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

Not good news . . .

Incomes in Spain the lowest in Europe since 2019: down from €25,180 to €23,450

Also bad news . . Urban traffic pollution . . . It’s reported that only 13% of cities that should have had their ZBE-system in place by Jan 1 have done so. Pv city is one of these, of course. Our mayor was never going to fail to be in the van. It’s very probably his idea,

But a good development for the Iberian lynx.

This kamikaze episode was headline news in the main UK papers this morning: Man held after driving 20 miles on the wrong side of the M4. This is a monthly event here in Galicia. Possibly even weekly. But, then, we have more farmers who drive small-engine cars that don’t need a full licence and can be taken onto motorways, I think, by people who haven’t passed a serious test.

The UK

An interesting thesis . . .

Russia

To answer my own question of yesterday . . . I’ve read a bit more of Putin’s People, where it’s said that Putin was underestimated as the duplicitous double-dealer he always had been. And that the voices who warned about him and the KGB colleagues behind him were ignored by those who wanted Yeltsin to go but not be replaced by the old Communist guard. They very much came to regret their decision. As we all have.

It’s even suggested Putin was behind the timely bombing of flats in Moscow which allowed him to reduce cities in Chechnya to rubble via air and rocket power. After labelling all Chechnyans terrorists and fascists, etc. His favourite approach, as we now know full well.

Social Media

I get very few friend requests on FB. Or at least I did until this week, when I suddenly got 10, a couple from apparently genuine folk but most from attractive young women, who are very probably men phishing. I’ve blocked all the latter but still received this message this morning from one of them, which did nothing to allay my suspicions, as they say: please tell me about yourself, how old are you, and are you seeing someone right now or in a relationship with someone ! how far would you like to take this with me

What I wonder is Why so sudden? Did someone sell my details? Probably,

Did you know?

For Canada’s national emblem, it was a toss-up between the maple leaf and the beaver, with the former winning out. Before they were eradicated, Canada had large number of giant beavers, which werethe size of a black bear . . . Only smaller ones survived. Just about. And have since prospered

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.