Reggae & Dub night on La Gomera

As part of the Fiestas Lustrales there will be a Reggae, Roots and Dub night in San Sebastian de La Gomera this Saturday, Sept. 21st 2013. The event is free of charge, begins at 11pm on the main square (Plaza de las Americas) close to the beach and hosts  two bands from Tenerife: Eclipse Reggae and Pachumba. Below two videos to give you a taste:

Frog on Tap

While on a walk in a remote area of La Gomera recently we wanted to drink from one of the many springs and wells you find scattered all over the island. This one even has  a tap at the ideal height provided  for your convenience. Hand stretched out to press the tap and the other already cupped to receive the water, there was an outcry: ''Oh, how sweet''. It wasn't the water, as I'd expected that caused this shout, but a baby tree frog stoically 'defending' his throne. Needless to say that we didn't drink there, but a bit further on there was cold clean water trickling down a rock face for our refreshment.

Baby tree frog on tap

Road closure due to fiesta

The road which connects the south-west and west of La Gomera with the airport will be temporarily closed today until 3pm from the chapel 'Nuestra Señora de El Paso' to the town of Alajero. The same stretch of road will be closed again tomorrow, Sunday Sept. 15th, from 5pm to 8pm. To reach the airport or the town of Santiago during the closure motorists should allow plenty of extra time for a long detour via the main road in the national park and Degollada de Peraza. The temporary closures are due to the processions during the fiesta in honour of the above mentioned virgin in the parish of Alajero. This is one of the larger celebrations on La Gomera with the usual mix of processions, sports and entertainment  which draws big crowds every  September. 
The weather on La Gomera is back to normal with mostly blue skies, light winds, and at 11am it was 25ºC. Perfect fiesta conditions !

Ermita Nuestra Señora de El Paso, Alajero, La Gomera

Hurricane Humberto influences weather in Canaries. Updated below

I'm not superstitious but today is Friday the 13th in the year '13 and the first hurricane of the season (named Humberto) is not moving west and then north over the western Atlantic, as tropical storms should do, but this tropical storm system is moving north in the eastern Atlantic after having formed near the Cape Verde Islands and this results  in our  weather being adversely affected today with some welcome rain.

lt is important to stress that hurricane Humberto will NOT hit the Canary Islands, but the mass of warm and moist air that the storm system is pushing towards the Canary Islands could produce some heavier spells of rain here today, while winds should remain mostly light to moderate, with a few stronger gusts only on the higher mountains.
It must also be said that the whole scenario might develop differently and the Canaries might not even get the desired rain, as the jury of meteorologists is still out discussing the unusual and difficult case.

The situation:

The Canary Islands are coming under the influence of an area of warm moist air from hurricane Humbert, located about 700 miles to the SW of the islands with sustained wind speeds of about 85 mp/h near the centre (984 hPa) and stronger gusts. The likely interaction of the advancing air mass with upper level low pressure to the north of and close to the Canary Islands could cause instability today, Friday. The entire archipelago is affected, but especially mountainous areas in general and central and southern zones of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. 

Warning in effect until midnight tonight: WARNING CANCELLED

Probability of persistent heavy rainfall which may be accompanied by thunderstorms. Precipitation could accumulate up to 30mm in 6 hours with central and southern areas of the islands at a slightly higher risk. Hiking in mountainous terrain as well as in narrow valleys and ravines is dangerous due to the possibility of flash floods and rockfalls, etc.

Outlook: 

Hurricane Humberto is expected to weaken later today while tracking more westerly away from the Canary Islands leading to an improvement in the weather. However, the upper low just north of the Canaries is likely to remain and the risk of well scattered light showers will persist over the weekend. Sunny periods and continuing warm temperatures in the mid-20s (ºC) are also expected.

Sat. image with enhanced water vapour at 6pm last night...

UPDATE 10am: 
Humberto is starting to weaken and tracking more north-westerly, but still feeding moist air towards the Canaries. Humberto is expected to be downgraded to a topical storm later today.
Personally I don't think that we'll get much out of Humberto in the Canaries today.

...and at 6am this morning. Now Humberto appears less organised and starting to move away to NW.

UPDATE 4pm:

News just in: Humberto has been downgraded to a tropical storm and lost its hurricane status and characteristics with max. sustained winds now 65 mp/h (100 km/h), tracking WNW (300º) now. All as expected and forecast except that a band of heavy showers was lying just a few miles south of the Canary Islands all day up to now without ever coming in over the archipelago. Very frustrating. I can see it from my window and it is as if someone was keeping it away and in an orderly straight line with a ruler (see rain radar image). A possible explanation is that a layer of dry air is persisting over us which is holding the ruler, but I'm not giving up just yet.

