware and costume jewelry which she makes herself out of local lava and coral, with silver or gold-plated silver…
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…
Traditional embroidery, Casa Lujan, Puntallana, La Palma There’s a shop of crafts from La Palma beside the museum at Casa Lujan in Puntallana. It sells things like traditional embroidery and ceramics. In the centre of the room, there’s a traditional loom, although they didn’t have any rugs for sale when I was there. (Palmeran rugs are made with a linen warp, and rag weft. If you order one, you generally…
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,…
Every year La Palma holds a craft fair, and usually there’s an amazing variety of crafts on display and sale: embroideries, cigars, ceramics, woodcarving, paining on glass, bags made out of goatskins, leatherwork, hand-made paper, etc. Last year’s fair was held in Los Cancajos. This year it will be in Tijarafe football ground from today (Wednesday 13th) until Sunday 17th. It’s open from 11 am until 9 pm. It’s…
Tonight is the big shopping night in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Shops will have special offers and stay open until midnight, and there’s all sorts of activities on offer. Mabel Joyeros (on the Calle Real) with be presenting their new “Star Island themed jewellery collection at 7 pm. It should be fun.