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

Pre-election Politics: Another of those promises – and a big one – from the (communist) deputy PM of the incumbent PSOE party. Albeit from the far-left-all-embracing Sumar coalition member . . Yolanda Díaz offers young people €20,000 if the PSOE is re-elected, provoking accusations of irresponsibility. Ms Díaz has also came under fire for appointing a transgender woman as her spokeswoman for feminism and equality. Which, predictably, hasn’t gone down well with many women, given the (currently irresolvable) conflict between transgender and feminist rights.

Talking of feminists . . . Do you know about Hildegart Rodríguez Carballeira, who was killed by her mother, as a suspected British spy? Well, if not, don’t flagellate yourself. This was quite some time ago. But now there’s to be a film/movie about it – Sex, eugenics and filicide: a film revisiting a murder that shook Spain. P. S. HSC was Galician, born in Ferrol. As was her nut of a mother. They breed them up there . . .

Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion in Spain have filled in holes on 10 golf courses to draw attention to the huge amounts of water the “elitist leisure pursuit” uses as a nationwide drought continues in the first heatwave of the year. I almost sympathise with them.

Finally, clarity . . . As of yesterdy, facemasks are no longer compulsory in pharmacies, and possibly not in hospitals, dentists and health centres.

Which reminds me . . . Pharmacies in Spain effectively belong to a cartel and they can be be rapacious. I’ve cited in the past paracetamol tables which are 20 times more expensive than the cheapest brands. And the Vicks Vapour Rub which costs €12 here, against €3 in the UK. Finally on this theme, yesterday I paid almost €15 for a flask of calamine lotion, which can be bought – in a larger bottle – for €3.50 in the UK. Of course, in the UK – and probably the USA – you can get these things in supermarkets. Here in Spain you’re not even allowed to buy them in a ‘parafarmácia’. Pharmacists must have friends in high places.

On the other hand, if you develop a personal relationship with a pharmacist, you might well be able to get a prescription item without the bit of paper from a doctor. As with something wanted by my sister in the UK. Or you just get a doctor friend to prescribe whatever you want. Life in Spain is all about the personal factor. With which the (many, many) rules can cease to be rules.

Recent travel advice from The Telegraph . . . Discover Green Spain : In the wild northern reaches, the Mediterranean stereotypes of Spain fade into vistas of awe-inspiring mountains and rugged Atlantic coastlines. Here you can hike through towns clinging like stalactites to the limestone cliffs, dine at colourful fishing harbours or dive into vineyard mazes. Encompassing Cantabria, Galicia, Asturias and the Basque Country, Green Spain’s dramatic landscapes can be explored on foot, by bike, and even on an exhilarating sailing adventure. Spain offers a legion of enriching adventures where novel landscapes and exquisite cuisine await around every corner. A tad flowery but essentially true. Just don’t come to Pv city . . . A dreadful place.

Russia

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary who led a march on Moscow last month, has returned to Russia to collect an arsenal of weapons including a personalised handgun. If he’s still with us, I guess he’s stayed away from windows above the ground floor.

Quote of The Day/The Way of the World

It’s now an established rule that any piece of art more than 5 minutes old must come with a trigger warning. These are now everywhere. The cultural elite must think us stupid. The latest example, believe it or not, is ‘The Sound of Music’. . . Prospective audiences have been warned that they “may find certain themes distressing” –- especially “the threat of Nazi Germany”. No doubt this information will be very useful to all those who have booked tickets to see one of the world’s most famous musicals without knowing literally anything at all about it. Other attendees, however, may find it ever so slightly patronising.

Did you know?

Someone has developed an AI-based system that transfers calls from scammers to one of several bots with a human voice. These will keep the scam caller on the line for as long as possible. Here’s his website, where you can listen to these in action. Might be well worth the annual sub.

Finally . . .

Certainly my view . . . Forget air fryers, our the number 1 kitchen gadget [in the UK, at least] is a humble classic. Only 12% of Brits have air fryers while a third of us can’t live without a microwave.

Which reminds me . . . Some sort of electrical vendetta is being carried out against me . . . First, my lawnmower burnt out a few days ago after my attempts – misguided – to cut the long grass that awaited me after 2 months in Madrid. And now both coffee-grinders are refusing to work, while my Senseo coffee machine is malfunctioning. I wonder what I’ve done to whomsoever.

I am (very) concerned than my microwave will be the next electrical item to go on the blink.

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 – updated a bit in early July 2023.