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 wheel turns. At least in Cataluña, going topless at the beach is now a key feminist demand. Much to the enjoyment of the male of the species. Many of whom disliked earlier feminists.

I checked on this recommended Galician wine yesterday and assumed there was a decimal point in the wrong place in the quoted price. But, no, it really is close to €1,000 a bottle. But it is rated at 97/100 by the world’s leading wine experts. Who can probably drink it for free.

Eye on Spain brings us Things That Only Happen in Spain in Summer.

A fascinating find from the age of the fascinating Phoenicians

All you need to know about getting a digital nomad visa. If the link doesn’t open, try the Reader option in Safari or Chrome.

France

Whose fault is the riotous situation there? This (French) columnist fingers M Macron, here and here. But opinions will differ, of course. I know she’s right when she says: The banlieues around France’s largest cities are the scene of recurrent ranged battles waged with heavy weapons. Police authority is challenged at almost every turn by a population that doesn’t acknowledge the very notion of authority.

UK

As the whole world seems to think that – post-Brexit – Britain is going to going to hell in a handcart, it’s worth noting that there’s no far-right political party there and (relatively mild) rioting only takes place once every 10 years.And never on the French scale

The EU

Good question . . . If sending migrants to Rwanda is illegal, unworkable and racist, why do so many countries in the EU now want to copy it? It’s reported that a group of 8 EU member states – including Denmark, Greece and Austria – have urged Brussels to “explore innovative ways of tackling irregular migration” – by “looking into new and effective approaches with partner countries”. This sounds eerily like what the UK Government is trying to do with Rwanda. If so, it’s a surprising development. From reading liberal commentary on the subject, I was under the impression that such a sickeningly fascistic policy could only be pursued by nasty old Brexit Britain. So it’s quite a turn-up to see it find favour in the beacon of compassion and inclusivity that is the EU.

The USA

Dear dog! Americans are said to be copying the Essex accent of the contestants in the British Reality TV show, Love Island.

Quote of The Day

Common sense has gone out the window: Given that we hardly ever seem to build houses in [the UK] any more, the point may seem moot. All the same, it’s good to see a government Minister ordering officials to rethink an absurd new health and safety rule for new houses. Under this, all upstairs windows are required to be small and high-up – in order to prevent people from accidentally falling out of them. Because AGW will mean windows will be open more often . .

The Way of the World

Be warned: An horrendous booking.com experience, born of the company’s (mis?)use of computers driven by the latest technology.

English

New to me, and possibly East End slang:- ‘To chaffer’: To bargain/trade; To indulge in wordy/small talk; To haggle.

Spanish

Reader Paideleo tells me that caco is not slang, for ‘thief’. It comes, he avises, from Greek mythology. Cacus stole some cows from Hercules. Paideleo points out that: The nice thing is that he had a sister named Caca. Which means what it sounds like in Spanish.

Finally . . .

It comes to something when a Catholic church lies about its Sunday Masses, as it does here. And also here. The first is via Google on my Android phone and the second was on my PC laptop. The first says there are Masses as 8 and 9. And second says there are Masses at 9 and 11. In reality, there’s only a single Mass at 10. But at least, after an abortive trip to the city centre, I wasn’t fined for parking as near as I could get my sister-with-a-gammy leg to the church. Small mercies. I’m not sure I’d have escaped a fine if I’d taken her down for the Mass at 10. The local police might well be up by then.

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.