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
A headline: Netflix Loses A Million Subscribers In Spain After Greedy Password Sharing Crackdown. This columnist says it was blanketly stupid to impose annoying and costly new restrictions at a time when streaming competition has become more heated than ever. Strangely enough, my daughter here in Madrid hasn’t been asked to cough up for me.
A chap in the solar-panel business tells me that companies are now scrambling for land in the northern – and less sunny – regions of Galicia and Asturias. Because they’ve exhausted opportunities down South. Anyone got 6+ hectares going spare?
Not everyone here in Madrid is enjoying this week’s heat wave as much as I am . . .Or was that last week? Time has seemed a bit different recently.
A tell-tale graphic from a Galician paper . . .
UK
Ahead of the Eurovision song contest, Liverpool has local elections. Here’s something for those interested in the political scene there . . Essentially left-wing in-fighting. And nastier than ever.
Ireland
I never really watch the comedy series, Father Ted, set in Ireland. So, I was interested to read that it was produced at the time of a unique national turning point, where our 19th-century past seemed to co-exist with our 21st-century future. More here.
Iran
More on Persian influences on the world . . . We are all Zoroastrians now: Iranian concepts have clearly marked the religions that dominated the last few millennia of civilizations from Rome to Jerusalem to Mecca. But it goes further; the volcanic social movements divisive enough to rend our global civilization also have their roots in Persian concepts.
The Way of the World
NFTs . . . To the astonishment of anyone with a few brain cells, one of these was sold for $2.9m in early 2021. But is now valued at a mere $280. Details here.
Why I don’t use my phone for banking, even though my banks in the UK and here are both only on-line . . . Mobile banking apps are leaving customers “dangerously exposed” to fraud, with users at risk of losing tens of thousands of pounds. A report found the apps were too easily compromised by fraudsters.
Spanish
- Engorroso: Cumbersome; Burdensome.
- Manido: Hackneyed; Stale; Overdone
Did you know?
The British Museum in London has an exhibition – ‘Luxury and Power’ – which is a riveting display of ancient artefacts, and the beliefs that gave rise to them. And of a dazzling treasures that offer a glimpse into the Greek and Persian soul. That’s the Times’ reviewer. The Guardian’s was less bowled ove
Finally . . .
I went shopping at Primark for the first time today. The prices were even lower than I expected. But only 2 of the 15 pay-desks were open – ie 13%. Which is one way to save overheads, I guess.
Does anyone know a Monica Schmid, living in Tacona, Washington? She might just be the lovely/looking – and perceptive – lady who sent me this message yesterday: Como estás ? Vi tu perfil pasando por mi Facebook y es muy cautivador. Debo decir que estoy muy impresionado con tu perfil y me encantaría ser tu amigo aquí en Facebook, si no te importa envíame una solicitud de amistad ahora. Gracias. I’m not entirely convinced she’s real. Nor that anyone will know her.
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.
Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain 
Ahhh Colin, your “new friend” Monica has been looking around in my neck of the woods and for the moment, I’ll let you with your declared CV take care of her wishes.
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Thus spake Zarathustra! That’s an interesting article by Razib Khan.
The First Temple built by Solomon was about the size of a large church & Israelite religious belief at the time required “living” or fresh running water, so it was most likely located over the Gihon Spring within the City of David, rather than outside where the Dome of the Rock is now positioned. https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/39408/in-1-kings-133-where-was-gihon-and-why-did-david-instruct-solomon-be-taken-the#39409
After 130 years of research, surveys & archaeological excavations, the location of the “City of David” was confirmed by Kathleen Kenyon in 1967. After the Roman -Jewish War , 66 AD to 73 AD, Josephus: War VII Chapter 1, wrote that “Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple……it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind”. Which is why the KJB contains a prophecy. “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down”. Hence, no archaeological evidence has yet been found for the temples that Jerusalem forgot.
Using the ruins of the devastated city as a quarry, the area of Jerusalem now known as The Old City was founded 60 years later, by the Emperor Hadrian circa 130 AD as Aelia Capitolina & as such, did it was continue to be known, until the Siege of Jerusalem 636-37 AD under Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, who went on to start the conquest of Persia, until he was assassinated in 644 AD. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_David_(archaeological_site)#Location
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