El Hierro, the Meridian Isle.

[Hepa]

I have lived on the island of El Hierro for a number of years. If anyone has any questions about the island, fire them this way I will try my best to answer them.

[rosemary]

Love to have a brief summary? Where? house? or apartment? the locals friendly? How do you spend your time? Do you speak Spanish well?

it's obviously a very simple quiet life there. TV?

[Hepa]

Love to have a brief summary? Where? house? or apartment? the locals friendly? How do you spend your time? Do you speak Spanish well?

it's obviously a very simple quiet life there. TV?

El Hierro is slightly smaller than the English Isle of Wight, 274 Km square, we have now a population of about 7000, used to be 10,500, but because of the unemployment crisis, and the earthquakes and volcanoes, many have left. There are four English residents on the island and perhaps one Scot.

English is just not used here, one has to speak Castellano to survive.

We live in an old house in the Capital Valverde, which is situated higher than Holme Moss in the English Pennines, we also have an apartment on the coast. The locals are incredibly friendly and really helpful, the also have a sense of humour like no other, here strangers greet each other on the street. Crime is almost unknown.

I am a retired old git, so I spend my time walking in the hills or on the coast, maintaining the two properties and I also have quite a large garden to take care of, I also enjoy a pint and a few laughs with the local populace most evenings.

Because of the isolation of El Hierro, we have escaped the tourism boom of the late 20th century, and the vast developments of the other islands just never arrived here, one can enjoy here the charm and culture of the Herreños, and the unspoilt countryside of the island. The cuisine here is Canarian with just a touch of South American. No full English breakfasts, no John Smiths beer, not one English, Irish or any other foreign bar on the island.

Simple and quiet, no not really, just different, more laid back.

T.V. yes, no BBC or ITV

Try the link for a few views of the island

https://plus.google.com/photos/109554244082575937272/albums/5598418677482639217?banner=pwa

[AL JAY]

That sounds idyllic, Did you try out any of the main islands first?

[rosemary]

Looks absolutely beautiful. You have a nice balance there. An Apartment and a house with a garden, so plenty to keep you busy. Life ....all about getting the right balance. But primarily, you speak Castellano, muy importante. Everything falls into place if you talk to people. No bars, no full cholesterol laden bl**dy English breakfasts which, don't get me wrong I do indulge in now and then, but I can live without them too.
What about that shaky earth syndrome? Worrying, or not?

[Hepa]

That sounds idyllic, Did you try out any of the main islands first?

Yes, I first arrived in Gran Canaria in the spring of 1962, on a Shell oil tanker from Trinidad, apart from Lanzarote I have stayed on all the others. We can fly direct to Tenerife or Gran Canaria and do so frequently.

[marbro8]

Love to have a brief summary? Where? house? or apartment? the locals friendly? How do you spend your time? Do you speak Spanish well?

it's obviously a very simple quiet life there. TV?what is the local brew on the island?:)

[Hepa]

Looks absolutely beautiful. You have a nice balance there. An Apartment and a house with a garden, so plenty to keep you busy. Life ....all about getting the right balance. But primarily, you speak Castellano, muy importante. Everything falls into place if you talk to people. No bars, no full cholesterol laden bl**dy English breakfasts which, don't get me wrong I do indulge in now and then, but I can live without them too.
What about that shaky earth syndrome? Worrying, or not?

At first the erupting Volcano I was somewhat apprehensive, but then it became very interesting, especially when it started throwing pyroclast rock into the air and turning the Ocean green. The tremors are another thing, the house has shaken, things have rattled in the roof, the sound is the worst, all the tree huggers and hippies, left on the first ferry out. Not us, we stay, here is our home

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what is the local brew on the island?:)

Several Reina, Dorada, Estrella, Maou.

[rosemary]

How long were you in Trinidad?

[Hepa]

How long were you in Trinidad?

Maybe just under a day, loading oil for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, I think the place was Point Fotin, managed to get a haircut there. After Las Palmas we sailed for Nigeria, happy days

[Hepa]

Just a note, On Saturdays direct flights are available from the Southern Tenerife airport, to El Hierro, morning and evening, takes 15 to 25 minutes.

[Greg]

Which airline is the cheapest Hepa?

[Malteser Monkey]

That sounds idyllic, Did you try out any of the main islands first?

Does doesn't it seriously !

On a lighter note - shame about the 1 Scot tho':D:whistle:

Angusjim

[Hepa]

Which airline is the cheapest Hepa?

Only one airline serves the island, Binter. However the cheapest way to travel is by ferry from Los Cristianos, but that can take from 2 to 4 hours.

[kingbaker]

Only one airline serves the island, Binter. However the cheapest way to travel is by ferry from Los Cristianos, but that can take from 2 to 4 hours.

Hi Hepa, whats the cost of travel to Hierro? :p

[Hepa]

Hi Hepa, whats the cost of travel to Hierro? :p

The costs vary, depends on the traveller, if you are resident to the Canary Islands and an old git like me, traveling is cheaper, none residents 40€ one way but that is a offer,Ferry normally 99€ return. Ferry residents about 11€. Link to Binter below. I fly free tomorrow, I have to see an eye specialist.

https://www.bintercanarias.com


A sore point with the tourist board here, often cheaper to fly to Europe than to fly to El Hierro from Tenerife or Gran Canaria.

