Cosas de España/Galicia   

Spain’s PM gives Brussels the chance to modify some rules in Spain’s favour, so as not to have to break them. 

Sánchez asks for the rules to be changed so that he can receive EU funds without fulfilling commitments to Brussels

I mentioned extremely expensive garage spaces in San Sebastian yesterday. A Spanish friend has sent me a property report which says this is the most expensive city in Spain, with a price of €3,744 per m2. On average, I suppose.

Inevitable, I guess. The ex king’s mistress cashes in.

It’s amazing what small offences Spain’s various police forces can prosecute you for when they don’t seem to be able to catch illegal e-scooterists, or to stop the massive ‘pirate’ parking that takes place around Santiago airport. 

A judge in The Basque Country has denied the right of parents to call their child what they wanted to, as he considers the name pejorative. In other countries this would be none of his business. But, in truth, it’s only a while since Spanish parents were compelled to choose from the range of saints’ name. Or Jesús or María Jesús, of course.

There’s a bouquet of roses next to O Burgo bridge near the spot where most of the searching for the drowned canoeist took place. But his body has now been found a kilometre or so further down river. Given that there’s a petrol station only a couple of metres away from it, the bouquet seems rather forlorn and incongruous and will, I hope, be moved-

The UK

No wonder they keep coming . . . Last year, 55% of Albanian applicants – mostly young men – were granted asylum in the UK. This compares with Germany and Sweden (and some other EU states) at 0%, France at 2%, Ireland at 3% and Spain at 4%. As someone has asked: How come the UK accepted that more than half the claims were legitimate? Is this an example of UK bureaucrats ‘gold-plating’ EU or International ‘rules’? 

Italy

Allegedly . . . Italy still mourns Mussolini: A culture of victimhood obscures its fascist past. . . . Unlike Germany, Italy has never really come to terms with its fascist past. The spectre of fascism continues to haunt Italian politics

Social Media

Social media: The modern day Salem. Accurate enough. Though rather more global in evil application.

The Way of the World 

1. A  Guardian columnist of 22 years standing there has accused this (left wing) paper of censoring important discussions about gender identity, saying that the editors are fearful of tackling transgender issues over fears of a backlash by staff and being labelled bigots. The paper’s once willing embrace of complex issues, she added, had disappeared in regard to the “gender issue”. Who’d disagree?

2. Virgin Atlantic job applications have doubled since the airline changed its dress code to allow male crew to wear skirts.  But possibly only from 1 to 2 . . .

3. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Xmas gift catalogue offers a sex chair at a mere $28,500. Crafted from the finest leather, it’s decked out with stirrups and restraints and would be equally at home “in bedroom, living room or sex dungeon”. Sadly, I don’t have room for it I’m my salón.

Quote of the Day

The prospect of tax hikes alarms most of us and terrifies the poorest households. But it’s scarcely surprising. It’s reminiscent of that episode of Fawlty Towers when Basil argues with an unruly guest who’s been complaining about the view from her room. “May I ask you what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window?” he snaps. “Sydney Opera House perhaps, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?” May I ask what people expected to see after shuttering the entire economy for the thick end of 2 years, printing money to pay millions of people to stay at home?

Galician

I wonder why mocidade is the word for ‘youth’, as opposed to juventud in Spanish. Possibly related to mozo – Que xa supera a infancia pero aínda non chegou á idade adulta?

Finally   . . . .  

I’ve read that baby chameleons are great for getting rid of fruit flies. Does anyone know where I can get one? I did have one when I was 18 and teaching in the Seychelles, so I’m an expert at looking after them . . .

To amuse . . .

Finally, Finally   . . .

WordPress has congratulated me on a spike in my ‘roaring’ readerships stats but, when I try to see what this means, I get the message – for 7m hours now: We’re sorry, but an unexpected error has occurred. Russian bots???

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.