Energy  

This is a table showing the measures being taken by European governments to ease the burden of massively increased prices. Only 1 country – Spain – has resorted to all of them and only 2 countries – Malta and Slovakia – have resorted to none. How Spain can afford to do this is beyond me. We have an olive tree in the centre of Pv city. Perhaps there’s a magic money tree in Madrid:-

Life in Spain

Early today I made a 2nd trip to the IT company about replacing my Mac’s battery. And I will have to make at least 2 more. For some reason, this sort of thing seems to happen a lot in Spain. 

Cosas de Spain/Galiza

I don’t much follow the ever-so-tribal politics of Spain. So, I’m always very grateful when the estimable Guy Hedgecoe comes along with an article like this one: The saviour vibe: Welcome, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to the big-time.

I thought it was 8 but this report says 10 people have been fatally gored by bulls this summer. Leading to at least a bit of controversy.

When I came in 2000, Spain almost certainly had the highest number of staff per branch/customer in at least Europe. Now they have the least. A total of 2,958 branches were closed here in 2020. Guess what’s happened to service . . . HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for  this info.

Every Sunday, a gypsy comes to my gate and seeks money for food for his ‘starving’ kids. I’ve never believed this claim, of course, and last week I asked him if it was really him I’d seen coming up the hill on an e-scooter. He vehemently denied this but I saw him again this week. And he even greeted me as we passed. I mention this only because – having seen the puncture arms in his arms – I have a suspicion this DdP report might be about him: A man who was riding an e-scooter in the wrong direction on the shoulder of an intercity road tested positive for alcohol and drugs.

The UK 

The answer to my question of yesterday . . . Funny and delusional, Johnson’s farewell speech was classic Boris.

And an interesting observation from an old political hand: Boris Johnson broke all the rules, but history may be kind to him yet.

This article will produce some laughs, and not just from non-Brits. It’s headed: After 3 weeks travelling in Europe, I’m calling it – British food is the best. But, truth to tell, the writer has a (good) point. How I wish we had such diversity in Pv city.

Russia

Why Putin’s failure in Ukraine will be as momentous as Gorbachev’s in Russia.

Spanish

The 2nd 5 of the argot(jerga) of today’s Spanish kids:-

Boquerón: Dícese de quien no ha dado su primer beso en condiciones. 

Bro: Esta es fácil, diminutivo de brother (hermano). 

Buen dato: En modo irónico para soltarle a alguien que nos importa un rábano.

Capitán Obvius: No, no es un superhéroe. Es alguien que dice cosas . . . obvias. 

Carpeta: Muy de realities[sic] shows. Un rollito de amor entre dos concursantes. 

Incidentally, a Spanish friend I sent them to commented Estoy ‘out’ de the street language of todays’ kids. Thus giving me a new usage.

Finally   . . . .

On a personal note . . . Yesterday, I walked the camino to Caldas de Reis with a nice group of folk led by a Galicia-based professional guide, Mark Auchincloss. I’ll offer some observations tomorrow but for today:-

– If you start at 8 or 9 in the morning in the summer/autumn season, you’ll be in the company of dozens – if not hundreds – of other ‘pilgrims’.

– The experience is not enhanced by walking for over an hour in a subtropical downpour*, amplified by the drips from the trees in the forest you’re walking through. With puddles in your ‘waterproof’ boots.

– I no longer recommend the O Muiño restaurant in Caldas – as I have done many times to walkers over the years – as I had a bad dining experience there at the end of my trek.

*Which seems to be what the forecasted cyclone/hurricane turned out to be. 

En passant . . . I walked 26km – c. 33,500 steps – but my scales today say I didn’t lose a single ounce/gram. Which doesn’t seem fair.

Welcome to new subscriber Judy Delarosa. Who has a lovely surname.   

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.