[kingbaker]

How do most people earn a living over there, with no tourism ?
Thanks.;)

[LUCKY]

How so most people earn a living over there, with no tourism ?
Thanks.;)
Good question :flatcap:

[Hepa]

How do most people earn a living over there, with no tourism ?
Thanks.;)

There is tourism, but very limited, mainly hiking groups, La Restinga the port on the south of the island is famous for scuba diving.

There is also agriculture, a cheese factory, fields of pineapples and bananas, but with 37% unemployed, the people leave for Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Europe, Australia and South America to find work.

Quite a few are employed in the government buildings, town halls and of course the Hospital, plus there are only 7000 people here any way, and we haven't seen the Scotsman for months.

[kingbaker]

Hi Hepa, how's the fishing industry doing. Has the embargo on eating locally caught fish
been lifted?

I'm surprised with the lack of tourism. The volcano should have attracted a lot of tourists,
if managed properly!!

[Hepa]

Hi Hepa, how's the fishing industry doing. Has the embargo on eating locally caught fish
been lifted?

I'm surprised with the lack of tourism. The volcano should have attracted a lot of tourists,
if managed properly!!

The volcano is sleeping and has been for over two years, the earth tremors that frightened all the tree huggers away have ceased also. Now had the volcano stuck its nose above the water level, the tourists would have arrived, one guy was coming from New York to film it.

I had forgotten about the fishing industry, all is back to normal, we have been eating the locally caught fish for ages, in fact I suspect we never stopped.

Last time I said all was quiet, we had a series of tremors that shook our house, I shall have to find my tin hat.

[kingbaker]

I had a look at Binter site. Flights over available at extortionate prices inh June and
NO availability to return in July, August or September. ASTONISHING!!rolleyes2:rolleyes2:

[Hepa]

Different life here on El Hierro, first job clean and blanch a huge Octopus lay a bed of fennel and fig leaves in the roasting tin, put the Octopus in the tin, bung him in the oven for a five to six hour roast, on a very low light. Second job shake sulphur on to the grape vines, I am so glad we have but a few, 'tis surely a most messy job.

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I had a look at Binter site. Flights over available at extortionate prices inh June and
NO availability to return in July, August or September. ASTONISHING!!rolleyes2:rolleyes2:

Try later, they don't put the flights on early, we find the cheap bonus flights are available late. We go to the airport reserve a flight(s), then pay later when they are cheaper. Returns are now available, the cheap bonuses are not yet shown. but yes it is a rip off.

However the cheapest way is the ferry with a ticket purchased at the ferryport in advance

[canarybird]

I don't have grape vines but do have roses and we use a backpack puffer with a crank handle to poof out a light film of sulphur onto the rose leaves.
It works very well and is much better than what our Canary gardener did years ago ... putting the powder into an old sock and tapping it with his hands over the rosebushes. :)

[kingbaker]

And the sulphur on the plants is to......que ??????:confused:

[Hepa]

I have a sulphur shaker, it is plastic and like a huge pepper pot. The few roses that I have rarely suffer from fungus, but the citrus trees suffer from a sooty fungus, so I make up a solution of white oil, 2 parts cooking oil, 1/2 part washing up liquid, give it a big shake, then use 2 tablespoons to one litre of water. Fantastic for caterpillars, black fly, and those bichos that cause the sooty fungus.

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And the sulphur on the plants is to......que ??????:confused:

It helps to prevent fungus, grapes it is called Powdery Mildew, and here the locals use sulphur, so I copy them, they have been here longer than me.

[kingbaker]

When I was a lad (only recently) my Dad planted a grapevine that a friend had given him. He planted it outside the greenhouse over a dead dog.

He then brought in the plant in thru a hole in the bottom of the greenhouse wall. ......plant inside and roots outside.
We had to wash dishes in a basin, cause he wanted the soapy, greasy water to splash on the roses, to keep bugs away. :D

[canarybird]

And the sulphur on the plants is to......que ??????:confused:

Sulphur powder is an old remedy against black spot and mildew on the leaves.

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The black sooty fungus is a real nuisance here and it grows on the sticky honey produced by the cochinilla, or mealy bug (http://houseplants.about.com/od/pests/a/Mealybugs.htm) either as a white fluffy insect or scale attached to the leaves or leaf joints. If the white cochinilla is on a houseplant I usually take it off with a moistened Q-Tip or damp tissue. One can also moisten a Q-tip with alcohol being careful not to touch the leaves, as it would burn, but it does work. However on garden plants I tend to use a blast of water from the hose on non delicate plants or leaves, but a spray of liquid detergent (1 TBS to a gallon water) also helps to get rid of them, as long as you spray on a day with no hot sun and rinse leaves off with clear water the next day.

At the moment I have a problem with mealy bugs on the Stephanotis that winds around one window. I haven't been paying attention and I see they have installed themselves so I will have to first get the hose out and see if I can dislodge them and then try the sudsy water routine. Here's what the mealybugs look like in two forms, fluffy white and scale: :(

http://canarybird.smugmug.com/Gardens/Home/i-JXMTpw8/0/L/P1210948-L.jpg

Too bad as the plant is laden with lovely white flowers at the moment, but you can see the soot on some leaves:

http://canarybird.smugmug.com/Gardens/Home/i-BqXdCR5/1/M/P1210954-M.jpg