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

In Spain, regional politicians who ran – corruptly – the local parties were called caciques, a word South American origin. It’s now fallen out of favour in favour of barones and some of these are still pretty corrupt. Allegedly. Be that as it may, they don’t have to agree with whoever is the national party leader or even, it seems, implement his/her policies where they have devolved powers. The ‘far´right’ Vox party would, I believe, like to get rid of these regional presidents and again concentrate power in Madrid. Probably never going to happen.

The word Ibiza doesn’t, for me, conjure up the places highlighted here. Which is a shame.

Archaeologists have made a bizarre discovery in the Meira Tower in Vigo’s ría[estuary] – an artefact with potentially violent purposes. The object is believed to be around 500 years old and might have been used as a weapon-sharpening stone during an uprising in the 14th century.  (??The Irmandiño revolts/wars of the 15^th century??)

During the Spain-Italy match last night, the commentator several times advertised a later program on Channel 1. I was taken back to the years when even important matches had commercial ads appearing below or even on the screen during play. A massive irritation to some – most? – of us. Those days are long gone, thank god.

This is one of the Galician grain stores – hórreos – I mentioned the other day. Very probably the one behind the monastery in Poio, the 2nd largest in the region.

Normally just 4 legs suffice, each with the circular stone at the top of it, to prevent mice and rats getting at the stuff stored therein.

Portugal

Europe’s quest to phase out fossil fuels is hitting one mountain-top community hard, it’s claimed here. The villagers there are said to be on front line of an energy battle with China. All to do with lithium. The stuff behind an alleged German colony in Spain established during WW2. Oh,no. That was wolfram. Nowadays called tungsten. Both metals. An easy mistake to make . . .

Anyway, the Portuguese and the Galicians have formed joint protest groups against plans to mine lithium on both sides of the river Miño/Minho. Probably futilely.

The UK

So, is this judgment correct? . . . In the end, those who said Johnson could not change, that character is destiny, were right. Those of us who hoped that the responsibility of the highest office would prompt him to grow up, were wrong. Now he is gone from parliament, thank goodness. There will be successful books and amusing scribblings aplenty. But his prime ministerial career is history. I include myself in the group who hoped his strengths would be good for the country, overlooking my long-standing observation that the folk with the greatest strengths also tend to have the greatest weaknesses. But, while we might well have seen the end of Boris the Politician, it’s hard to believe he will now disappear up his own fundament, as they say. He is, after all, a bad penny. And we know what happens with them.

Germany

This article surveys surprising return of the far-right AfD party – a ‘zombie that keeps rising from the dead’. The author claims that the Germans are exasperated with the establishment parties, with whom their patience is growing incredibly thin. Possibly because, as elsewhere in Europe, the drive for Net Zero is banging up against geopolitical and economic realities.

The EU

AEP writes here of growing fondness for – and talk of – imperialism in the EU. Admittedly of the benign form. And asks how this will go down with Anglo liberals.*

*A word of numerous meanings these days.

Quote of The Day

From ex senior Minister David Frost: Both Johnson and Truss were authors of their own misfortune. If they had governed more effectively, they would still be in power. They didn’t realise how much they were disliked and how quickly mistakes would be seized upon. But they were both correct in one important thing: in seeing Brexit as a moment for change – as part of the solution, not part of the problem. Unfortunately change now seems to be off the agenda. The dominant wish in the Government, in Parliament, in the Civil Service, in the broader state apparatus – [the ‘Establishment’] – is to go back to normal – to how things once were, just with Britain outside the EU rather than in it. Don’t try to change anything much. Don’t modernise any processes. Don’t attempt to deal with our underlying economic problems.

Spanish

Another HT to Lenox Napier of Business over Tapas for this article which talks of the 400+ words in everyday use in Spain which come from euskera, the Basque language.

BTW . . . Marmita doesn’t mean ‘Marmite’. It’s a pot or kettle.

Finally . . .

I have been FB befriended by a Pv city lady who shares 2 mutual friends, though one of them recalls nothing about her. Looking at her profile, I see I was number 4,751 on her list of ‘friends’. Or I was when I typed this. I might be way down the list by now.

To amuse . . .

My 4 year old (Star-Wars-mad) grandson just about got it. Well, he said it was funny because none of the darts hit the board. Not sure he got the real point.

Finally, finally . . .

I’ve had to write this post earlier than usual these days, as my daughter has decided that, having this week completed the annual chore of my income tax declaration – La Renta – I should dedicate my last day here to finalising hers. For which, gratitude will possibly be in short supply . . .

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.