Awake, for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight.

And, lo, has caught the sultan’s turret In a noose of light!

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable

– Christopher Howse: ‘A Pilgrim in Spain’ 

Cosas de España/Galiza

I’m indebted again to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for:-

1. This nice video series on Spain during the last century

2. This La Vanguardia article on the new law aimed at cigarette companies.

3. The news that – of the regions/CAs/’nationalities’ that have their own (co-official) language, Galicians speak theirs the most. Indeed, sometimes you could be forgiven for thinking there wasn’t another one. Am a bit surprised that the Basques don’t use theirs more.

And a reader kindly has sent me this news of a film which got a bad review in one of our local papers, as I recall: A movie that is making the rounds now and that might be of interest here is “As Bestas”. Won plaudits from critics all over the world. It is about rural Galicia and the problems that arise in relation to communal rights. It is also about ex-pats facing hostile natives. Further down the line it has been described as a Western, a horror movie and an environmental psycho-thriller. Perhaps not the most uplifting sort of movie to watch if you are a foreigner living in (rural) Galicia, but some say the best movie to come out of Spain in years.

A friend sent me this foto of the perfect treats for Reyes, when camels are sometimes involved in the Epiphany cabalgata:-

They’re made by a Spanish company called Fini. Only in Spain?

This magical place was on my To See list for my (aborted) road trip to Aragón and Navarra last October. I plan to try again in Spring. As Max rightly says: Places like this are what make Spain such a special country. One could even consider Spain to be a small continent as it offers almost every terrain you could possibly imagine. The choice and wealth of nature is far beyond what most people can even imagine, but wander away from the coastline and you can discover a world that will leave its mark forever.

So, no big money to Pv city in either of the huge Xmas/NY national lotteries. It might not be Sodom and Gomorrah but God is clearly displeased with the natives.

Way of the World

It had to happen – LGBTQWERTY

As I think I’ve said more than once . . . Future generations will look back in horror at today’s censorious puritans.

The myth of the ‘right side of history’

English

As they say, English spelling is weird, though through thorough thought it can be achieved.

Did you know?

There’s a new UK TV channel, aimed at (BBC neglected)Boomers – ‘That’s the 60s’. It will be commercially funded through advertising and broadcast across the UK on Freeview channel 75, Sky channel 366 and Freesat. It’s a nice background sound to, say, writing a blog post. But . . . Does anyone remember Paul Revere and the Raiders?

Finally . . .

Yesterday – the Epiphany/Reyes/The Kings – was the 2^nd day of presents for Spanish kids in not much more than a week. Judging by the squeals and shouts coming from next door, my neighbours must have been hosting at least 10 kids and their parents. Which partly explains why I had to go more than 100m down the road before I could find a parking space on Thursday night.

But only 75m last night.

For new readers:-

1. 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.

2. Should you want to, the easiest way to to get my post routinely is to sign up for email subscription. As opposed to using a Bookmark or entering the URL in your browser.