Astro Workshop 19 – Day 2

Sunday May 26th

We had a late breakfast and then onto the second astrophotography tutorial.  We then set off for the National Park for a daylight recce of the places we were likely to visit at night to get ideas on compositions etc.

This trail was very rocky and I had great difficulty walking on it even in daylight.

Barren lava landscape with bushes of white daisies

The daisies growing on the lava field

Panorama showing the mountains in the background and the lava field in front.

We then travelled onto the the Zapatilla De La Reina (Queens Slipper) for a daylight recce.

Zapatilla De La Reina(The Queens slipper) is an eroded rock formation that looks like a shoe.

Located at the 50Km point of the TF-21 road, this viewpoint is named after the curious shape of the volcanic rock, which with a little imagination, will remind you of a high-heeled shoe.

Zapatilla De La Reina(The Queens slipper)

Zapatilla De La Reina(The Queens slipper) showing the landscape

We then moved on to find some Tajinaste flowers, which are native to Tenerife and can grow up to 3 metres in height.

At the start of trail 26 (bottom of the map.

Echium wildpretii; the Spanish name for this plant is Tajinaste Rojo

Close up of the flowers with a bee gathering nectar.

Tajinaste flower against a eroded rock

We then moved to look at the Tabonal Negro lava fields (which Alyn called the “Star Wars Landscape”)

Panorama showing the flat, dusty landscape (like the desert in the Star War Films).

Rocks and vegetation on the landscape.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a lookout point where there were lots of Tajinaste flowers.

We then returned to the apartments for evening food then out again to shoot some milkyway shots at the Tabonal Negro lava fields starting around 23:40.

After that we went back to the Hotel for some sleep.