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 chap can’t do right for doing wrong . . . Pedro Sánchez angers opposition parties with his Morocco holiday. Conservatives denounce the [socialist]Spanish prime minister’s choice of destination after immigration and phone-hacking rows strain relations with Rabat. Another ‘traitorous’ act??

i wrote recently that Spain had come a very long way in the last 50-100 years. Right on cue, I read last night that the average life expectancy back in 1900 was 35 years (against 48.5 in the UK), whereas Spaniards now have the 2nd highest in the world – of 84 years – after only Japan’s 85.

A surprise, possibly reflecting fear of the heat waves. Tourists numbers in Spain grew during the first 6 months of the year, but it are below the 2019 figures.

A heat-related(?) fear that really is growing in Spain.

This is something to attend if you find yourself in Galicia next – or any – March. But don’t mention Francis Drake, as he used to raid this city. The dates this year were 3-5 March. Of the fiesta, not of El Drake’s latest raid.

Cocaine Sharks, is a documentary that speculates that the recent “erratic” behaviour by sharks has been caused by ingestion of cocaine, methamphetamines, ketamine and hallucinogens dumped off the coast of Florida. This happens a lot off our coast too and so I immediately got to wondering if this lies behind the spate of Orcas attacking boats between La Coruña and Gibraltar. Shame we can’t ask them.

A nice foto I took in Pv city last evening. Of the church of the Wandering Virgin. Or, of Pilgrimage, if you prefer.:-

Germany

A summer story? Teachers are furious – apoplectic even – at a government recruitment drive that they say ridicules the profession. The campaign – aimed at alleviating a chronic shortage of teachers – was launched last week by the Baden-Württemberg Education ministry with the slogan: “Don’t fancy working tomorrow? Do what you enjoy and become a teacher!” A sensitive lot, teachers . . .

The USA

There’s an (oldish) (man’s) joke centred on the question how the mind of a woman works. This article tackles something far more valid – the working of the mind of Donald Trump.

Russia v Ukraine

How Ukraine’s cyber warriors are upending everyday life in Russia.

(A)GW/Energy/Net Zero

I had a sudden recollection yesterday of warnings back in the 1970s about global cooling. Wiki says this about it: Global cooling was a conjecture of imminent cooling of the Earth culminating in a period of extensive glaciation, due to the cooling effects of aerosols or orbital forcing[?]. Times – and warnings – clearly change.

More seriously, here’s a Brief* history of climate, from pre-history to the imaginary crisis of the 21st century. As I’ve said, it’s a considered view that needs to be countered by sound arguments from the Apocalypsestas, so as to convince us that we should all – both rich and poor – suffer real economic regression. A tough challenge.

* Well, almost 6 A4 pages

The Way of the World

Effie Deans is an acute – right-of-centre – observer of the Scottish scene. But here she is on the wider theme of (reducing) freedom of speech in the Anglo world.

English

Black market: A long-used phrase meaning a market that operates illegally. UK Finance, a lobby group representing Britain’s banks and financial services companies, says it’s non-inclusive and racist and should be replaced by (the obvious) ‘illegal market’. Which might just happen. But is this really a case of the UK being ahead of the USA in these matters? Or is it already banned there? I can’t see it happening in Spanish. This side of the Atlantic, at least.

Did you know?

The world record for the slowest 100m in an international race has been set by a (hijabed) Somalian lady – who came in at 21.81 seconds – a full 10 behind the Brazilian winner. It’s claimed by some locals that the woman in question is the niece of the chairwoman of the Somalian organisation responsible for the event. Which certainly seems plausible.

Finally . . .

Yesterday I cited a comment that included the word ‘ultraviolet’, which should’ve been ‘ultraviolent’. But the funny thing is that I changed it before I published the post. But possibly only in my LibreOffice document, not in the WordPress draft. Annoying.

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.