La Gomera's mountains claim more victims

It was a busy and dangerous evening for the rescue helicopter from neighbouring El Hierro island yesterday. First it was called out to Valle Gran Rey to attend to a woman who was descending from the mountains near the chapel of Los Reyes in El Guro fell and suffered a leg fracture. The area where the victim was situated proved to be extremely dangerous for the helicopter to approach and the very gusty winds plus some fog and drizzle created additional hazards. After several attempts the chopper finally managed to set down rescuers nearby who got the victim into a position from where she could be winched up on a stretcher. She was then flown to the island's hospital in San Sebastian de La Gomera. There the helicopter was needed once again as a local man had fallen into a steep ravine nearby and died. With the help of the chopper it was hoped to recover the body, but owing to the extremely difficult terrain and the approaching dark this mission had to be aborted. This morning the man's remains were still there and recovery efforts continue.

Images showing attempts to approach the victim behind this ridge of mountain in Valle Gran Rey yesterday

Coast road being eroded further by waves

Council finishing the clean-up yesterday. Note the rough state of beach

The big waves over the past few days that forced the temporary closure of the coast road between La Puntilla and La Playa in Valle Gran Rey at one stage even endangered the carnival proceedings in the Plaza San Pedro, where crews from the town hall had to clear sand, gravel and other debris that were swept onto the plaza by the waves that had been flooding part of the area at high tide before.

Yesterday's parade and the following party went ahead with only minor disruption by the heavy seas. However the situation regarding the above mentioned road is further deteriorating and the holes in the road are gradually getting larger while the old protective wall is further slipping into the sea and breaking up. This stretch of the road was built many years ago onto the beach across the lowest part of the land where the sea and beach had once been a good bit further inland. Now it seems the waves are claiming back their former territory. Several times in the past the road had been undermined

Collapsing defences yesterday

there, but every time the holes were quickly filled with large boulders and concrete, keeping the defences up. Now due to the wrangling over responsibilities the road was left to itself. The dangerous part was simply fenced off and traffic diverted via a short stretch of the old track inland below the coast road. For many years plans have existed to build a new promenade there plus there are plans for a new main road further up. It would also make sense to build simple breakwaters at both ends of the bay which would protect it, make it safer for swimming and keep the sand and gravel on the beach where it is wanted as an amenity and will protect the coastline.

It is a bit absurd to see the state the coastline is in now, and then turn your head inland to see the large building site in the barranco a few yards away where countless tons of stones and concrete are being used in the channelling of the barranco that no one wanted done, but which will cost in excess of seven million Euros, while just behind you the road has been left to crumble away for nearly a year.

Soon the sea may breach the road completely. Image taken around half tide yesterday.

Steel waste bin wave-beaten to a sculpture

President's candidature rejected by own party

La Gomera's long-serving president has hit the headlines once again. I'll give you the IslandConnections.eu report of Wednesday's surprise news: 

Curbelo election snub likely to lead to new party

La Gomera is at the centre of local politics in the Canaries today following the news that the island's veteran president has been snubbed by his party for the May elections and may well carry out his threat to create his own party to stay in charge 

La Gomera - 19.02.2015 - Despite a string of corruption allegations down the years, including accusations that he has amassed a personal fortune through his political influence, Cabildo president Casimiro Curbelo is a hugely popular figure on the small island, which he has "ruled" since 1991 and represented it in the Spanish Senate  for nearly two decades. Scandals in recent years, particularly his "you don't know who you are dealing with" outburst when he was arrested during a drunken fracas at a Madrid lap-dancing club, have led his PSOE party to distance itself from him of late, including forcing him to resign from the Senate, and the split was confirmed last night when it was announced that he would not be chosen to run again in May. The news has been welcomed in some quarters, who feel Curbelo's time is over and La Gomera can no longer be run on a political favours basis or - in keeping with a PSOE election promise - by someone with charges hanging over him. However, many others have pledged support for the controversial figure and are prepared to back him if he sets up his own party to remain in charge at the Cabildo. A populist Curbelo party is predicted to have serious chances of gaining control of several town halls in La Gomera also.

Coast road closed due to high waves

High waves again affecting the partially collapsed coast road (Image: Archive lagomera1.blogspot.com)

The coast road connecting the districts of La Puntilla and La Playa in Valle Gran Rey has been closed to all traffic this afternoon as a precautionary measure due to the high waves battering coasts in the Canaries. Traffic is being diverted from Hotel Gran Rey and Bar Maria (respectively). The road had been partially undermined and sea defences had collapsed some time ago (see post of April last). No repairs were carried out since, allowing further erosion over the past ten months.

It is hoped that the carnival activities in La Playa tonight and over the coming days can take place on the beach there as planned, but some food and drinks stalls already had to be moved further away from the seas as they were threatened by the waves.
Weather conditions are predicted to improve from tomorrow night, however.

Condition the road was in two weeks ago. It has become worse in present weather situation.

Two ferry sailings cancelled today

The ferry company Naviera Armas has cancelled the scheduled sailings of its ferry Volcan de Taburiente at 11:30am today from San Sebastian de La Gomera to Los Cristianos and the 2pm sailing in the opposite direction. The company has not given any reason but the poor weather conditions with high seas and gale fore winds may have something to do with the decision. The weather station at the Alto de Igualero mountain, La Gomera's second highest peak, registered a wind gust of 112 km/h yesterday lunchtime.