FINAL UPDATE 11pm:
Humberto continues to weaken while moving away from the Canaries without having left any rain worth mentioning here. So close and yet so far! Anyway, some of Humberto's moist air has fed into the minor low north/north-east of us and this low in turn might send some showers down to us with the trades over the next few days. I'll end this post with a cartoon that was circulating on the web tonight. On the 'No Entry' sign it says: ''Area reserved for trade winds'' ...

Mother of all fiestas on La Gomera

Programme

After countless fiestas over the summer and one major celebration (Alajero) ongoing, now is the time for the 'big one' to begin. This is the Fiestas Lustrales, when the island saint Virgen de Guadalupe is going on a procession to every community on the island. This event happenes only once every five years and is called a 'bajada'. There are numerous religious, sports, cultural and popular events taking place to mark the occasion. The programme is stretched over a period of three months (!), starting tomorrow and finishin on December 14th when the Virgen de Guadalupe returns home to the peace and quiet of her little chapel by the sea at a remote beach north of the capital. Some events will even be shown on TV and thousands are expected to travel here to attend. In the island's capital San Sebastian de la Gomera it will be difficult to find accommodation for the main events. Due to the financial crisis this year's programme is not quite as ambitious as that of the last Fiestas Lustrales in 2008. That time even international top acts like Alpha Blondie

Alpha Blondie, La Gomera '08

were seen on La Gomera between gigs in New York and Paris. However this year's programme will see another good reggae night with two bands, several folklore music events, classical, rock and pop, world music and the ubiquitous salsa music nights. All that is framed by art events, exhibitions, fairs, sports events, etc.,etc, and topped up with a massive fireworks display. 
...and I forgot to mention that another fiesta runs for 10 days from Sat., Sept.14th 2013, in Agulo. You just can't keep up with all of them...

Why September 11th will never be forgotten on La Gomera

The whole world now remembers 9/11, but on La Gomera the date has an added very sad dimension since the year 1984. On that day 29 years ago twenty people died in a forest fire near Roque Agando, a landmark rock formation in La Gomera's mountains above the village of La Laja where a forest fire had broken out. The spot is on an exposed ridge and the victims were trapped there when the wind suddenly changed direction enclosing them in fire and intense heat. Among the victims were locals and some people from Tenerife, including a former mayor of Puerto de la Cruz. The tragedy is one of the worst fire-related disasters in all of Spain ever and a sad-looking rusty steel monument near the spot lists all 20 names of the victims. The area around Roque Agando which stands at the eastern end of the national park was ablaze again in last year's devastating fires, but thankfully there were no casualties in 2012.

Roque Agando, the huge remnant core of a long eroded volcano, near where the tragedy occurred

Ron Howard starts shooting 'In the Heart of the Sea'

 

''Some Heart of the Sea cast gather before 1st shot of the movie''  

''...Heart of Sea day one. When it rains....''

'Another key supporting character alert and ready for day one'

 Ron Howard keeps the world up to date and he tweeted these images and comments from the first day of shooting 'In the Heart of the Sea' in London. They're all aboard the 'Essex' in London (well, that's Nantucket now), but the ship isn't afloat  yet. Filming on La Gomera is expected to start in November. Ron's a busy man indeed and he just  attended the premiere of his latest release, the F1 movie 'Rush', received well by crowds and critics.
+Updates:Progress on La Gomera film set for Ron Howard 

++ 'Essex' arrived here

La Gomera's Wines

Documented history relating to viti-/viniculture on La Gomera dates back to the 14th century, when, it is believed, the earliest vines were introduced to the island with the arrival of the first Europeans. In the 17th century, due to the collapse of the sugarcane trade,  vine growing and wine export became an important factor of the island’s economy, especially in the north. Towards the end of the 20th century, and thanks to the boost given by the La Gomera Viticulturists and Winemakers Association (Gomervin), the island’s wines finally achieved recognition, first as Vino de la Tierra, and some years later in December 2003, under DO status.

DO (Denominacion de Origen) La Gomera is made up of thirteen bodegas which boast a total vineyard surface-area of 120 hectares. Most of the vineyards are located in the island regions known locally as the ‘medianías altas’: Las Hayas, Arure, El Cercado, Igualero, Los Aceviños, Alajeró, Las Hayas, and the ‘medianías bajas’, Las Rosas, Tamargada and Hermigua. All these areas  make the region’s traditional and characteristic first-rate white wines. Famous for its rugged scenery, deep ravines and sheer cliffs, the appellation’s vines grow in exceptional conditions, planted on small terraces reclaimed from the island’s steep volcanic slopes which give rise to the unique landscape that is one of the island’s main attractions.

