A Nativity Scene

Christmas time can bring excitement for many reasons and on La Palma, one of those is the nativity scene, or  Belenes, as they are called.  They are a real work of art and each village, town or area take it upon themselves to bring this little piece of magic to us. Just by looking at them, apart from the religious significance, you can tell that the people who made them had a lot of fun doing it. Often they are in a church hall and are a landscape complete with tiny Canarian houses (with pebbles on the roofs to represent the stones that people really do put on their roofs), goats and chickens grazing nearby, water tanks, crops in the field and of course somewhere in among it all, the nativity scene itself.
Or maybe, out in the country such as the road going down to Santo Domingo, the scene is helped along by a group of small Canarian houses tightly clutching the hillside (think gnomes in a garden).
In Franceses our local people go for the life-size version set in a cave which lies between Los Castros and Los Machines (two areas of Franceses).  

Attention to detail is not spared and old artifacts are casually laid about to add interest.  Here you can see a horse's saddle behind Mary and in the photo below, you can see old implements such as the machete in a chopping block of wood and even a very worn beret as worn by the elderly French residents of the village.

The people who create this scene each year always make it a fun event and cook up a huge paella to reward the work.  But the effort is certainly not wasted and people often stop in their cars to admire the results.   I just love the angel dangling dangerously from the ceiling!  However, from the photos, it's hard to get a sense of perspective until you put a person in front of them!

It has long been our desire to create a nativity scene ourselves, although on a miniature scale as I don't think I could cope with three 6-foot kings about the place.  We have had a couple of attempts over the years but seem to have lost a few components along the way and it has never come to much.  But we do have the very place for it in our own tiny cave just by the sala.

So this year we decided that we would renew our efforts, in a small way. Actually, it's very easy because many of the shops sell figures and little stable-like items or animals just for this purpose.  The only problem is that you can end up with a donkey bigger than a house and the stable so small that baby Jesus won't fit in.

Hopefully this time we have got the scales about right and not only did we enjoy making this little scene, but we are ridiculously proud of it!

Wishing you a Happy Christmas

To everybody out there - family, friends, visitors past and present and even those who we don't know and have never met - we wish you a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year.

With love from Ann and David

xx

Love Actually

Where do our guests come from - are they all English?  This is something we are often asked and the answer is, they come from all over!  Britain and the rest of Europe of course but also Japan, Latvia, Finland and sometimes America.
Just last week we had a lovely guest from Appleton, Wisconsin, USA who had come all the way to La Palma to walk the GR130. It's a very long way to come for a very long walk.  What a star!  And I think I can honestly say that I have never (knowingly) met anyone from Wisconsin before and my only knowledge of the place is from that well-known film.  I think we can hazard a guess that the portrayal of Wisconsin in the film was not strictly accurate. 
In fact, it seems Wisconsin is the dairy capital of the United States and Appleton sits in its heartland.   And it is in Appleton that you can find Wilmar's who are famous for their small batch fresh chocolates.

So I have just two things to say to our guest:- many thanks for making the big trip over to come and stay here and well done for your impressive walking endeavours on La Palma.  Oh, and thank you for the chocolates!

Wish you were here

You might think nothing ever happens around here.  Well, you'd be wrong!  Take Sunday for example - around 5 o'clock not only do the church bells ring which is pretty exciting in itself but also we get to see the weekly crossing of the cruise liner on its way from La Palma to Madiera.  This photo was taken yesterday overlooking our roofs at a time when it would be dark in the UK.
Bet those people on board were really sorry to be leaving La Palma because I don't imagine Madeira can be nearly as much fun. 

Going back

One of the questions that people ask us - apart from 'What made you choose La Palma?' - is 'Do you ever go back to the UK?'
And the answer is that yes we do, from time to time.  After all, our passport photos nearly look like us and we were not banished due to bad behaviour, as far as I know.  And of course we have our yummy family there.
So last week I dug out my scarf, hat and gloves and hopped on a flight, first to Gran Canaria and then on to Edinburgh courtesy of Ryanair.

