Sunshine and blue skies for yesterday's Día de las Alfombras (Day of the Carpets), to celebrate Corpus Christi in La Orotava.

The above was taken in a relatively quiet moment during the siesta hours, but earlier the queues of people had been at their usual standstill, as thousands of people flock to see these amazing works of art.

Above right, this colorful combination was this year's offering from the Monteverde family, who originated the carpet making custom in Orotava back in 1847.

Left is the main, 850 sq meter, carpet in the square in front of the town hall.

Below, a few more images.



But, keep your eyes on Jose Mesa's and Jack Montgomery's photos, because they were there too. Along with Andrea Montgomery, most convivial company. Those of you who didn't venture out missed a great annual event. You also missed my shout at the bar, which comes around a lot less often! :)

The Día de las Alfombras next year will fall on Thursday, June 18th, 2009.

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If, as I am planning to do, you aim to go to the Día de las Alfombras (Day of the Carpets) on the 8th Day of Corpus Christi in La Orotava, on Thursday, May 29, then you should also know that there could be some free grub on offer.

There's an agricultural and gastronomical event, Agrotava, also going on in the town during May and part of June and, as part of those celebrations, in the Casa de la Cultura San Agustín, alongside the Iglesia de San Agustín (Saint Agustín Church) in the corner of the Plaza de la Constitución (map), between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, they're offering a tasting of wines from the Orotava Valley region.

To ensure the wine doesn't go to your head, pop up the steps to the Sociedad Liceo Taoro, where, from 10;30 a.m. onwards, you should also be able to enjoy the opportunity to try some typical, local food products.

The idea, we're told, isn't to encourage freebie seeking gluttons (who us?), but this could be a wonderful opportunity to try something new and different.

There's a PDF leaflet (in Spanish) with these and more events listed, here.

Meanwhile, here are some images from the Corpus Christi celebrations in La Laguna last Sunday, including their flower carpets and some of the food that was on offer there. And, here are more photos from the smaller, but no less pretty Corpus Christi celebrations in San Juan del Reparo, Garachico.

Images: Berthold Werner

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The actual date of the Corpus Christi feast was on Thursday and in some parts of the Canary Islands, such as Mazo on the island of La Palma, the event is celebrated then. Here in Tenerife, most of the celebrations will take place tomorrow, Sunday, or on the 8th Day of Corpus Christi, next Thursday.

As in previous years, in many towns and villages in Tenerife, as well as the grander celebrations in the island's former capital, La Laguna, the carpets and processions for Corpus Christi will take place tomorrow, Sunday, May 25th.

The culmination of these spectacular celebrations, however, involving carpets of flowers and of sands brought down from Mount Teide, must be those in the town of La Orotava, which will take place on Thursday, May 29th. From early in the morning on that day, local families will make flower carpets in the main streets of the historic center of the town. See photos of Corpus Christi 2007.

On this occasion, the main carpet in La Orotava; the 850 square meter carpet made in the square in front of the town hall (which last year gained an entry in the Guinness World Records), being made by 22 alfombristas (carpet makers), is dedicated to Christ, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, as pillars of the church. For the first time, because of its declaration as a World Heritage Site, the Teide National Park will also be represented in this carpet.

On Sunday, in the Plaza del Adelantado in La Laguna also, there'll be a market with proceeds going to support Cáritas, the charity who look after the homeless. Both days will draw many thousands of people, both locals and tourists.

Tenerife se prepara para celebrar el Corpus Christi

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The alfombra: the famous sand carpet made for Corpus Christi in the plaza in front of the town hall in La Orotava, Tenerife is hoping to get itself into the Guinness Book of Records.

La Orotava town hall says that it has approached Guinness World Records, the company that collates the statistics and, is hoping to get a response within the next three or four weeks. The basis of their claim is that the La Orotava carpet is the largest of its type: that is an ephemeral carpet made from volcanic sands and, without the addition of dyes.

The size of the plaza's carpet is considerably superior to 900 square meters.

The idea of submitting the petition is not new, having been discussed several years ago, but following the celebration of the International Congress of Ephemeral Art in 2006 and, after meeting with carpet makers from various parts of the world, the council came to the conclusion that the town's carpet was unique.

If the response from Guinness is positive, certification will be made in the presence of a Notary Public on the eve of Corpus Christi in La Orotava.

Naturally, the town hall feels that the inclusion of the carpet in the Guinness Book of World Records will be an excellent tourist promotion for the town of La Orotava.

This grand carpet is the high spot of this ephemeral art tradition in the town, which was started in the mid-nineteenth Century, by the Monteverde family. The first time that a carpet was made in the town hall's plaza - or at least on part of it - was in 1905, to mark the visit of the marines of the Spanish Navy to La Orotava. Its confection as part of the Corpus Christi celebrations, was started in 1919.

La alfombra del Corpus "quiere verse" en el Libro Guinness de los Récords

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Tomorrow, June 22, is the Día de las Alfombras or Day of the Carpets in La Orotava, the picturesque town of stately buildings in north Tenerife.

We've already shown you the work being done by a group of Buddist monks on their part of this year's carpet display. Today, local newspaper site, Diario de Avisos, have a small aerial photo of the practically finished carpet and a larger one of some of the detail of the main carpet here, which you can see.

And yes, that which looks like something Micaelangelo might have painted on a chapel ceiling, is, indeed, temporarily made, just with colored sands.

To get an idea of the scale of the carpet, look to the top of the tiny aerial shot. The plaza - and carpet - runs the width of three very sizable buildings.

Did your jaw drop? Mine did the first time I saw it for real, which begins to explain why this is such a big event here. It is incredible work.

The fact that they were able to take an aerial photo, must mean that the canopy that is placed over the plaza while the work is being carried out, must have been removed already. I do hope it is not raining in La Orotava, as it has been doing here in the west - enough that the dog and I had to wade up the road earlier - and that, weather and all other things permitting, we will be able to go and get some photos of the main carpet, as well as the flower carpets that are yet to be made in the surrounding streets, for ourselves tomorrow on the "big day".

This year's main Corpus Cristi carpet, made by the local alfombristas in La Orotava, is dedicated to the theme of "The Good The Bad" and has been described as one of the most avant-garde in the carpets' history.

LA OROTAVA - FIESTAS DEL CORPUS CHRISTI 2006

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This year, the town of La Orotava, in the north of Tenerife, is holding its traditional Corpus Christi celebration on the 22nd June. On this occasion and to conclude the commemoration of the 500 anniversary of Orotava's foundation, the town is organizing an International Congress of Tapestry Artists (Congreso Internacional de Alfombristas) with participants from other Spanish towns and representatives from Europe, Asia and America.

The congress, entitled “El arte efímero de las alfombras de flores y tierras en el mundo” (“The ephemeral art of flowers and soil tapestries in the world”), will take place from the 20th to 22nd June and will bring together artists from Muhlenbach (Germany), Brussels (Belgium), Genzano di Roma (Italy), Kobe (Japan), Huamantla (Mexico), Texas (U.S.A.) and representation from Tibet.

Tapestry Artists from all over the world come together in La Orotava to celebrate their Traditional Corpus Christi Festival

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