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

The FT says Spain’s conservatives scent victory in the upcoming general elections. Adding that: Whoever wins will confront difficulties whose origins lie in the 1970s turn to democracy.

This, of course, reflects the fact that the rising Vox party might form part of a ruling coalition. The Times takes a look at its leader – Santiago Abascal – here: The head of the far-right Vox party is a Spanish Trump who idealises Franco. The writer believes, probably correctly, that: Spanish politics is about to get lively. Its next king-maker may well be an ultraconservative ideologue who sounds nostalgic for General Francisco Franco, the fascist dictator, and wants to get Gibraltar back from the British. It’s never a good thing when your supporters drape themselves in the national flag and you’re congratulated by the likes of Donald Trump and Victor Orban.

The Guardian is worried – here – about Europe’s ‘lurch to the right’. This is blamed on the eternal factionalism of the Left and ignores the fact that today’s parties of the Left no longer pursue the interests of their old working class constituencies. You only have to read The Guardian to discover this.

I’ve been banging on about Galician Godello wine for years. This one is said by some expert to be as good as Chablis, which is possibly stretching things a tad.

I’ve decided I posted the wrong lyrics to the final song of Friday’s Mass. The real ones – referncing God – are set out below,

I was also wrong about the streets east of the park in Aluche. There are, in fact, 9 different streets in a relatively small area all named Valmojado, and 6 called Camarena. Sceptics should scroll up and down here. Can anyone provide any sort of explanation for this infuriating madness?

The EU

It seems the EU has long been the trend-setter when it comes to being nasty to would-be immigrants, while the ‘evil’ UK has been the laggard. Who’d have thought it?

The USA

Click here for the trenchant views on Donald Trump of that very tall FBI chief whom he sacked for being disloyal.

The Way of the World

This columnist says: There’s always been a healthy debate about the purported intelligence of what Aristotle called the ‘demos’. Is the public wise or stupid, intelligent or gullible? He addresses this his age-old question in the context of today’s dreadful celebrity culture. Nice final sentence.

English

The richness of our [British English] language is under threat like never before – and an imported culture is to blame, says Tomiwa Owolade here. Interestingly, he was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK when he was 9.

Finally . . .

If you’re a football fan, this article will interest and amuse you. If you’re not, don’t bother reading it. Unless you’re desperate for a smile.

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.

THE SPANISH LYRICS TO ONE VERSION OF AULD LANG SYNE

Por que perder las esperanzas de volverse a ver…
Por que perder las esperanzas si hay tanto querer…
No es mas que un hasta luego, no es mas que un breve adiós…
Muy pronto junto al fuego nos reuniremos.

Con nuestras manos enlazadas en tono al fogón formemos está noche un círculo de amor…
No es más que un hasta luego, no es más que un breve adiós.. Muy pronto junto al fuego nos reuniremos.
Es el señor que nos protege y nos va a bendecir seguro que otro día nos habrá de unir…

No es más que un hasta luego no es más que un breve adiós muy pronto junto al fuego nos reuniremos.

No es más que un hasta luego no es más que un breve adiós muy pronto junto al fuego nos reuniremos…

No es más que un hasta luego no es más que un breve adiós, muy pronto junto al fuego nos reuniremos… Nos reuniremos.