Yesterday the silk museum in El Paso held an open day, with a performance by the folk group Cumbre Nueva I’m having a technical problem with editing the video, but here’s some photos of the performance.
The Cumbre Nueva folk group danmcing outside El Paso's silk museum
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Man dancing in traditional dress
Woman dancing in traditional dress.
The Cumbre Nueva orchestra
The silk museum in El Paso will be holding an open day today, Saturday 31st March from 10 am – 5 pm. You’ll be able to taste local wine and cheese, and a folk group will perform at noon.
On Saturday April 6th, La Palma will host an extreme bike race called Ultrabike. Actually, there are two races, a short one of 34 km and a long one of 110 km. Both routes go through gorgeous scenery in the south of the island, and both involve lots of climbing. For example, the high point of the long ride is 1,575 m above sea-level, but the total climbs add up to 4,072 m, which is pretty much like climbing Teide.
There’s also a kids’ competition in Los Cancajos (any children who want to compete must be there by 9:30 am with their bike and helmet.)
Personally, I plan to spend the day sitting on the couch eating chocolate. But if you want to sign up for the race, the official website is at: http://www.ultrabikelapalma.com/index.php/en/en-competicion/event-data
The Cistercian Convent in Breña Alta
The Cistercian convent of the Holy Trinity at Buenavista in Breña Alta is surprisingly new. It was founded in 1946, and it’s the only closed order on the island. I was surprised to find out that there are only ten nuns who live there.
The convent has a small shop. I first went there about ten years ago, in search of a rosary made of dragon-tree seeds, for a Catholic friend who was losing her eyesight. The seeds are big enough that you can feel your way through the prayers, and she was delighted. At the time, the shop was still in the older part of the building, and to my eyes, very exotic. The room was rather dark, and seemed darker because of the wooden paneling. The nun who came to serve me stayed behind a tiny barred window, as though she were in jail – until she saw that I had a toddler with me. Then she disappeared, and came round to my side for a good coochi-coo.
The shop of the Convent of the Holy Trinity, Brena Alta
The new shop is much airier, as you can see. They still sell rosaries and religious medals, but they’re best known for their biscuits, pastries and fruit liquors. Since they’re handmade, they’re a bit on the expensive side (these were €4.50), but they’re delicious. My mother-in-law always used to say, “God knows what they put in them, but they taste divine.”
Biscuits from the Convent of the Holy Trinity, Brena Alta
The shop’s open from 9:30 – 2 pm, from 3 pm – 6pm and 7 pm – 8pm. Take the road from Conception towards Velhoco, and then drive up the narrow lane almost opposite the La Graja restaurant. It’s signposted “Monasterio el cister”. After about 300 m you’ll find the entrance on your right. It’s signposted again, but much less prominently.
Bus stop in Breña Baja
La Palma has rather good public transport. For example, there’s a bus from Santa Cruz (the capital) to the airport via Los Cancajos every half hour. The buses across the centre of the island between the two main town are half-hourly too, and one goes past the Princess hotel into Los Canarios every two hours.
If you want to see glorious scenery, I recommend the bus around the north, from Santa Cruz, through, Puntallana, Los Sauces, Barlovento (change buses), Gallegos, Franceses, Santa Domingo, Puntagorda Tijarafe and Tazacorte, to Los Llanos. It’s 4 hours each way, though.
2011 Transportes La Palma(bus company) Click on the UK flag to get English, and on “SCHEDULE INFORMATION” to get the fare.
I think the nicest bus stops are in Breña Baja. The council built them, and the local painters’ association turned them into works of art.
That was five years ago, and they still haven’t been vandalised. Puntagorda followed suit, and they haven’t been vandalised either. A few have graffiti, but never on the art. Obviously La Palma has a better class of juvenile delinquent.
La Palma TaxiThe taxis on La Palma have their own website in English, Spanish and German. It lists all their various services. Obviously you can call a normal taxi for a single trip, but they also have 8-seater taxis for bigger groups, and at least one taxi which can take a wheelchair. They have a series of standard tours, which are great if you want to see more than a sliver of the island and you’re just here for a day from a cruise ship, or nervous about driving on the “wrong” side of the road. They can also drop off walkers or cyclists, and pick them up later. The man who handles the bookings is more comfortable with written English in an email, but he says he usually manages on the phone anyway. So if you’re phoning, I’d recommend allowing a little extra time, particularly if you have a strong regional accent. The website is La Palma Taxi
Wouldn’t it be nicer to stay?
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 coffee table book on Saturday at 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Todd James is a Senior Photo Editor at National Geographic, and he’ll talk about creating lead articles on Sunday morning at 10-11:30 am.
