The small town of Santo Domingo lies in the far north west of La Palma and is the capital town of the municipality of Garafia. It is a very quiet town, what you might call a back-water, but a peek behind the main street will reveal the intriguing old quarter with cobbled streets and an abundance of historic houses and quaint cottages.
In the interests of brevity I call it a museum although there are no artifacts such as ancient handtools or pottery - best go to the museum in Santa Cruz de La Palma for that as they have amazing displays which fill vast rooms. No, the Ethnographic Centre is a pictorial display of how people lived on La Palma - and not so very long ago.
The photographs are mounted on large fibre boards with the result that you are face to face with the indigenous people of La Palma, their lifestyle, hardships and culture.
How about this for a thatched cottage? After all, Garafia was known as the threshing floor of La Palma so straw was a commodity not just for animal fodder and grains but also as a building material. Pretty useful when roofing tiles were the reserve of the rich.
And as for the traditional dress, these days we only see it worn at fiestas and special celebrations. It's lovely to see both from the old days and the new!
Probably the only place you will see oxen in harness is at the annual San Antonio de Garafia show which is held around the 12th June every year. It's a hugely popular event and if you are on the island, it is well worth a visit.
And what about this bus that operated between Barlovento and Santo Domingo? It is what my grandmother would have called a 'Charabanc' or carriage with benches. Apparently, the three tunnels just north of Barlovento were dug out just big enough to accommodate this bus. There must have been great whooping and cheering from both those who dug the tunnels and those who could travel between the two towns by public transport for the first time.
I presume it must have been somewhat uncomfortable and rather slow - but even so, much quicker than shanks' pony (on foot). Whether or not the passengers would appreciate the beautiful scenery - history does not relate but it certainly makes us appreciate the modern bus that passes along our village road here in Franceses every two hours!
Opening hours of the centre are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11.00 to 14.00 and Tuesdays 15.00 to 18.00 hrs.
It is absolutely free, there are plenty of brochures to help you on your way to discover what La Palma has to offer and the assistant who works there is super-helpful.
Enjoy!
However, it is in the main street of the town that you will find the 'Centro de Interpretación Etnográfico de Garafía.'
The photographs are mounted on large fibre boards with the result that you are face to face with the indigenous people of La Palma, their lifestyle, hardships and culture.
And as for the traditional dress, these days we only see it worn at fiestas and special celebrations. It's lovely to see both from the old days and the new!
I presume it must have been somewhat uncomfortable and rather slow - but even so, much quicker than shanks' pony (on foot). Whether or not the passengers would appreciate the beautiful scenery - history does not relate but it certainly makes us appreciate the modern bus that passes along our village road here in Franceses every two hours!
Opening hours of the centre are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11.00 to 14.00 and Tuesdays 15.00 to 18.00 hrs.
It is absolutely free, there are plenty of brochures to help you on your way to discover what La Palma has to offer and the assistant who works there is super-helpful.
Enjoy!
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