Bear's Wild Weekend La Palma

Here we are on La Palma and it seems that we are not alone.  No, we have been joined by one Jonathan Ross.  OK, so I can't claim that he is exactly staying at our bed and breakfast or one of the holiday cottages .... and nor, to be honest, has he even called in for a cup of tea even though we do have a small stash of the finest tea blended in Yorkshire.
He has however been sampling the delights of La Palma.  I knew it!  After all, it was only a matter of time before even Jonathan Ross realised what a great island La Palma is and not only that but Bear Grylls and his scouting knife get to come along too.
You can watch what he got up to on the island on 'Bear's Wild Weekend with Jonathon Ross.'
Here's what Channel 4 had to say about the show:

Bear Grylls helps Jonathan Ross to discover his inner Tarzan on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to the magnificent rainforests on the volcanic island of La Palma, one of the least-known of the Canaries.
Bear challenges novice Jonathan with a series of exhilarating adventures during an intense two-day trip, including trekking through dense jungle with machetes, SAS-style fast-roping from a helicopter, a walk down an active volcano and sleeping in a cave in a steep cliff face.
Bear and Jonathan have to fend for themselves, including preparing wild animals for food.

And you can watch it by following this link: Jonathan Ross and Bear Grylls on La Palma, Canary Islands
Enjoy!

New Year in La Palma

It's almost bewitching hour!  The year with all its ups and downs is almost at a close and very soon we shall have a bright and shining star in the form of a new year.  I wonder what it will bring?  Hopefully a holiday on La Palma!
It's always a good time though to reflect on what the past year has brought and we feel that we have been incredibly lucky to be living in such a beautiful place as La Palma and on a finca where the views - even for La Palma - are simply outstanding.  Even today, I was taken by surprise as I came up from the barranco and the house came into the sight.  The whole house looked like it was floating on the sea!  But luckily it wasn't.
We also feel incredibly lucky to have had so many wonderful guests from so many countries which include those from far, far away from La Palma such as from America, Scandanavia and Latvia.  And of course visitors come to La Palma for all sorts of different reasons - those who come for a love of walking amid nature and tranquility or those who take up the challenge of walking the GR130 right around the island.  Or guests who are amateur astronomers and even bring their own telescopes ... or to paint or finish that final draft of their book.  And those who want to relax and recharge their green batteries.
Whatever the reason, we are so pleased that people choose La Palma as their holiday destination.

And so we would like to say a huge 'thank you' to all our guests from the past year and also to look forward to welcoming new and returning guests.  Thank you!  And we wish you a wonderful New Year in 2012.
Ann and David.

The good old days in Garafia

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.

However, it is in the main street of the town that you will find the 'Centro de Interpretación Etnográfico de Garafía.'

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!

Keeping your hat on

La Fajana (pronounced Fahana) is rather a popular name here on La Palma and if you study the map you will doubtless notice several La Fajanas laid about.  In fact, we have two near us – La Fajana de Garafia which is the little port village and beach just below the finca in Franceses and La Fajana de Barlovento which is located by the sea between the towns of Los Sauces and Barlovento. 

So whilst they might share the same name, they are certainly different places with La Fajana de Garafia being our favourite spot for beach-combing, picnics, a walk and a swim or snorkel when the sea is calm and La Fajana de Barlovento our favourite for swimming, snorkeling or even just stopping off for a coffee or light lunch. 

So what can you expect to find there?  Well, the main attraction is the sea pools.  There are various sets of well-made steps that lead down from the car park to the pools and from there you have your choice – a shallow pool complete with handrails which is great for children and those not keen on getting out of their depth, a second pool which is a little deeper and at the side has an intermittent waterfall you can walk under and a third, large pool which is around 3.5m deep in places and also has an intermittent waterfall you can swim under and get a back massage at the same time.  All three pools are beautifully clear and teeming, yes teeming, with multi-coloured fish and whilst we have been SCUBA diving in the pools, you can enjoy seeing the fish by snorkeling too.

The facilities are excellent too and arguably the best on the island.  The toilet and changing block is completely free and every time we have visited, and that is often, they have been impeccably clean.  Outside there are a couple of showers which operate with a 50c coin. 

There is also a very small swimming pool for the disabled or elderly with a seat lift, although I can’t promise that the seat always functions (or there is water in the pool).  And as yet, there is no wheelchair access down to the pools.

But once down the steps to the pools, there are lots of flat spaces where you can lay out in the sun. Picnics are not allowed at all but a little further along from the swimming and sunbathing terraces, there are two bar/restaurants.  

Confident swimmers might also like to take the opportunity to swim in the sea during the summer months when a ladder is provided for access.  Always use careful judgement though as the sea can be rough at times and be aware that there is no life guard.   If you do decide to go in the sea, it’s a different experience altogether and the underwater topography is absolutely outstanding - and beautiful!

Conditions permitting then, there is  no excuse not to strip off and leap in - although of course you can always keep your hat on.