My eventual destination was Stirling - Scotland's newest city and one of its most historic.  I had never been there before so there were lots of treats to be seen and some fantastic walking.  And shops,  oh yes, shops.  And I did.
Next, I headed due South by train to York, a city I know somewhat better.  And somehow, I had entirely dodged the snow - none in Stirling and none in York but plenty in between.  By the next day, that had been rectified, although with beautiful blue skies.

Back in La Palma, the scarf, hat and gloves have been packed away again, until the next time.  Mind you, in the next few months there might be snow 'up top,' at the highest point of the island.  Ah yes, snowballing followed by a dip in the sea.  Can't be bad, can it? I shall keep you posted.

Taste bud tango

It wasn't until 1876 that Heinz jumped on the bandwagon and launched their own version of the sauce.  After what must have been many sleepless nights, they came up with the thought-provoking slogan, 'Blessed relief for Mother and the other women in the household.'  You may not have guessed but I'm talking about tomato ketchup.
In the Canaries, we have our own sauce and my slogan would probably be along the lines of  'Blessed relief for taste fatigue - a veritable taste bud tango.'  I am of course talking about mojo sauce.
The essential ingredients are peppers, garlic and vinegar ... then you can make it up from there yourself.  Hot red peppers grow particularly well here not only providing a steady supply for the kitchen but also look extremely attractive in the garden hanging from little bushes.  Ours are still growing on the finca despite it being the middle of November - this photo was taken today as they bask in the sun.  

However, it is very common to see peppers literally hanging out to dry.  Providing they do not get damp at this stage, they will last for months and can be used for any number of dishes such as soups or casseroles but also rehydrate perfectly well in the mojo sauce.  We are up to three strings at the moment and I am starting to think they will make interesting Christmas decorations!

There are two main types of mojo, pronounced 'moho'  - red and green.  Green mojo is quite mild and goes well with goats' cheese or fish.  Red mojo can either be picante or picón (hot) or sauve (mild) and both the red and green mojos can accompany the papas arrugadas, the small salted potatoes.   There are also any number of other variations of mojo including those made with avocado, coriander and almond although these are less common.  
You will find some nice little booklets with recipes for mojo at the Sanlupe shops in the capital and Los Llanos plus the airport shop and other places of course.  Some of them have rather unseemly amounts of garlic and salt but you can of course alter to suit.  This is my recipe:
4 hot peppers
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch of saffron
200 ml olive oil
100 ml white wine vinegar
Method:
Assuming your hot peppers are the 'seek and destroy variety,' pour boiling water over them and leave to soak for up to an hour, just to take the edge off.   And remember not to touch your face after you have handled the peppers!

Chop and then grind all of the ingredients except the oil either in a pestle and mortar or whizz up using a hand blender.  Bear in mind that you are not necessarily trying to achieve a smooth blend.  Once you are happy with the consistency, gradually add the oil, mixing it in as your pour.  If you like a smoother, thicker mix then add about 1/3 of a green pepper in with the initial ingredients.  
An extra ingredient is a little zest of orange which not only gives the mojo a bit of a surprise element - that's the tango part - but also helps refresh the taste buds and balance the garlic.  

Our neighbour has an aversion to oil and they make their's with water, so that would make a low calorie alternative, although you would need to refrigerate it or at least use it more quickly.
However, if you don't fancy making it yourself, it is also very easy to buy as all supermarkets stock it and usually gift shops too, often in a pack of two small jars in a presentation box.  You really are taking home a little bit of the Canaries.  If you don't relish the idea of a broken jar of mojo in your suitcase, you can also get the dried version in a small plastic box and you just add oil, vinegar and water when you are ready.  This is also substantially lighter and there is no risk of it getting broken. 

You won't find these quite as easy to find but you can buy them at the market in Santa Cruz and Los Llanos and the gift shop in Los Cancajos, among other places.  
So whether it is home made, straight from the jar or in a part-made form, mojo sauce is a must while you are in the Canaries.  This really is one variety Heinz missed out on. 