The other classes include things like hiking photography, advertising and eco-tourism photography, photo essays, creative night photography, photographing adventures and expeditions, 360º photography and high dynamic range. Prices range from 10 € to 30€
You can read full details, and sign up for lessons at http://www.fotonaturelapalma.com/
Poster for the Parrandas
Since the Spanish name for St. Joseph is San José, the village of San José will be celebrating too (although the main fiesta is for St. Anne, in July). Although the 19th is Monday, most of the events happen over the weekend.
On Friday 16th, an exhibition of crafts opens in the parish hall (near the new church). It will be open from 5-8 pm until Monday.
At 7:30 pm there’s a film “Hangover in Las Vegas” (in Spanish) in the square in front of the Town Hall. And at 9:30 pm there’s a disco.
On Satuday 17th the local walking club will be hiking up near Acropark, cyclists will be racing up the main street at 10 am, bouncy castles will be bounced on and kids will be painting pictures from 4 pm. At 5pm the petanca tournament starts (it’s a kind of bowls) and at 6 pm there’s a wheelbarrow race. then at 8:30 pm there’s the “Noche de Parrandas“.
So what’s a Parranda?
It’s a sort of informal music group – something between a performance and a jam session. So if you can sing or play well-known Spanish songs, you might be able to join in.
On Sunday 18th there will be more bouncy castles from 4:30 pm.
And on Monday 19th – father’s day itself – there’s a special mass sung by the local choir, followed by a procession.
The sardine on her bier at El Llanito
Here are some photos of the sardine’s funeral at El Llanito. As you can see, the sardine itself is much smaller than the one in Los Sauces, but I love those bee-stung lips!
Some of the widows carrying the bier
Unlike most places, the bier was carried by the sardine’s widows. Like most places, the widows were very tall and muscular.
There’s a long tradition of political protest at carnival. This placard is in support of the Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, who was expelled from the judiciary recently, officially for illegal wire-tapping, although it’s widely believed that it had more to do with his investigations of the hundred thousand-or-so people who disappeared under Franco’s rule.
Political protest at the funeral
In general, the costumes were cheaper and more imaginative than the ones at the bigger fiestas. I particularly liked this “old lady”, who kept insisting on more rum in her drink.
Asking for more and more rum in her drink
And of course, the funeral ended with a cremation and fireworks. After that there was a band playing 60s music, but I had to work in the morning, so I went home
Cremating the sardine at El Llanito, Breña Alta.
Here’s a short video of Los Sauces Sardine’s funeral, 2012 It’s not a properly edited video, but if I wait until I’ve had chance to do that, I might be waiting forever. Enjoy!
On Friday night, El Llanito in Breña Alta (between San Pedtro and Las Ledas) will be holding their sardine’s funeral at 9 pm.
And on Saturday at 9:30 pm, Los Sauces will be holding their sardine’s funeral, with a Roman theme. Some people think this is the best sardine’s funeral in the Canaries.
The poster for the sardine's funeral in Los Sauces
The sardine being paraded around Los Sauces before its cremation
The sardine’s funeral in Los Sauces had a Roman theme this year. As always, the bier was carried by lots of humans (rather than a lorry) and they danced it through the streets and around the square.
One of the Roman guards protecting the sardine
Los Sauces has the reputation of putting on a much better sardine’s funeral than Santa Cruz, and I think it’s true. Of course it’s self-perpetuating. People make more effort to get to the funeral in Los Sauces, and spend more time dressing up. My best guess is that there were at least a thousand people taking part, yelling and whooping and wailing with wild enthusiasm. I hope to get a video onto YouTube tomorrow.
My favourite costume at the Sardine's funeral, Los Sauces, 2012
Some people go as “widows” of the sardine, but most either follow the theme-for-the-year or do something wildly creative of their own. This year there were two mobile speed-traps, complete with flashes coming from inside the box. (I think the boxes used to contain washing machines before they were transformed into a costume.) And Asterisk’s friend Obelisk was delivering a menhir, although I never did manage to get a photo of him.
Traditionally, there’s quite a bit of cross-dressing, and it’s socially acceptable at least for this one night.
A drag queen's platform shoes
Some of the costumes are gorgeous, and some are creative, and some are both: much better than my own, rather rushed effort.
One of the things I enjoy is that you’ve got this enormous crowd, sinking quite a bit of alcohol (except the drivers) and I’ve never heard of any violence whatsoever. People might make humourous remarks about your costume, maybe even sarcastic ones, but they’re far more likely to complement each other and take photos of each other. It’s a kind of group performance art, done by the crowd, for the crowd. Sadly, I can’t imagine it being so universally good-humoured in the UK.
At the end of the parade, as always, they pushed back the multitude, and cremated the sardine from the inside out, and set of lots and lots of fireworks.
The sardine being cremated, 2012