I’m setting off for Santander early this morning to catch an evening boat – the Galicia – to Portsmouth. There was a minor panic yesterday over a (new) tyre which self deflated right after I’d confirmed the pressure was correct. Possibly because of a malfunctioning pump of mine which decided to take air out rather than put it in.

I say I’m leaving Spain today but – despite my best efforts on 2 computers – I’ve failed to upload my jab certificates – or either one of them – to the UK government’s on-line Locator form. Whether as a tif, a PDF, a JPG or a PNG. And I have no idea why none were acceptable. So . . . I might yet be back in Pontevedra some time tomorrow . . .

That’s assuming I get to Santander in the first place. There are reports of snow in the coastal regions of Asturias and Cantabria. And this doesn’t make for pleasing reading:- Galicia and Asturias were on alert on Tuesday for heavy rainfall and large swells of up to 5 meters. Let’s hope that’s all blown itself out by the time I get to the coast late morning today.

Good start – chaos at the (ex)entrance to the carpark at Pontevedra station . . .

Meanwhile . . .

Cosas de España/Galiza

El Pais reports that: The former lover of Spain’s ex king Juan Carlos,  Corinna Larsen, created a complex web of at least 12 companies and opaque trusts in tax havens located thousands of kilometres from her home in Monaco. The objective of this convoluted financial structure, which was was in place during her relationship with the former monarch, was to conceal more than €70 million worth of accounts and properties. Which might just have come from the king himself.

Why isn’t there a Green Party in Spain?, asked Lenox Napier in last week’s Business Over Tapas.

The answer given, he says, by El Independiente is that there are actually several green parties, all clawing votes from each other. 

The Galicia government has begun to disinter bodies from communal graves of those shot during the Civil War. This was a rebel held region, so I imagine the 18 bodies found so far were all of Republicans. Or poor souls alleged to be Red. I frequently pass the spot at the bottom of my hill where one of the more celebrated victims was summarily shot.

On a lighter note . . . Pontevedra will again host the World Triathlon Finals in 2023. Which is as good as reason as any for visiting the city. I imagine it’ll be in one of our drier and warmer months. Not like a championship several years ago in April, which resulted in several swimmers withdrawing from the race with hypothermia. But not the 4 or 5 who dived into the river and then quickly swam back to the jetty after a few strokes – disqualifying themselves, of course. One serious contender lost her chances of winning when, after the swim, she couldn’t get her fingers to operate the foot clips for on her bike.

Finally  . . .

I get more than100 spam emails a day. Magnifying this for a sizeable proportion of the world’s 7bn people, produces vast numbers. Which must be a waste of something and, so, not good for the planet.

Amusing quote no. 6: I performed badly in the Civil Service Exams because evidently I knew more about economics than my examiners: John Maynard Keynes.

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