One last thing, talking about not missing out, we have a new addition to our family of blogs about La Palma.  This one aims at finding you good prices for flights, travel tips, the low down on maps and a fair bit more. 
Hope you like the new look design of this one by the way! 

A Day to Remember

If you live on La Palma, one thing you might want to arm yourself with - apart from sun cream - is a calendar of public holidays and fiestas.   With this useful aid, you will have some idea when the shops are likely to be closed, apart from weekends and siesta time.  Although, I have to admit, no list is definitive as you might find what I call 'flying fiestas' (local ones) which are not on any list or calendar.  

Whilst many of them are obvious, such as  Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter, some are less so although the 1st and 30th of May (pleasingly called 'Day of Work' and 'Canary Day') are still a good reason to down tools, as in the UK.  

There are also a few less well-known ones thrown in such as Constitution Day on 6th December and Epiphany on 6th January.  Some pass almost un-noticed to us here in the country, whilst others such as Epiphany are celebrated in style, as in Los Sauces where the Three Wise Men arrive on camels.  Real camels, that is.

However, whilst they are all important for different reasons, one that I particularly like to mark is All Saints' Day on the 1st November.  Way back when (835 AD), the Roman Catholic Church declared the 1st November a Church holiday to honour all the saints, known and unknown.  On this day it is also customary to pray for the all those who have passed away, although not necessarily with sorrow.  On La Palma, as in many other places, we say it with flowers.  

Whilst the rest of the shops on La Palma remain closed, the flower shops are a hive of activity, trying to provide flowers for what amounts to every single and solitary headstone or grave on the whole island.  And the lovely thing about it is that no-one is forgotten or left out - that is after all the whole point.  So, no matter that Don whoever's family moved away years ago and there is nobody left to lay flowers on his grave or to place them tenderly in the little flower holders on the headstone.  All are remembered.  

Chicken course ... ?

This week saw the first of our chicken courses, although I really must stop calling it a chicken course.  'What's a chicken course?' asked a friend.  'Is it something between a starter and a desert.'   No, I mean  'keeping' chickens ... and to be more precise, a course on Keeping Chickens on a Small Scale.  

I have to confess that I did not particularly imagine I would be providing such a thing until someone asked me if I could help them with some information on keeping chickens.  After all, they said, they had no experience and little confidence and maybe I could get them started on the right path.  Oh and how many chickens should they have and what breed?  And what sort of housing should they put them in and what about typical illnesses hens might suffer from?  And what should they feed them?  Was a cockerel necessary - and what's the difference between free range and organic ... and how do you know if an egg is fertilised .. and ... and ...?  And could they see what it would be like to pick up a chicken.
And so that started me thinking about other people who might be considering keeping chickens and if a course would be useful.  After all, I had some idea about chickens since I was brought up on a poultry farm where various methods of rearing were employed including free range, deep litter, barn as well as intensive egg production.  Then of course there was the chicken hatchery producing around a million chicks a year - and that's not chicken feed!  

Me with my 'tweeties' here on the finca

And here on the finca in Garafia, we have kept hens and reared baby chicks with housing methods ranging from a moveable chicken coop to free range with seventy plus poultry (something of a poultry population explosion!) to our current system of a fixed house with large run.

And so, with this in mind,  the course was born and, as it happened, our lovely guests staying in the casita were also considering keeping chickens and asked if they could take the course while they were staying here.  

We started with some theory which encompassed all of the questions and doubts already raised and of course the guests added a few questions relevant to their particular situation.  After this, we had an on-site look at different housing systems and the various merits or otherwise.  And then we got to the bit they were probably waiting for - meeting the hens and collecting the freshly-laid eggs.

It was a good opportunity to get to know what it was like to be close up with the hens, discovering that they would not only pick enthusiastically at the fresh greens held for them but also gather round to dive into a handful of corn.  And happily, when it came to picking them up, the girls behaved im-peck-ably!

