The ironman of travel Yoshimasa Ikeuchi

Further up the hairpin curve from the caldera observatory,
there is a group of observatories (Location de los Muchachos),
and a huge image of the sea of clouds and Canarian pines are projected below.
You can see the city concentrated in the harbor, the wind is not so strong,
but the flow of clouds changes from one to the next, and you can enjoy the scenery of another world.
I'm looking up at the scenery that spreads out in front of me.

Spain　Canary Islands

130-year-old folk houses and vast vegetable and flower fields are home to self-sufficient organic products.
When I picked one strawberry from the field and put it in my mouth, the nostalgic taste made my tongue and heart happy.
The charm of the Island that cannot be enjoyed on a one-night, two-day trip.
I want to stay for another week for a slower trip I didn't see "Cloud Waterfall" where clouds run from the top of the forest.
I was expecting a natural phenomenon that would occur when all the conditions were met, but I'm sorry.

Victor carrying a tripod

Capital Santa Cruz de la Palma 2012/06 / 08-09

Area 708 square kilometers (slightly smaller than Amami Oshima)

The scenery that you won't get tired of even if you look at it every day is a special product only on this Island.
History says that in 1492 Columbus embarked on a great voyage to discover the New World through the Islands of La Palma and the neighboring Island of El Hierro.
I hear that there are only two Japanese residents on the Island.
One is Katsuko Mizogami (72), who married a German and moved to this Island 20 years ago, and the other is Atsuko Kato, who lives in the eastern area.
It's a shame that my husband (Irish) was working at the observatory, retired, and could have visited the observatory if he could get a little more information.

It is now a tourist attraction and is the best spot where tourist buses line up every day.
If we were late for departure, we would end up chasing after the bus, so we climbed early and were able to monopolize the spectacular view of the first ride.
Lunch was a treat at the house of Katsuko, a resident of the Island.
The circle of Japanese people has expanded with the help of Nao Itagaki, the coordinator of this trip.
Chopsticks advanced to cook miso soup, rice balls, and homemade vegetables for the first time in a long time.
The tofu and wakame miso soup wow ♫♫ unforgettable.
Hometown. For a moment, Japan glances at me.
Miso soup ingredients are procured by boat from a Korean grocery store on Gran Canaria.
Today, with the advancement of the Internet and fax, I do not feel any inconvenience in my daily life in the mountains.

In the west area, the vast banana gardens,
which used to be the enemy of the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, continued endlessly,
but the shadow of the subsidy project has faded and it is becoming a tourist attraction.
The resort development of the capital Santa Cruz de la Palma also remains stopped due to
financial difficulties in planning to crush the parking lot and create a beach.

The world's largest caldera (28 km in circumference, 8 km in width, 800 m to 1000 m in depth) is about to be sucked in and looks into it.
I am overwhelmed by the power.
Caldera de Taburiente National Park (2426m),
with another world's largest observatory.
Near the summit, there are astronomical observatories from around the world.

The edge of the journey where the sleeves slipped together.
I feel like I can resume with Katsuko from Osaka in the near future.

Observatory groups in each country

La Palma Island from an airplane

Outer circumference of the caldera

The world of the sea of clouds no matter where you look

At Katsuko's house

Rice balls and miso soup

Canarian pine

Garrote: A competition to pierce the tip of a 3m stick and go down the mountain

Island resident Katsuko, Midori,

The Island's weekly roads are well maintained and there are few Islands in other countries where you can easily climb over the sea of clouds.
The fact that the ratio of the length of the coastline to the height of the mountains is the highest in the world means that the mountains suddenly rise from the coast and the clouds are always below the summit.
In other words, since there is an astronomical observatory above the sea of clouds and it is in an environment where astronomical observations can be performed at any time,
observatories from all over the world are lined up.

The road is covered with clouds

World's largest caldera

East coast

View from the national park

Katsuko and Midori

Canarian pine

Salt pans seen in the distance

Victor as a guide, writer

Caldera de Taburiente National Park　★★★★★

Location de los Muchachos　　　　★★★★★

Observatory group

La de Taburiente National Park (2426m)