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 2023 general election: Pedro Sánchez scores a tactical win in Spain’s post-election wrangling. He could stay PM as Congress appoints a socialist Speaker – a significant step to forming a new government. This was on the back of the crucial support of Catalan nationalists, in what was largely seen as a barometer before a parliamentary vote for a PM.

The 1933 general election: The vote of November 1933 constituted the first clean and democratic general election in Spanish history. This was not only because the government went to great lengths to ensure that the process was fair, but also because – for the very first time – women voted in a national election. . . This is not to deny that fraud, bribery, intimidation, and other electoral malpractices took place but this did not affect the overall result. . . . Thus the 1933 general election represented ‘an enormous step forward in the political life of Spain – the first reasonably honest yet fiercely competitive elections in Spanish history’. From The Penguin History of Modern Spain: 1898 to the Present by Nigel Townson.

Nice to see this from the author: If anyone personified the civic and democratic ideals of the Republic, it was the modest and hard-working Rico Avello, a conscientious administrator who was able to collaborate effectively with colleagues of both the left and right, while eschewing the self-righteous sectarianism and ideological breast-beating that plagued the politics of the Second Republic. Spanish politics were clearly even more tribal 90 years ago, possibly making the Civil War inevitable.

This is a pretty accurate article on Spanish eating habits, but with an odd headline that appears to have been misunderstood by many commentators: Fascism is behind the Spanish habit of eating so absurdly late. But it’s a nonsense to say that Galicia is so far west that really it should be in the next timezone, GMT-1. As you can see from this chart, it’s in the UK-Portugal-Canaries GMT-0 zone. Where the rest of Spain really should be. And once was. And – just possibly – could be again at some time in the future. When pigs take up flying perhaps.

María gives us her views from a small Galician village here or here. On a very unhappy episode in Spanish history.

The UK

A shocking review of British politics. Is this a case of the Law of Unintended Consequences?? Specifically, is this what happens when you ‘professionalise’ politics and stop the publicly-spirited rich running the country?? The professional politicians on good money turn out to be rank – and self-serving – amateurs. And there’s no going back.

But are, say, French and German politicians this incompetent and venal? Quite possibly, I imagine.

Germany

A villa owned by Heinrich Himmler – the ‘notorious Nazi butcher’ – has been converted into a hotel offering ‘fine dining and cocktails’. Would any normal person really want to stay or even eat there?

China

Sell your shares soon? AEP is back to being Cassandra, at least in respect of this huge economy: China’s property crash is becoming more dangerous by the day: The country’s ticking time bomb economy is nearing the point of detonation. More here. At least AEP is confident China’s PM won’t let the ticking time bomb detonate. Somehow. But, if he does, what will that mean for the rest of the world? Ah, the bottom line: If he doesn’t, the global financial system is in for a dangerous denouement this winter. Fingers crossed.

The USA

Trump has made abnormality the new normal: This is a perilous moment for US democracy where the boundaries of morality and prudence are blurred, if not destroyed. Explanation here. Not a good picture. Offering Putin – who’s not exactly an angel – plenty of material for his campaign against an evil, immoral West that aims to destroy Russia.

Quote of the Day

Publishers are like medieval alchemists. They can take the base metal of a stinking book review and turn it into the gold of praise.  So . . Be suspicious of the quotes on the back of paperbacks. Know that the clever people in publishing have used all their skills to take someone’s words and bend them into new, more pleasing shapes. You can admire the ingenuity but never, ever believe the puffs on a hardback. That’s where the real deception takes place: fellow authors praising their mates, often without even reading the damn thing.

The Way of the World

A thought-provoking article: How pornography forged the trans movement. So, what now?

Did you know?

The highest denomination bank note ever was the one hundred million billion pengó note (100, 000,000,000,000,000,000). When issued in Hungary in 1946, it was worth about 20 US cents.

Finally . . .

The name of Molière came up yesterday, when I learned that he died – somewhat ironically – while playing the lead part in his final play Le Malade imaginaire. Back then in France, actors were believed never to get into Heaven and, so, 2 priests refused to give him the last rites.

I was reminded of a school trip to see that play, when a group of 14 year old boys couldn’t have been less interested in it. I seem to recall feeling sorry for the (French) actors. But I might be imagining that.

To amuse . . . An introduction to the complexities of Finnish . . .

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.