Reaching for the Stars

If there is one thing about living in the rural north of La Palma that's for certain, when we do visit the capital of Santa Cruz or go to Tazacorte, more often than not we are in a rush! What with shops that close for three of four hours during the afternoon and a long list of accumulated jobs to do and people to see, it's probably no great surprise.
But when we do have extra time available (or make a concerted effort) it makes it all the more special to go somewhere we haven't been to before - or not for a long time at least. And one such place a couple of weeks ago was the Mirador de San Bartolome.

 Now I know that we have been there before so I know that it's a great look out point (Mirador) and being just north of Puntallana at the 15km turn off for La Galga, we've passed close by a zillion times. But it must have been quite a few years ago since we went to the actual mirador and I can't say that I remember anything particularly remarkable about it, except for the great view of course and a statue to do with the legend of Lover's Leap.
Ah yes, I remember now - it was when we were investigating access points for the GR130 Camino Real and the logistics of accommodation along the route. But that aside, I had heard from the owner of a house in La Galga that it was a great place for observing the stars.  This we had to check out!

 As it turns out, we were in for more of a surprise than we had expected - not only is the Mirador way better than I was expecting (or remembered) but we were thrilled to see that even in the daytime there was lots of astronomy going on! First of all though, a little about Lover's Leap.
As the legend has it, a young farming boy was in love with a fair maiden but sadly, she didn't love him back. It can happen.
So, all being fair in love and war, she decided to set him an almost impossible task - that he should leap over the gorge three times. As he was so totally in love, he readily agreed to the challenge and with the aid of his lanza, the long pole used to leap down the steep barrancos, he completed the jump three times.
'There,' he cried, 'you are mine!' And with that he stepped back and fell to his death.

It's a bitter sweet story and very fitting that there should be a statue in its memory. However, if you are not into legends or great views, the mirador is well worth a visit for the astronomy aspect alone.
For example, do you know how many kilometres it is to Polaris? You can find out at the Mirador - and the direction too - but even when you know what direction it's in, the distance is just impossible to even begin to get your head around.

Or perhaps something that you might find immediately useful is the 'dial the stars' - a really great idea where you can set the disk to the month you are in and find out the relative position of the stars.

And with several information boards too, you may well find out something about astronomy that you didn't know before. But talking of which, I am thrilled that there is now a book available on the Observatories at Roque de Muchachos, A Breathtaking Window on the Universe, and in fact I have just received my copy.
It is written by Sheila Crosby who not only is a funny and inventive author with a decidedly different take on writing but when it comes to astronomy and the observatory on La Palma, she knows what she's talking about - after all she worked there as an engineer for 12 years and for the past three works as a specialist 'Star Guide.'
If like me you are not a great whizz at astronomy or even if you are - you'll find it incredibly informative but still a fun read - and that's not an easy act!!
You can order it here and quite frankly, you'd be crazy not to get a copy.

Hidden treasures of Puntallana

Puntallana is one of those funny villages that you drive by and think there is nothing there.  Part of the reason for this is that you do just that - drive by - and since the bypass is a wide, clear road bordered only by suitably boring-looking buildings, there seems little reason to make a detour into the village itself.

Lucky old Puntallana!  The result is that it doesn't have to suffer a steady stream of traffic as cars make their way between the capital and the north of La Palma and can pretty much get on with life on its own, which includes keeping its treasures to itself.

However, you really don't have to go very far into Puntallana before you start to realise that perhaps there is more to discover than initially meets the eye.  In fact one of the most impressive buildings that you will come across is the church of St. John the Baptist, built in the 16th Century and which has been declared a cultural monument. It is well worth taking a moment to stroll inside.

A little below the church lies the spring, or rather the Fountain of Saint John.  It is a peaceful corner, reached by a little cobbled road and each year as part of the fiesta of Puntallana, the holy patron is carried to it in gratitude for the precious water.

Another treasure of Puntallana is Casa Luján, a large colonial style house which dates back to the 17th/18th century and now houses a museum and handicraft centre. 

At the other end of the spectrum and located down a narrow lane off a slightly less narrow lane, you come across 'La Fuentiña,' which are a series of stone basins. This was the original washing place where villagers would come and use the facilities to do their laundry.
Puntallana is also the gateway to the beach of Playa Nogales and the GR130 Camino Real walking around La Palma passes through. Nearby there is more walking at La Galga and Los Tilos and the historic capital of Santa Cruz de La Palma just 10km away.

Of course no self-respecting village would be without a bar and Puntallana does not disappoint with approximately four bars which include two stalwart bars almost always open and several others depending on the time of day and fiesta schedule.

Well worth a visit and if you would like to spend a little longer there, we can certainly recommend a beautiful and traditional holiday house to rent. Then you too can enjoy the hidden treasures of Puntallana.