White wines:

With the Spanish conquest of La Gomera a Mediterranean grape variety, which had already been cultivated by the Romans, arrived on the island. While it became almost extinct in its places of origin over the centuries, it was further cultivated on La Gomera to become the 'Forastera Gomera' variety. It has a relatively low yield with small grapes and is grown very low near the volcanic ground. Recent DNA analysis has revealed the variety's uniqueness. Its potential was recognized only about a decade ago and now modern techniques and the latest know-how are used to produce quality dry whites with a distinct flavour.

Red Wines: 

La Gomera's red wines are mostly made from the red 'Listan Negro' grapes typical for the Canary Islands with other varieties like Tintilla, Tempranillo, Negro Molle and others added in smaller amounts. The island's reds are full of flavour and fruity, but dry. One vineyard in the north of the island invested a lot of work and now produces the first and excellent organic red wine named 'Tamargada' after the region where it is produced.

2013 should be a very good year for La Gomera's wines and harvesting the grapes has already begun in the lower lying regions. All the vineyards are very small and scattered over the steep terrain where all the back-breaking work has to be done by hand. This year promises a bumper harvest with almost double the amount of grapes of the previous year expected and all of an excellent quality. This is good news for farmers as La Gomera's vines still are of a relatively low yield compared to mainland Spain or even Tenerife.

Praying Insects on La Gomera

On La Gomera you can spot a well camouflaged and peculiar insect every now and again: The Mantis. It pretends to be a twig and preys on other insects which makes it quite useful to have in the garden. It can fly like a disabled helicopter but is mostly found sitting stock-still waiting for food to fly past with only its head elegantly turning in the direction of potential prey. Once it has caught a fly or a wasp it eats it like a corn on the cob rotating it between its front legs. There are several sorts of mantis on the island, including the famed Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) which adopts a prayer-like posture while waiting for its prey, and the wingless small Pale Mantis (Pseudoyersinia pilipes) which is endemic to La Gomera. I took the picture below some time ago in the garden.

Live music this weekend

Live music in Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera this weekend:

Young dolphin rescued

Dolphin rescue this morning. Photo:gomeranoticias.com

A young dolphin of about 150lbs weight appeared to be lost in very shallow water in the sandy bay of San Sebastian de La Gomera early this morning. Officers of the environmental police unit  SEPRONA transported the animal with the help of some locals to the yacht harbour from where the dolphin was transferred to a boat which then bvrought it to deep water off the coast to be released there. The dolphin appeared to be be completely healthy and uninjured and there is no explanation why it ended up so close to shore. The waters off La Gomera's south coast are renowned for their abundance of cetaceans and more than 20 different species of dolphins and whales are regularly spotted there. On La Gomera only environmentally sensitive and respectful whale watching is tolerated.

La Gomera hit by strong winds last night

Image: gomeraverde.es

While the rest of the Canary Islands just had moderate winds,La Gomera's micro-climate suffered strong easterly winds with lots of gale gusts last night. The gusts lead to several power cuts and Valle Gran Rey was completely dark for nearly two hours.There were several more power cuts all around the island. Minor rockfalls and damage to trees and street furniture were also caused by the gusty winds. In the capital San Sebastian de La Gomera parts of a wall were blown down causing damage to two parked cars (s.right).

This morning the winds have eased and another hot day is forecast. As the week progresses, moderate winds should shift to northerly directions and bring more normal  pleasantly warm temperatures with the hope of a few well scattered showers, especially in the mountains.

SKYPAR Festival of Paragliding on La Gomera

Part of Hermigua

The fifth edition of SKYPAR is taking place in Hermigua in La Gomera's north from the 6th to the 8th of September 2013. The event is integrated into the town's week-long fiesta and close to 100 paragliders will participate this year, setting a new record for SKYPAR. The spectacle is open to the public and those wanting to try a flight on a double-glider with an experienced pilot can book a place during  Saturday, Sep.7th, all day from 10am to 6pm. La Gomera's mountainous terrain and deep valleys offer ideal conditions for paragliders and spectacular views from the air.

The fiesta itself will offer the usual mix of religious, sport and entertainment events with plenty of all night salsa dancing over the paragliding weekend.

