Cosas de España/Galiza

Today’s bull-run in Pamplona was pretty chaotic. Or, as the RTVE commentators put it – Una corrida de máxima tension y muy peligrosa – with bulls slipping, falling and turning round instead of running straight down to the bullring. San Fermín had his work cut out preventing serious injuryies and deaths. Especially in the case of one guy in the ring, who was hit several times and was lucky to escape with his life. The final balance? -6 transferred to hospital, 3 go them having been non-fatally gored. Perhaps the luckiest runner was an Asian chap whose T-shirt was ripped off by a horn which missed his neck by a fraction of a centimetre. Tthe commentators naturally revelled the replays. Good TV, in Spain at least. And good to know that the bulls were all muy nobles.

En passant, here’s the prayer – in both Castellano and Euskera – chanted 3 times below the little statue of San Fermín just before the cows and bulls are released from their corral at the top of the run:-

This is an article on Spanish villages most popular with foreigners looking to buy property here. As I’d never heard of any of them, this struck me as rather odd. Until I realised the emphasis was on villages, not town, cities or regions.

Brits who’d like to have holiday in Spain this summer are being told by the government to be ‘realistic’. Meaning they might not get out of the airport. Except to go back home. I’m acutely aware of the risks, as my younger daughter has progressively moved her planned trip from May to August to ‘possibly Christmas’.

On point . . . The problem isn’t confined to Brits; it’s reported that 30% of Spaniards have cancelled their holidays because of the economic situation and the rise in prices. And 57% have shortened their annual break, perhaps from 4 to only 2 weeks. Which has always been the norm in the USA, I believe.

As I read of a heatwave of 30 degrees in the UK, 40 degrees in Madrid this week and 44 further south, I’m ruefully gazing on the cold sea mist over Pv city which drove us from the beach yesterday, the temperature having fallen from 30 to 20. Which was rather overdoing things.

The UK

A psychologist suggests that Boris Johnson possesses a “dark triad” of 3 personality traits that belong together – psychopathy, narcissism and machiavellianism. This makes sense, he adds, because these traits almost always overlap and are difficult to distinguish from one another.

Richard North thinks it’d be a good thing if all potential Prime Minister had a psychiatric evaluation. But . . . A big problem is that most candidates might fail the test. After all, why would any sane person want to be prime minister. A question I’ve used myself many times over the years.

As someone else has written: All the candidates are so dreadful, it’d be funny if it weren’t so terrifying. And the most terrifying part of all? One of these candidates is going to win.

The USA

Texas is a god-fearing state, where there are laws on sexual matters that would be considered outrageous elsewhere. If going there, be warned that it’s illegal to own more than 6 dildos. As Private Eye says: That would be obscene.

Here’s a fascinating podcast on the causes of current US divisions, entitled Gone with the Wind.

The Way of the World

As everyone knows, 3 year olds ask a lot of questions. When my grandson is told ‘I don’t know’, his standard response is ‘Then ask Google’.

Finally . . .

A final comment on current UK politics . . .

For new 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.