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

More here on the implications for residents in Spain of the EU’s plans for energy efficiency

The Guardian picks up here on my recent claims that always-noisy Spain is getting even nosier. At least in some urban spots. Where young Spaniards can show the (in)famous lack of consideration for strangers.

More and more Spanish companies are moving towards a ‘continuous working day’. In other words, away from the crazy horario which involves a 3 hour breaks between 2 and 5. I suspect that no one will be working the latter by as early as 2075.

The sort of statistic that our local papers love . . . La Coruña is the 3rd worst city in Spain for swearing.

Something possibly not rerally secret in Santiago de Compostela.

These stands on O Burgo bridge give us info on the mayor’s plans for making life even more difficult for car drivers.

A couple of them were knocked over the other day, an act of vandalism which merited front page coverage in the DdP. Which says something.

Europe

Fittingly, Jeremy Warner is something of a jeremiah . . . Europe is in denial about the banking crisis engulfing it. See here for his rationale.

Germany

Germany’s economic model seems to be breaking down before our very eyes. You’ll need to read that article for how and why.

The EU

Back in 2018 Brussels said permanent summer time would be introduced in 2019. For one reason and another, this was postponed until 2021. But it didn’t happen and now we’re promised that a decision will be taken in 2026. Maybe. Madrid is against it and says Spain will continue to do its own thing. Not for the first time.

The USA

Fed follies.

The Way of the World

So, are we really getting close to the (predicted)end of the transgender madness? Looks like it.

Less importantly . . . After a screw dropped out of the case of my newish HP laptop yesterday, I spent more than an hour trying to procure a new one from HP. Only to be told – eventually – that they didn’t supply these. I was pretty sure the dialogue I’d had with someone in HP was actually a bot. Especially when it signed off, saying it was pleased to have been of use to me. As if.

English

Eldritch: The word is about 500 years old and is believed to have come from Middle English “elfriche,” meaning “fairyland.” The two components of “elfriche” – “elf” and “riche” – come from the Old English “ælf” and “rīce” (words which meant, literally, “elf kingdom”). Now said to mean: Strange or unnatural especially in a way that inspires fear; Weird; Eerie.

Spanish

Tirar la manta: Lit. ‘To throw the blanket’. I thought this meant ‘To throw in the towel’ but it seems to mean ‘To let the cat out of the bag’.

Finally . . .

My 4 year old nieto looked at the small version of Guernica on my hall wall and asked me what it was about. After I’d explained, he said: Why are all the people naked?

My solitary daff – still struggling towards flowerdom . . .

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.