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

1. The Elections

Three FT columns:-

• Spain faces an uncertain political future after election deadlock. New parliamentary pacts will emerge only from fraught bargaining between the biggest parties and 2 different sets of potential allies among Spain’s fragmented tableau of small regional groups. Complicated by a total lack of trust on all sides. But perhaps more akin to painful purgatory, than to painless limbo.
• Conservative mistakes helped Pedro Sánchez halt Vox’s march in Spain
• What Spain’s messy election result means for Europe

Here’s the FT’s most recent (and relevant) comment, on a bizarre outcome in the wonderfully complex world of (‘tribal’) Spanish politics, where various types of ‘nationalism’ dictate outcomes: The Catalan fugitive [bewigged]Carles Puigdemont emerges as the potential kingmaker in Spain’s election stalemate. Simply by abstaining, the 7 MPs of ‘Together for Catalonia'(Junts) could help the Socialists stay in power. Which they surely will do. For at how high a price. And, if so, how will voters react to this at another election later this year? A ‘nice’ call for Sánchez.

If this happens, I wonder if the PP leader, Gallego Alberto Feijoo, will stay in power? Incidentally, another of his (non-credible) promises – made here in the region, of course – was that, as PM, he’d prioritise Galician concerns. Which, in reality, was less-than-necessary, as the PP always wins here.

Here’s Lenox Napier on the results. He asks the same question a I do re Feijoo’s future. And supplies the name of his obvious successor

And here’s The Corner with the same conclusion: No one won but everyone lost.

You can find María’s account of her day in charge of una mesa here. Or here on FB, if you don’t subscribe to her blog.

And here is the (rather odd) experience of one reader . . . I go into the cubicle, in privacy, to place my vote. Stick it in an envelope and drop it in to the voting box. But! . . . Our cubicle (note the singular) was only sealed on 2 sides. On the open side, visible to half the room, each party’s observer jostled for position to see which paper I chose.There were 8 or 9 of these. One for each mob. All stuck to the wall, all in full view. I wonder if this happened at María’s place.

2. Other things

The infamous ex-police chief who played a large role in the ‘sewers of the state’ has been jailed. Accused of trying to discredit some of Spain’s most high-profile politicia and business leaders, he’s been sentenced to 19 years in prison.We now wait to see how he responds with his threatened revelations re very dirty governement activities.

Today is a bank holiday here in Galicia, as it’s ‘Galicia Day’. This kicked off with a fairground yesterday, the noise of which was reaching my eyrie well into the early hours(la madrugada). I got to wondering what the equivalent to this day would be in the UK, where there are no ‘regions’ with Presidents and governments, only counties(condados) with ‘councils’ . For example, Cheshire. Though there are larger units – conurbations such as Merseyside and Tyneside. Anyway, the closest thing I could come up with as a celebration of ‘regionality’ was the Cheshire Show. An essentially agricultural event*, which isn’t honoured with a bank holiday. But I did take a Galician visitor one year and she was astonished – as I was – to see that British bulls are very much larger – and tamer – than Spain’s toros bravos. Though with much less powerful necks.

*Lots of cows in Cheshire.

Talking about regional/provincial/municipal administrations . . . HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for this recent item, on events post the May local elections: Last week’s editorial looked at some of the wage-increases for the mayors of predominantly PP or Vox controlled towns. Since then, several more wage-hikes have been reported, but one in particular takes the biscuit. This is the small Valenican town of Jalance – Pop 788- which the new PP mayor has claimed his emolument to be increased from the hitherto annual sum of €0 to the peculiar figure of €34,848.05. But, as I say, What’s the point of power, if you can’t abuse it?

Russia

• ‘It’s guns versus butter’: Russia is on the brink, as Putin’s war chest empties.
• The Kremlin’s fortunes crumble as oil profits plunge and the workforce flees conscription

The Way of the World

Ryanair passengers could be forgiven a double-take. Here is a carrier that justifiably badges itself as the “lowest fare/lowest cost EU airline”. But look what the first-quarter figures show: a business raking it in at the customers’ expense. Yes, I can personally vouch for that, having paid more than €400 each for 2 one-way tickets from Manchester to Oporto a few weeks ago.

Social Media

• A sceptic’s take on Elon Musk’s announcement re X.
• And a more positive view(?) of the man’s prospects with X.

Spanish

• Abeja: Bee
• Avispa: Wasp
• Avispón: Hornet (‘big wasp’)
• Avispero: Wasps’/Hornets’ nest

This nasty creature is now relatively common here in Galicia and its sting can be fatal. In 2017, a man died here after being stung over 20 times while pruning a tree. Recently, 4 or 5 of these hornets have regularly visited my neighbours’ hedge of box(seto de boj) and I had to kill 2 of them in the house yesterday. Not a good development with 2 very young kids in the house.

English

Yellowface: I quote: ‘A disparaging term for a white person transfixed by and emulative of Asian culture’

Finally . . .

To amuse . . .

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.