Reflections on La Gomera
Stream
Darrell Jackson and Sarah Barnes
Fri 29 Nov 2013 19:50
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24:22'.503N 021:09.831W
Poor sailing conditions (light, shifting wind with rain
showers) have given time for reflection on La Gomera, a chaotic mass of volcanic
ash and lava poking up from the sea bed. People shouldn't be living here in any
numbers given the harshness of the landscape, and indeed there is ample evidence
in the form of abandoned terraces on unfeasibly steep and loose slopes that many
have tried and failed to eke out an agrarian existence in the past. Tourism and
EU money (we suppose) seem to be the mainstays of the economy, though not
catering for a mass market. Languages of visitors were predominantly northern
European. As the coastline is precipitous, beaches are few and far between (and
dark grey ashy 'sand'), settlements small and generally clustered in valleys
below spring lines, prettily painted. There are plenty of well signed
footpaths through rugged countryside for walkers. Daily influxes of
trippers from Tenerife take bus tours of the island or hire a car as
we did. The roads are superb. Well driven Peter, and thanks.
There was an 'end of season' feel but I was disabused of
this idea by a Dutch lady selling home made jewellery in San Sebastian who said
it was the start rather than the end: few come between April and October and
numbers have been well down since the start of the recession. We'd noticed the
complete absence of any construction work. Youth unemployment is running at
60%. The lady was scratching a living since being laid off by a car hire
company. We fell into conversation about her home city Amsterdam, and would you
believe it, she'd heard me sing (with Sage Gateshead Chamber Choir) in St
Nicolas kerk opposite the station three summers ago. Small world.
Four Stugeron tablets were all I needed until I found my
sea legs so sailing, eating and sleeping are all fine. So far I've been
lucky to avoid a soaking in the occasional downpours, unlike my shipmates, but
the night is yet young.... No whales of dolphins for company to date and
only the odd shearwater and petrel in the air. Hope for more.
Adam |