360º views of La Gomera launched

The brains behind La Gomera's official tourism site have launched a virtual tour of the island. It shows a map where you can select one of many viewpoints all over the island and then it will display an interactive 360º view of the area. 

Ron Howard's film set on La Gomera for 'In the Heart of the Sea' encounters bureaucratic obstacles

Local tradesmen from electricians to painters could apply at the town hall of Alajero to be hired for the shooting of Ron Howard's next film 'In the Heart of the Sea' until noon yesterday, but a problem with permits by local authorities was reported by local media at the same time.

It appears that most permits necessary have been obtained by the production company, but there is a delay of with some permits that are needed, e.g. one for the removal of a minor structure (an outdoor oven or barbecue) which is in the way of the large set. The most important documents and permits have been obtained and some concern 'Costas', a state authority that controls a narrow strip of land along all Spanish coasts, including all beaches. The main area to be used in the shooting of 'In the Heart of the Sea' on La Gomera is the remote 'Playa de Tapahuga' beach where most of the elaborate set including a large water basin will be constructed. While the town from which Tapahuga is accessed is Playa de Santiago in the municipality of Alajero, this beach is administered by the island's capital San Sebastian. 

Now sources close to Warner Brothers are concerned that the slowness and lack of coordination shown by the various authorities involved in all the bureaucratic paperwork is putting La Gomera as a film location at risk.

It is hoped that the final permits will soon be issued as the rehearsals for the film have already begun near London and work on the film set on La Gomera is due to begin very soon. 

Ron Howard tweeted this picture from a production meeting in London a  few days ago (right).

The film:

Interest in the production and the new film has been very strong, but again and again it is being called 'a remake of Moby Dick', which it is NOT. Melville's Moby Dick is a work of fiction based on two separate stories. One of them was the story of the whaling ship 'Essex' in 1820  which was for about 100 years the most talked about tragedy at sea until the Titanic sank. The other story that had fascinated Melville was an account of the difficult killing of an albino whale in the late 1830s. He worked the two stories into his famous novel of American Romanticism, which was many years later adapted for film.

'In the Heart of the Sea' is the meticulously researched account of the loss of the whaler 'Essex' and the ordeal the crew went through. It was written by Jonathan Philbrick and published in 2000 by Viking Press, winning the National Book Award in the US for its maritime history in the same year. Ron Howard's film intends to follow the true history of the 'Essex' as correctly told by Philbrick and will not concern itself with Melville's 'Moby Dick' fiction. That's the story, and I'm hoping for a great movie. The island of La Gomera is expecting an injection of five million Euros into the local economy by the film production and about 150 jobs.

Update 21-09-2013: Work begins on La Gomera set for Ron Howard movie
Update Nov. 4th:Ron Howard's Heart of the Sea getting ready to roll on location La Gomera. Latest images of preps + props ++

Two Irishwomen arrested on Gran Canaria

ISLAND CONNECTIONS.eu reports:

''The two women were caught in a slot machine/games premises in Maspalomas trying to pay with a false €20 note. At the time of the arrest they were accompanied by their six children, all minors. Their explications for the origins of the note were found to be unsatisfactory and arresting officers found that they were in possession of more of the forged money, several receipts for purchases made in the area and a large amount of legal money in sterling and euros. Police found other businesses in the area where the pair had tried to pay with false notes, and believe that several more cases will come to light. It seems that on occasion the children were used to change the bills or pay for purchases. The women are in custody and the children have been sent to a centre for the protection of minors.''

Two bands to play this Saturday

After last Saturday's wild rock'n'roll'n'punk night in La Gomera's capital, alternative music can be enjoyed again in a somewhat milder version in the sleepy southern town of Playa de Santiago this Saturday, August 31st 2013, from 8.30pm. The place is suddenly beginning to buzz with the confirmed news that Ron Howard will soon transform the small town to a Hollywood film set with the production of 'In the Heart of the Sea' this autumn. The poster (below) looks awful, but the two Tenerife bands,'La Isla Music' and 'So What!' are promising new original rock/pop acts. It is 'alternative leisure' in the town square as the poster promises, but not as cheesy as the same, and it's all for free. Worth supporting.