Now we could leave the hens on their own to wonder what all the fuss was about - and eat the rest of the greens.

The story of the curious cat

It is well known that cats are very curious and Pancho, our cat, is no exception.  Not only does he come to inspect any new works but he also likes to check out any new items, especially boxes and bags, climbing inside them to try them out for size.   

Now it seems that he has taken curiousity one step further - and maybe we have got a new walking partner. 

I think you might just need to tighten the shoulder straps a bit Pancho!

 

Fit to drive

The time had come around for our medical examination/test for driving. 

How great then to discover that our own lovely doctor in Los Cancajos has recently begun offering this service.   

Apart from a standard eyesight, hearing, blood pressure and heart check, there is also a reflex test.  That's the best bit!  It's rather like a computer game, the idea being that you have to keep two white circles within their own two red ribbons.  The ribbons are only just wider than the circles i.e. like keeping a car within the width of your side of the road.  The ribbons wiggle and wave about - a bit like the winding roads of La Palma!  You move the white circles to keep them within, or bring them back into, the ribbons with the use of two T-shaped handles.  Yes - right and left hands working separately!  If your circles get left behind as the ribbon moves away, there is a beeping sound.  That's OK as what it is measuring is your response time to get it back in order.

Happily, I passed and am already looking forward to the next one in five years time.

I can highly recommend the Medical Centre in Los Cancajos who also do all the paperwork for you, including digital photo, so you don't have to go elsewhere to get your photo taken and then take everything along to the Trafico.  The doctor (apart from being something of an entrepreneur) also speaks excellent English, should you require.  Apparently, he left mainland Spain to set up practice in Ireland.  Unfortunately, he couldn't understand anything people said, so decided that La Palma was his next best paradise.  Sensible man!

Centro Médico Cancajos
Address: Centro Comercial Cancajos, locales 307-308, 38712 - Breña Baja
Tel.:  922 43 42 11
Fax.:  922 43 59 70
Movil: 653 813 158 For more info on the driving licence system for ex-pats in Spain and medical test requirements go to the .Canary Forum

Grape crushing

I can't believe it is time for wine-making again, a whole year since we were last enlisted for grape crushing - with feet.  But apparently it is and last Sunday, after serving breakfast to our guests, we ambled up the donkey track to the farm where it was all happening.  Or rather, it had all happened because we were late and the whole foot stamping process had finished.  Groan ... why is it that when we think there is no hurry we turn up late and when we turn up on time or early it's a case of nothing happening for literally hours. 
Take fiestas, for example.  We have been to some where, arriving at 9 or 10 o'clock at night we are way too early. We have actually come home again before the party has even got started.  And then at another fiesta, thinking ourselves quite 'cool' arriving at 11 pm, we are far too late.  All the food has gone and in order that we do not starve to death, a Palmeran friend rushes down to the sea to collect live limpets for our delectation.
Ah well, at least on Sunday there was the car jack 'thing' still to do.  This is when the remains of the grapes are formed into a round that they call a 'cheese.'  

A rope is then wrapped around it to help hold its form - which is vital because it is about to have the last dregs of life crushed out of it.  A board is placed over the cheese, held in place by the upright arms.  Then an exact amount of blocks of wood are piled on top until they reach the car jack.  Wind it up and literally watch it go.  The last drops of grape juice that is.

 After which it is time for lunch.  I comment that perhaps we won't stay for lunch on this occasion, after all we had hardly helped at all, it is mainly a family gathering ... and lunch time in anybody's book, is hours away.  'Good grief!  Am I mad!'  It's lunch then, just fish and potatoes, I am assured. 
In fact, it is a three course affair - chick pea soup, a choice of mains - salted fish, rabbit casserole and some other unidentified casserole - various whole goat cheeses, bbq'd potatoes, gofio, mojo sauce and a choice of desserts.  Plus wine of course.  
Well ..........

Figs galore

It's fig season.
I can't say that I had a lot to do with figs before I came to La Palma, except maybe when I might buy some dried figs from the supermarket at Christmas.  So no, I can't say that fresh figs had a starring role in my life before - but now, wow, I love them!

