By Paul Bloomfield, The Telegraph.
Stargazing on La Palma.
(…) That last evening, after a farewell feast of sea bass and green mojo with a refreshing Teneguia blanco, I took a ride into the highlands with astronomer Elena Nordio. Through the lens of her telescope I was captivated by distant nebulae, twin stars, the rings of Saturn and the Butterfly Cluster – a suitably stellar end to the visit. The Spanish know La Palma as La Isla Bonita: “The Pretty Island”. And with the night sky inky above, and swathes of lava flows below, for once the marketing guff seemed apt. She is indeed a beauty.
(…) To see these astronomical marvels, book a stargazing tour with Ad Astra (adastralapalma.com; €25/£21). Over the course of 90 minutes, with the help of a 9¼in telescope and encyclopedic knowledge of the night sky, Italian astronomer Elena Nordio filled my head with stars – plus planets, constellations, nebulae and even a shooting star. Ad Astra also offers Wine and Moon tasting sessions, relaxing nocturnal walks and G-Astronomic dinners hosted in El Jardín de la Sal at Faro de Fuencaliente, one of La Palma’s most renowned restaurants, with courses related to astronomical objects – try cosmic particles and protoplanetary disks.
Full article here.
