Covid 

Sweden reaps the benefits of its no lockdown policy. Two new studies show that, in different ways, Sweden seems to have escaped the most harmful secondary impacts that other countries show.

Cosas de Spain/Galiza 

It’s amazing what an ingenious(?) crook, assisted by the internet, can get away with in a ‘low ethics’ society. Spanish police are investigating 91 motorcyclists who paid an Armenian chap to claim he’d been on their bike when an offence was committed. All over Spain, so nowhere near where he actually lived. And some of them female. Unbelievably, the DGT failed to detect he’d had 321 points deducted from his licence. Or would have done if he’d ever had a licence in the first place . . . Will heads roll?

Yesterday – with the 3rd midnight fireworks display in 9 days – saw the end of our Semana Grande fiesta. One notable aspect of this is that the bullfights have reduced from the 4 of 20 years ago to just 2 now. On topic, here’s an article on the reducing popularity of this ‘cultural event’ and on redundant bullrings around the country. 

BYW . . . The Spanish for ‘bullfight’ is corrida. Literally ‘running’ but also ‘coming'(i.e. orgasm). You need to say corrida de toros to avoid the laughter which greeted my comment years go that my elder daughter loved corridas, while my younger daughter didn’t.

Talking of children . . . Galicia’s birthrate continues to fall, except – for unknown reasons – in Lugo province. For Spain as a whole, the birthrate is the lowest since 1990, but 6 of the 17 regions did see a higher rate – albeit slight – over the first 6 months of last year. The biggest fall – of 8% – was in La Rioja.

If you’re passing through Poio and chance upon this fine sight, you’re very close to the birthplace of our most famous son, Christoper Columbus, and the museum dedicated to him. Which provides all the proof you need of the validity of this claim:-

If you’re really lucky it might be open.

The UK  

Oh, dear: It’s clear that Britain is hitting the skids, and, thanks to the added seasoning of relentless mass transport strikes, has already slid back to a 1970s-style economic and infrastructural mess. 

The USA

Good question: How did the GOP [Republican party] come to lay its liberties at the feet of a whining, self-pitying narcissist?

The Way of the World 

Brendan O’Neill gets to the bottom of transgenderism here. Male narcissism. Again.

The dangerous narcissism of the trans lobby

Spanish

La Corrida: See above

Finally

My 40 sparrows seem to be back. Or have they just come out of hiding now that the aggressive greenfinches have buggered off to greener pastures?

Fair comment?

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.