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 return of the EU wine lake? Or at least lake-lets.

Which reminds me . . . I couldn’t find el vino de Jerez in one supermarket this morning. Not even in the ‘ususual drinks’ section where I’ve seen it in another supermarket. But I did see a bottle of San Simón tempranillo – the Rioja grape – at €1.50.

Those nasty/playful Orcas are still at it.

Per the VdG: One impact of the early general election in a country where you can be summoned to do ballot-box duty on a Sunday in July: Galicians aren’t giving up their vacations to vote: Although the election announcement caused a drop in the booking of vacations, travel agencies confirm that demand recovered strongly in recent weeks. After the electoral committee clarified that it will only exempt from manning the urns those who’d bought tickets before May 29, those who were not so farsighted have chosen to bring forward their reservations a little, to be back in time in case they have to spend election Sunday standing by the ballot box. All so as not to lose a well-deserved annual rest. And the prices of plane tickets are have literally[?] gone through the roof. The cheapest tickets to fly from Santiago to Tenerife next month are already around €300, more than triple what it costs to travel to London.

The VdG also takes up my theme of Renfe price gouging on Galicia-bound trains, in the first item below.

The 2nd item is my translation of a menu. What’s interesting about this is the fact that the food – Galician, Mexican, Peruvian, Korean, Argentinean, American – is very different from the traditional Galician dishes universally available 20 years ago, when there was little variety and no fusion. Except for the nouvelle cuisine in some very expensive places. One pioneer in changing this was my friend Marta, who introduced a menu which was ‘traditional with a touch of difference’. Foreigners loved the food but she was too early for the (very conservative) locals who didn’t, mostly. How things have changed in the last 10 years – a Moroccan restaurant, 2 or 3 sushi places and more restaurants offering a ‘fusion’ menu than you can shake a stick at. But no Thai restaurant yet. And the attempt at a genuine Korean place 15(?) years ago failed after only 6 months. Time for a new attempt?

Talking of food . . . Here’s The Guardian on the plans of a Galician company to set up an octopus farm. Can’t stand the stuff myself.

The UK & Brexit

A Brexiteer gives here his (partial) view of why the benefits of Brexit are yet to be reaped.

Russia

Two better-than-average articles, here and here.

(A)GW/Energy/Net Zero

Richard North today: One major handicap in accepting anything politicians say these days is the realisation that, collectively, they embrace an energy policy which is, frankly, insane. More here.

RN mentions Scotland, which reminded me of this article read last night, about the madness there. Where Scotland has become a testing ground for green policies that prioritise ideology over living standards. As in the case of Wales, it’s partly a reflection of an obsession with nationalism. Raising the question of whether Cataluña, País Vasco or Galiza are more ‘green’ than Madrid.

As for the costs of Net Zero, see here on this.

One thing we can be sure of . . . Solving all the problems will result in all the increased costs, subsidies, etc. being passed on to the consumer, with the poorest hit hardest. Difficult to see this being tolerated indefinitely. The people can be revolting.

English

Corporate-ese: We’re more equipped, focused and energised than ever before. Translation: We’ve just laid off thousands of employees.

Did you know?

There are lullabies and lullabies. Reader Alexandras has kindly sent me this alarming one from Lithuania.

Finally . . .

Readership . . . After 3 days of big increases, now back down to the normal level. Hey, ho.

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.

1. THE MENU

Nibbles

Fried Herbón peppers

Creamy salad with green peppers and tuna belly(half portion)

Spicy potatoes with black garlic alioli and spicy kimchi mayonnaise

Home-made pastries of octopus and Arzua Illoa cheese

A ‘tasting’ of the chef’s creamy croquetas,

To follow and to share

Home-made guacamole with ‘pico de gallo’ Mexican sauce and corn tortilla chips

Volandeiras – like scallops but smaller – roasted with a cheese topping, Galician style.

Creamy salad with hot green peppers and tuna belly(full portion)

Tomato ‘country’ salad with tuna, spring onions and dried fruit.

Avocado roasted with San Simón cheese, crispy corn and topped with coriander

Sea bass marinated with cherry tomatoes, fresh seaweed and capers

Crispy spicy breadcrumbed king prawns with spicy chipotle and coconut sauce

Crispy cheese bombs, tomato jam and Thai basil

‘Broken’ fried eggs with Basque sausage, ‘rustic’ potatoes and Hebrón peppers.

As your main course . . . Or not

Our squid, with ‘Carabela’ chips, with lime and ‘luxury’ potatoes

Fresh creste di gallo all’arrabiata, with prawns

Octopus with grated ‘tit’ cheese and garlic sauce

Beef loin with luxury potatoes and black garlic mayonnaise

Finger food

Tacos of shredded farmyard chicken, tamarind, peanuts and lime

Squid sandwich of Amásame bread, with potato wedges and lime mayonnaise

Carabela barbecued mashed burger, with San Simón cheese, relish, alveoli of black garlic

Small sandwich of Picaña roast beef with pickle, rocket and mustard

Skewer of steak tartar, truffle mousse

Something sweet

Millefeuille of chocolate, caramel and mandarin ice-cream

Pineapple in rum, coconut ice-cream

Creamy cheesecake, with strawberry ice-cream

Coulant of chocolate(70%), white chocolate sauce, cocoa.

2 scoops of mixed favours ice-cream

Kids menu

Grandma’s croquetas

Strips of chicken breast with potatoes

Drink

Scoop of ice-cream

2. RENFE

How to avoid Renfe’s monopoly on the Galicia-Madrid route*

In Spain there is a market in which there is currently a clear monopoly situation and in which the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) does not act and has no plans to do so. This is the Galicia-Madrid high speed line, in which, due to an unfortunate political decision in the past, two track gauges coexist: the international and the Iberian. Renfe is the only company with high-speed trains capable of adapting to different gauges, and is therefore the only operator present in this corridor. The high cost of variable gauge trains, which can only be assumed by a business group such as Renfe, whose losses are compensated through the General State Budget, represents a strong barrier to entry into the market that ensures that there will be no competition. In other words, it creates a de facto monopoly. This is confirmed by the fact that the director of Ouigo in Spain has assured that they will not operate on the line due to the high cost of variable gauge trains, and that the directors of Iryo have assured that, at the earliest, they could operate from 2026, if they finally decide to acquire variable gauge trains.

Faced with this situation, one would expect that a state-owned company such as Renfe would decide not to take advantage and, seeking the common good, would offer reasonable services and prices. However, a simple internet search is enough to verify that it is very difficult to find a one-way ticket from Galicia to Madrid for less than €100 euros for a weekend, even buying it months in advance. The possibilities for young people do not improve either, since the “Verano joven” promotion launched by the Government does not apply to trains with connections, which are almost all those on the line to Galicia, which uses Ourense as a hub for transfers.

It is paradoxical that a regiom “with AVE” is isolated because the public rail operator uses its dominant position to profit by offering exorbitant prices. It is therefore essential and urgent that the authorities with decision-making power over the railway market take measures to avoid prolonging the monopoly situation beyond 2026. Even if the new Avril trains come into operation this year, Renfe must be prevented from continuing to act as a monopoly company, either by regulating prices as happens with medium distance services, or by facilitating the entry of competition on the line. Otherwise, the large – and necessary – investment made in the infrastructure will be wasted, and other less sustainable means of transport such as the airplane or the car will be favored.

*By driving a car or taking a plane, apparently