Windy weather

Palm trees under power lines tossed in the wind during yesterday's power outage

The windy weather was strongly felt on La Gomera yesterday. In Valle Gran Rey the electricity went just before 4pm and the outage lasted until it became dark at 7pm. A large area of high pressure in the central Atlantic is bordering low pressure over North Africa and the resulting tighter isobars are causing strong winds and gales at times over the Canary Islands. This weather pattern is set to continue until Saturday and there are warnings of strong north-easterly winds, at times veering northerly, occasionally reaching gale force with gusts of 70 km/h. There's another warning of 3-4m seas, especially on exposed coasts.

Overall nothing dramatic or unusual for this time of the year, but always bear in mind that the steep mountainsides and ravines of La Gomera often exacerbate the situation, creating additional local turbulance. Sometimes under the shelter of a mountain there's only a breeze felt of the wind and a few dozen yards further on it can blow a brutal gale at the same time.

Carnival continues

While the carnival (see previous post) in La Gomera's capital is coming to an end, it is only starting in Valle Gran Rey tomorrow and yesterday it began in Vallehermoso. 

This photo of the main stage in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria I took on Saturday Feb. 7th 2015

Another great lazy Sunday afternoon...

...at the bus station bar yesterday. Lots of musicians, singers, locals and visitors came and went. An Irish whistle player made my day by giving me his version of 'Tom Billie's' directly into the left ear over a cup of coffee. There was even a mad Irishman with a Spanish pirate's hat playing a banana-shaped shaker! The anchorman once again was Dave (see photo) who's sadly leaving La Gomera soon, but with the promise to stay a bit longer on his next visit...

Praying for an uneventful Friday 13th ?

This child seems to be praying for something anyway in this mural that has appeared recently on the door of an ugly transformer shed in La Calera, Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera. the artwork appears to be by the same artist as the on I spotted in Vueltas and posted here a few days ago.

Inner harbour improvements

Re-plasering of the quay

While work on the pedestrianisation of the harbour town of Vueltas  in Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera is continuing, the inner harbour is also being tidied up and some improvements  have already been finished. The slipway has been resurfaced and a separation wall to the harbour beach was installed, while widening and tidying that corner of the sandy beach. New railings have been installed above the slipway and also at the steps leading down into the water. Now they're re-plastering all of the front of the old quay, which had become very rough in recent years. New moorings for the fishing boats have also been laid underwater.

Controversial project nearing completion

The central section around the bridge

A new road will branch off at the roundabout

The building project of channeling the last mile or so of the barranco, the mostly dry river bed, in Valle Gran Rey is now finally nearing completion. The work began a few years ago amid massive protests and many changes were made to the original plans. Then more than a year ago work stopped completely and the large building site was fenced off and left unfinished. Lately the diggers and trucks have come back and it is hoped that the dust will eventually settle, leaving the lower barranco as a concrete and stone channel with associated site works such as car parking, a new road and some green areas. Curiously some of the previously carried out work has been pulled down again, e.g. lines of kerbstones and a stretch of the concrete channel near the sea. Another change of the plans ?

A work of warning: Do not enter the channel itself at its end as there is absolutely no way out anywhere further up.

Image taken from the bridge

One of several gabion walls further up the river bed intended to slow down flash floods. This one had become a difficult obstacle for walkers following the barranco path, but as can be seen an elevated new path is now provided across it 

No Valle Luna festival but there is live music again

Keep an eye
out for posters!

Mainly due to the lack of support by the local administration and due to the many ludicrous regulations being enforced to the last letter, there's no Valle Luna festival this year. The popular event drew large crowds and many international entertainers in recent years, but sadly could not be repeated this year. 

However many musicians and visitors came all the same and there are plenty of low-key events taking place in several venues, as well as spontaneous street performances scattered throughout the lower parts of Valle Gran Rey.

 The recently taken images posted here show just a few of them.

 Regular visitors: Gomera Street Band in action (above)

El Solbo demonstration

A young skater on a wall...

...of the transformer station in the harbour of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera has appeared hovering there just recently:

Lunchtime ska on Sunday

Popular ska band SKAZZ from Ireland will be playing again on the terrace of the bar in the bus station in Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera tomorrow Sunday Feb.8th 2015 from about 12 noon. It is a free event, but please throw some cash into the hat. If last Sunday is anything to go by (see image below) this will be a fantastic gig, and rumour has it that once again this will be followed by a session with lots of different musicians until sunset. 

Moon over mountain

The moon rising over Teguerguenche mountain seen from Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera recently. 

Comedy event in Valle Gran Rey this Saturday

Work in harbour village making good progress

After the usual controversies and objections when work began in November last, the work on first phase of the re-development of the centre of Vueltas is making good progress. It is a tough time for the shops, bars and restaurants in the area with traffic disruption, some noise and lots of dust as unwelcome visitors, but once finished the area will be much more attractive and once again the focal point of Valle Gran Rey (see plans). Traffic into the village itself is currently being diverted towards the beautiful harbour beach, then up to the left at the beach and down left again along a narrow street into the village. But it is much more comfortable to park the car in the harbour and walk the few steps into the centre - it may look closed-off but there is pedestrian access to all areas at any time during construction. Below some recent images of the work being carried out:

This short stretch of road will never reopen but will very soon be a pleasant plaza
with some trees and benches and room for outdoor tables of the cafes/restaurants

On Raglan Road under palm trees

A short video of a session in Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera last Sunday. More about the current live music situation soon.