I originally came to La Palma to work at the astronomical observatory here. Almost as soon as I heard I’d got the job, my parents went to a travel agent to find out how much it would cost to visit. The girl at the desk said, “Las Palmas de Gran Canaris? Certainly Sir. I’ll just look it up for you.” “No,” explained my father. “The island of La Palma. My…
I hope you had a good time last night, and I hope 2014 brings you whatever you most hope for. New year is a big thing in Spain. Many people dress up – I mean really dress up, as though they were going to the opera at Covent Garden. Traditionally, lots of people eat out, although I suspect there’ll be less of that this year. At midnight, people traditionally eat…
For years, the IAC (Canarian Astrophysics Institute) has paid the cost of visits to the observatory. Now they need to be even more careful with their money, and visitors will have to pay 9€ each (6.75€ for residents of La Palma), which should cover the cost of the guide and administrative overhead. The visits are still daytime only, and last 45-90 minutes. This includes a short talk on why the…
I haven’t had an outbreak of doggerel for age. There was a gentle lentil Known to her friends as Yentil But she couldn’t pay the rental On her dental cavity Her parents were judgmental, ’bout eviction detrimental Turned our gentle lentil mental. Now she’s an intercontinental Split pea
Me. choosing between flavours of Greek yoghurt in the supermarket today, “Eenie, meenie, minie, BOTH!” I can’t think why I never seem to lose weight…
This morning I got a call on my mobile and went out onto the balcony where there’s better coverage. Of course, there were new cobwebs, same as most mornings. Unlike most mornings, there was a huge, high-up one. I saw the spider in the centre when it was about 4″ from my nose. Obviously it would have been a much worse surprise 4″ later.