And that's a good thing because we have 32 fig trees on our west facing terraces. The terraces, seven of them, are all quite narrow due to the steepness of the land and it's good to have these trees growing with their network of fine roots holding the soil together.  The leaves have nearly all fallen off now we are approaching autumn but many of the trees still have plenty of fruit on.

Some of the figs are a bright green colour and others a deep purple, a mix on the same tree.  At first, we collected them and took them to the wholesaler about 40 minutes drive away.  He picked through them and informed us that only about half were any good - some were not ripe enough and they don't ripen once taken from the tree, and others were too ripe, so in fact there are only a couple of days difference.  Quite a delicate operation. 

We did return again with another batch and did much better with around eighty percent being accepted but after that we decided to dry them and then eat them. 

Nowadays, we eat them fresh from the tree while they are still warm from the sun.  Or we put them in the fridge so make a refreshing snack.  Of course, there are plenty for our friends and guests.

And then, there are our other friends, the chickens who are very partial to a fig and in fact their run incorporates a fig tree, although it never has any figs on it and its main benefit for them is the shade and for perching on. 

Canarian Proverb: Never fall asleep under the fig tree.  (Don't tell the chickens)

  

The micro

One of the things that I love most about Los Machines in Franceses is the width of the street because it is definitely of the single track variety.  If you time it right, you will spot the bus squeezing through.  The locals don't call it the 'bus' though, nor the 'guagua' but the 'micro.'  Of course, it was all built long before cars - and heaven forbid, buses - were even considered as a mode of transport in the north.  If a couple of fully-laden donkeys could pass each other, then there was enough room.

But the bus service here is surprisingly good with a two-hourly service throughout the day beginning at 6 am and finishing at 8.30 pm (weekdays).  This is vastly improved from the previous service of only three buses a day.   Nowadays, we use the bus service quite frequently to either take us to a start point for a walk or to take us back to the car or home.  

And whilst there are bus stops across the north, the micro will happily stop for you anywhere providing that you are standing in a place safe for it to stop and that he sees you.  Make sure you raise your hand and, if in doubt, jump up and down too!

Smuggler's Cove

A couple of weeks ago, whilst overlooking the spectacular Barranco Fagundo from the mirador/restaurant at El Tablado, we noticed that the beach at the mouth of the ravine was sand-covered and looking rather delicious.  Naturally, our curiosity was aroused as this is one beach we have never been to.  Yes, Smugglers' Cove as once frequented by pirates.  So, yesterday, after a one hour walk down the side of the ravine, we arrived at the rocky bottom and set off to explore down towards the sea.

We weren't quite sure how long it would take to arrive at the sea because the bed of the ravine was full of little curves and so it was not possible to see to the end until we were almost there.  However, after ten minutes of picking our way over the rocks, we reached sea level (almost) and were overlooking the little cove.  It was very easy to imagine how pirates could quickly hide themselves in here.

But there was just one problem - a ten metre vertical drop off between us and the beach.  Undaunted, some of the more adventurous in our group of two people were quickly finding a way to get further down.  By edging along a narrow, rough, sloping precipice in a crouching position whilst clinging on tightly with fingertips ....

... a rather random selection of long pieces of driftwood could be reached.  This, I was informed, was a ladder, by means of which we could reach the sea.  

Suffice to say, I was not impressed.  And further still, not one bit convinced that it was important we both had to meet the beach personally.  After all, we've got a perfectly good beach just a twelve minute drive from our house!  So that was decided - I had no intention of attempting this obstacle - I would safely stay at my lofty viewpoint and watch David swim. 

After a good deal of encouragement, persuasion and cajolement, I was down. But why, why is it, when the last thing you want to do is to fall of the edge, you can't help but look down!!  It was in fact easy enough, but if you dislike heights (like me) or have a tendency to trip over almost nothing (like me) or have an over-heightened sense of self-preservation (like me), I don't recommend it one bit.  And there are plenty of other beaches on La Palma of the variety that you just walk onto.