Mysterious light seen in the sky

Approx.the area of Sunday's sighting of the light

On social media in the Canaries and even on the forum of Canary Islands' air traffic control there were multiple reports of sighting 'a strong light about the size of a full moon' in the sky to the north of Tenerife on Sunday night. The light lasted for about three seconds just before 10.30pm and emergency services received calls from concerned citizens. The light was also spotted from  Madeira and there it was seen to the south of the Portuguese island. At least five pilots flying planes in the area also radioed reporting the light about 200 miles north of Tenerife.  Various theories have been put forward to explain the phenomenon, including a UFO, falling debris from a satellite, naval/military exercises and distress flares but most of these explanations have been ruled out by experts of the IAC (Institute of Astrophysics Canarias) and the their explanation is that probably a larger meteorite fell into the Atlantic in the area.
They also said that this is not a very unusual phenomenon. However, the size and the brightness reported were spectacular and all the large observatories in the Canaries seemingly didn't spot it.

I remember seeing a similar event to the west off La Gomera a few years ago just after sunset. It was really mind-boggling and gave the little remaining daylight in the western sky  an unreal bright greenish/blueish hue for a couple of seconds. It certainly left the few of us who saw it with our hair standing on end.

Science in Canaries now depending on aid from... AFRICA ?!

The  Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, based at the university of Tenerife is having great difficulties in continuing their research programmes as a result of the cutbacks by the central Spanish government in Madrid. As a result the local government of Tenerife has been looking for sponsorship for the institute from abroad and the private sector. ''We weren't going to close the institute, because that would have been irresponsible, but our research was in jeopardy'', said the director of the Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health, Basilio Valladares.''If the Spanish administration considers other things more important, then I simply don't believe that, and as I'm a practical person I feel that if the money doesn't come from the one source, I'll have to look elsewhere.''

Now the national government of Senegal were the first to step into the breach by allocating 325.000 Euros in the African state's 2014 budget to continuing research at the Canary Islands' institute. The Cabildo (government) of Tenerife is in negotiations with several more African countries like Angola and Nigeria trying to get more aid from African countries for science and research in the Canary Islands.

When I read the report in the local media I first didn't believe my eyes, but it really seems that the cutbacks in this part of 'Europe' have reached such a level that we, who are considered to be living in the 'First World' now have begun begging for aid in the Third World.

The English Connection to the Fiesta in El Cedro

Chapel 'Nuestra Señora de Lourdes', El Cedro, La Gomera

At the northern flank of La Gomera's national park and forest lies the mountain valley and tiny hamlet of El Cedro. It is surrounded by thick lush forest on three sides and to the north overlooks parts of the municipal area of Hermigua and the Atlantic with Tenerife in the background.

Every year since 1935 a fiesta is celebrated in the hamlet's little chapel which is dedicated to 'Our Lady of Lourdes'. The chapel is at the southern end of the townland's scattered small farms, most of them now abandoned or converted to holiday cottages. The chapel is in the forested part of the area and a small stream that carries cool spring water all year flows around it a little below. The location is remote and can only be reached on foot. This only adds to it's charm and often all you can hear when you rest at the small picinic area beside it is the gurgling stream and birdsong.

The chapel was inaugurated in 1935 having been erected through the iniciative, efforts and donations by English lady Florence Stephen Parry who, having become a devout Catholic on La Gomera, realised the villagers' plight of having to attend churches many miles away, not having their 'own' chapel. 

She had left England after the first world war to forget its horrors and moved first to Gran Canaria where she had English friends. While staying there she met an Italian businessman who owned a fish cannery on La Gomera. He needed someone to educate and teach his children there and she moved to La Gomera to become employed by him. She became a well respected member of the local community on La Gomera, converted to Catholicism in 1924, and built 'The House of Peace' in Hermigua when she retired. 'Doña Florencia', as she became locally known, then focused all her energies on realising her dream of building a chapel dedicated to 'Our Lady of Lourdes' in the forest village of El Cedro. In the summer of 1935 the dream became reality with the inauguration of the little chapel, followed by a huge fiesta. 

Fiesta El Cedro 1935

'Doña Florencia' (left) at the inauguration, El Cedro1935

Florence Stephen Parry died in 1964 and a small plaque beside the entrance of the chapel asks visitors to say a prayer for her.

Since then every year on the last Sunday in August one of most important fiestas on La Gomera was celebrated there, with an emphasis on the folkloric and social aspects of a religious event. The format was changed after the tragic forest fire of 1984 when 20 men lost their lives a few miles away and it was realised that it was too dangerous to hold such a large congregation in the forest. Since then, as is the case this Sunday, there is a mass held in the chapel, with a picnic and then a procession accompanied by the typical ancient chants and percussion leads through the forest to the main part of the village where young and old will meet as they do since 1935.

El Cedro's 'magic tree' spewing spring water

...and as an update I've added a video of the procession taken by gomeraverde.com on Sunday: