British Summer time begins in La Palma

Goodbye winter, Hello summer.  And as if to order our very late snowfall is melting on the mountains.  Most winters there is snow up at Roque de Muchachos, the top of the island at 2426m above sea level, but this year it came as low as 1000m which was especially amazing as it was near the end of March.  We can actually see the ridge of the Caldera right from the finca and the photo below was taken from our car park area today, looking inland.

 This photo was taken from the same place a couple of days ago on zoom and you can still see the snow.  Brrr, a bit chilly up there I think!   

We have never been 'treated' to snow here as the finca is much lower down at 500m above sea level and so whilst it is still a little snowy at the top, we are basking in glorious sunshine and surrounded by spring flowers.

 I'm starting to think I like this British Summer time ...

Flying the flag for la Palma marina

I should be writing about the snow in the Canary Islands earlier in the week It probably warrants a few words at least as it was very late in the season, incredibly low down and a surprise for not only us but also for the guests and most Palmerans as well. The finca here in the north didn't actually get any snow at all – we are too near to sea level - but as we drove south towards the capital, we were gasping at snowy sights we have never seen.
But I'm not writing about that because we were heading to Santa Cruz de la Palma for a spot of shopping and it was a case of beautiful weather with blue skies and glorious sunshine. Very much business as usual!
And as it happens, we were with relatives so in addition to giving them an in-depth tour of a supermarket, we decided to include the Marina in our travels.

 

This was only our second visit to the marina ourselves since last year when we discovered, quite by accident, that it was open. From the outside, the city side, it looks nothing more than the type of building you would expect to find in any boring port.  Ah, but this isn't the commercial harbour we are talking about, this is the fun side of it, the sports harbour.

Enter then if you will just by the roundabout near the main post office and you are drawn through the entrance of the marina, emerging to a row of chic shops, bars and restaurants complete with an upper deck and a super-swish restaurant.  In front of you gleaming white boats sway gently at their moorings - cabin cruisers, catamaran, fast fishing vessels, Blue Water cruisers and in the distance maybe one of the many cruise liners that visit the island or the Fred Olsen fast ferry.
In the north, we are used to simple things. Restaurants where they cook meat over burning wood.  Goats trotting along a country road.  Pine trees reaching up to the skies.  But the Marina of Santa Cruz is a vision of modernity at its best. And so well worth a visit. 

The Indians are coming to town

Call it crazy and you won't be far wrong.  The Indians are coming to town.  OK so to be more precise, it's the Indianos and it is more a case of 'going to town.'
It is all about the fiesta of the Indianos you see which has its main day on Monday, 7th March.  It is a rather clever portrayal of people returning to La Palma having earned 'a fortune' in Cuba.  Really - how else could you pursuade a significant percentage of the population to dress up in white - white shirt, white trousers, or pretty white dresses and white parasols, depending on your pursuasion.  And if there was any doubt about the white which is intended to represent wealth, there is plenty of talcum powder being thrown about.  And I am talking about kilos, be in no doubt about that!  Oh, and the ocassional  travel bag stuffed with monopoly money just to emphasise the point.

So if you are on La Palma already, it could be worth you heading for Santa Cruz to see what the fun is all about.  Just follow the music (there are street bands on most corners and a marching band plays as they parade through the town), the supermarket trolleys stuffed full with 'ron y cola' (rum and coke) which act as mobile bars and the cloud of talc.  Alternatively, if you are due at the airport on Monday, you can expect to be shunted off onto the Santa Cruz bypass - unless you make a concerted effort to get in.  I suggest you park up in Los Cancajos and catch the bus though as traffic is not allowed to pass through the centre of town and parking is not going to be a happening thing. I predict fun, fun, fun. 
Here is a link for the Special Indianos Bus Timetable