Cosas de España/Galiza 

Every spring, killer whales(orcas) —  actually dolphins, not whales — gather along the Iberian Atlantic coast to feast on the bluefin tuna migration. This year,  after a surge in orca attacks, sailors have been warned to be extra vigilant. Last week a pod of them knocked 2 yachts out of action in a single day – the latest in a series of 22 incidents since April. Perhaps they can smell cocaine.

Want a mortgage in Spain with earnings in another currency?  This is the page for you.

There’s a ‘coastal’ law in Galicia forbidding the erection of building within X metres of the sea. I say ‘X’ because it’s been changed since I came here and I’m not sure what it is now. But, anyway, over the years the law has naturally been ignored by both companies and private individuals – in one case by a serving government minister. And now Madrid has apparently tightening up on things, placing 1,700 buildings at risk of demolition, of which 330 belong to industries and companies. Understandably, they’ve stopped investing. Some bigwig in the local shellfish industry has issued a plea that the bureaucracy be ‘brought down to earth’. Not their usual mode, of course. Another has called for greater legal clarity from the relevant national Ministry(Costas) which he’s described as ‘not at all friendly to the business world’.

Talking of the sea . . .If you want to buy a nice little yacht – perhaps to have a go at bringing powder from Colombia – there’s one being auctioned quite soon by the anti-smuggling folk in nearby Vigo.

In Pontevedra city, it’s commonplace to see yellow arrows, designating the route of the Portuguese Camino. And also the occasional blue arrow, indicating the route down to Fatima in Portugal, in the opposite direction. But I’ve no idea why there are green arrows on the O Barco bridge, apparently showing the way to the new-ish Eroski supermarket in Poio:-

I wasn’t surprised to read that the Pontevedra city council is changing the traffic directions in a barrio on the outskirts of the city. And I was even less surprised to read that the confused residents are complaining that the notices advising of the new system are inadequate. From experience, I’n sure that the 17 year old offspring of some councillor who’s employed as the Driver Annoyance Manager doesn’t have a driving licence. Or a map of the city streets. And only speaks Gallego.

Talking of roads . . . The Pontevedra mayor wants an early meeting with the new President of the Galician government (A Xunta) to discuss, inter alia, the connecting road between the N550 and the PO531 outside the city, a project which was initiated a mere 17 years ago. Like the extension to the small industrial park in O Vao near me. Things can take their time here in Spain. Especially, maybe, in Pontevedra, a city of bureaucrats belonging to both the municipal and the provincial administrations. And – as I’ve said – not as business-oriented as, say, Vigo or La Coruña.

And talking of commerce . . . Good to hear that 80% of the speedboats used to ferry hash from Morocco to Spain are built in Galicia and North Portugal. We need the business up here.

France

It was puzzling to see TV pictures of only serried ranks of Madrid fans last night before the final of the European League Championship. Waiting for the delayed kick-off, we learned that many Liverpool fans hadn’t been let into the grounds, despite having valid tickets. So, my suspicion is that it was felt unwise to show huge gaps in the stands allocated to the Liverpool supporters.

Less of a surprise was to learn this morning of brutal French police action against Liverpool fans patiently waiting to enter the ground. That’s their go-to mode, of course, when dealing with local demonstrators. UEFA, taking a leaf out of the Moscow playbook, has so far issued 3 specious reasons for why fans were kept out of the ground. Liverpool FC has demanded an official investigation. But why bother? This is UEFA; everyone will be exonerated in due course. No one will be sacked but while lessons will have been learned, as the phrase goes.

The USA 

HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for this:-

Spanish

Mucho ruido y poco nueces: Much ado about nothing

A mi bola: On my own. Ir a tu puta bola: To go you own fucking way.

Finally . . .

Well, I was amused by this . . .

For passing readers: If you’ve landed here looking for info on Galicia or Pontevedra, try here. If you’re passing through Pontevedra on the Camino, you’ll find a guide to the city there.