But at least it was a lovely beach - although if I ever go there again (which I doubt), I shall definitely take a tip from the pirates and keep a handy hook up my sleeve.

La Mata

La Mata is home to one of our great little local restaurants, a twenty-minute drive from the finca here in Franceses.  It lies just off the main road between Roque Faro and La Zarza.

When we first came here, it was a mouldy old building with an interesting green/blue mottling effect of damp creeping up the walls.  Nobody seemed to mind - or notice.  Then it closed for a while, re-opened under new management and eventually was transformed into what it is today - a jolly nice place!
One of its special attractions is the fact that meat is cooked over wood, just like it was in the old days.  If you have tried to bbq food using wood rather than charcoal, then you will realise that it is quite an art, especially in a restaurant where they don't know if and when orders will come in. But in fact, you will find that quite a few restaurants on La Palma cook in this traditional way, especially in the north, and this is still the way our farming neighbours cook their meals as routine.
The other thing about the restaurant at La Mata is that it also has a stunning view, although I have to admit that an amazing view surrounds you almost everywhere along this stretch of road.

From the outside, La Mata may not inspire you to delve inside in search of a good meal but appearances can be deceptive.  Walking through the narrow bar, past the usual selection of wine drinking, cigar smoking farmers, you will arrive at the small inner restaurant.  A door will take you through into the outer restaurant where, given some luck, you can dine in dappled sunlight.

For those that wish, there is also the garden outside where you can enjoy a drink or a meal.  And there are some nice touches here and there.

For those who would like to explore and take a small stroll past the restaurant of La Mata, you may spot something you didn't quite expect.  Surprises, I have come to learn, are the norm in La Palma so would it be a pig farm, or chickens maybe in this most simple and rural of areas.  No - ostriches! Well, why not, nobody said there weren't ostriches on La Palma!

Carrying on just a little from here, apart from a long low house which looks abandoned but isn't and a building project you will come to another slight surprise in the form of a road sign.  Now why on earth would there be an official looking sign on a dirt track?  Well, that's because this used to be the main road, the 'Carretera General.'

Sometimes we bring guests in the Land Rover along this section of  'road' just to demonstrate what it used to be like.  (Don't try this in a hire car, they are not insured for off-road driving).  Pre-1960's, there were no asphalt roads up here, just tracks and donkey paths so this makes us feel very grateful for the excellent, and improving, roads we now have.
But of course tracks like the old Carretera General are our favourites - providing there is not rush  ...

Revving up

On Saturday, whilst in Barlovento, we happened to stumble across a gathering hosted by the Association of Motorbike Riders, La Palma.  This was a slight surprise as generally you don't see many motorbikes on the island and certainly not in big gatherings.  However, judging by the bikes there, they had certainly managed to amass a good deal of support, not just from La Palma, but also from the other islands, notably Gran Canaria.  So ... given that David and I used to have motorbikes, we both had more than a passing interest in them.  

What first got the camera out was a bright orange Honda GoldWing with a flat six-cylinder engine of 1,832 cc.  I guess that would do most people - with a spare 25,000 euros.  Well, I suppose the computer controlled rear suspension, cruise control, slow speed reverse and airbag might cushion the blow.  But really - heated seats and handlebars!

The classic Triumph 900 was a little more reminiscent of our day when the heating source came from four extra jumpers and as many pairs of socks as you could get on.   But come to think of it, on La Palma, we are more used to seeing motorbike riders in T-shirt, shorts and flip flops than cold weather gear and leathers.

If the classics and superbikes created interest (in the form of lustful looks and  unseemly drooling) there was one bike, the 'SALVAJE' (meaning, wild) that hit upon a difference.  The reaction was all smiles.

But try as I might, I couldn't find a representation of my old bike there.  Ah yes, my trusty Suzuki A100 with a top speed of 60 mph ... think I'd rather have the Salvaje actually.