Colin Davies

10 September 2023

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

Kissgate: Conflcting perspectives?

In a comment on the disgraced ex-king, Juan Carlos, María used the nickname Juanca for him. It struck me that, in Gallego, this would be pronounced Waunca. Leaving me with an obvious question.

If you’re planning a road trip in Spain during the warmer months, it’s wise to check beforehand whether your hotel choices will clash with those of folk aiming to enjoy a local festival or sporting event. Even more so a national event. Years ago, I had problems in Jerez because of a huge motorbike event, and something similar happened 2 days ago in Jaca. But this was nothing like the problem we met yesterday in Pamplona, where every room in the city had been booked by fans of the major international cycling event, La Gira de España. So it was that we had to drive almost 2 hours to a roadside rural hotel beyond Miranda del Ebro. Where the (overpriced) rooms again lacked the promised internet. And now we have to try to find a city, town or village which isn’t anywhere near a stage of the Gira. This is made more difficult by the fact that the stages aren’t contiguous but are in unconnected locations around Northern Spain. Where hotel rooms have been booked up ‘months ago’, as one receptionist put it. So, we can’t go anywhere near places holding stages for the remaining days of the Tour. Maybe towards the northern coast, via the impressive limestone gorges of the Picos de Europa. Where there might be vultures and eagles for my friend to get excited about . . . Onwards and upwards, then.

I cited ‘the warmer months’ in the last para. With climate change, there are more of these than before, which is one reason why September now means ‘High Season’ hotel rates. And I guess October will quite soon.

As I’ve said, there was BMW-sponsored motorbike event this week near Jaca. The roads – big and small – were full of rapid riders in both directions, buzzing past like angry bluebottles. Such was the weaving, my friend and I predicted a crash, but hoped it would be behind us, not in front. In the event, it was the latter. But the hold-up was minimal. And we hardly had time to look at the bike, up against a tree, halfway up a bank. No idea if the rider escaped unhurt.

The UK

As some will know, Richard North has never been a fan of Dominic Cummings. So, I was hardly surprised to read this dismissal of his latest plans: After playing key roles in Brexit and the demise of two prime ministers, the egregious Dominic Cummings has set himself another major challenge. Not content with screwing up the referendum campaign and contributing to the train wreck in the aftermath, he has now decided to create a new political party to replace the “rotten Tory horror-show” and form a government at the election after next, with the option of fielding some candidates in this coming election. In this context, one might say of Cummings that, for all his years in the business, he has learnt very little of electoral politics. Anyone who has spent any time on the ground, campaigning for Ukip or any other minority party, will know how difficult it is to get a new party established.

Denmark

How a drug has made the country enormously rich.

The EU

How’s this for a true Brexiteer’s view of things . . . ?

The USA

Messimania sweeps the USA.

What could possibly go wrong?

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.

For those thinking of moving to Spain:- This is an extremely comprehensive and accurate guide to the challenge, written by a Brit who lives in both the North and the South and who’s very involved in helping Camino walkers. Which is possibly why, I’ve just belatedly realised, his nom-de-plume is Johnnie Walker . . . And I’d thought he was a big whisky fan.

11 comments

  1. Hahaha 😂! Not quite! In Galego, the J is substituted by the I or the X, which at the beginning of a name is pronounced like a Y or the English SH. But, in any case, the J here is pronounced like in Castilian because it’s a Castilian name.

    In 2019, we were in Vega de Pas for a week in mid September. We had shoulder rates, and even enjoyed seeing how one of the local bars shut for the winter. One night they were open, the next they were closed. Around here I’ve noticed a few less tourists. Some are still here for Guadalupe, though. The festival has been declared a national tourist attraction, and that is why I will only go in the middle of the week, so there’s a tad fewer people.

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  2. The real issue here is that the UK is slowly retreating from Brexit through the back door. I guess as a subscriber of the DT a- as you are -you give some credence to the views expressed on its pages. But Matthew Lynn is quite frankly either lunatic or a supreme cynic. The whole British academic&scientific community has been asking to get back into Horizon for years. And all Matthew Lyn can say is that Horizon is not delivering. So why do scientists want to get back in? Is it just for the money? I doubt it. And does Matthew Lynn know what he is talking about? No he does not. But I bet he gets paid handsomely to deliver bait for the DT’ s subscribers. So perhaps not so stupid after all. Nevertheless, another step back from the Brexit high mark and another step forward to rejoin the EU and sanity. I give Brexit another 10 years.

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  3. The real issue here is that the UK is slowly retreating from Brexit through the back door. I guess as a subscriber of the DT a- as you are -you give some credence to the views expressed on its pages. But Matthew Lynn is quite frankly either lunatic or a supreme cynic. The whole British academic&scientific community has been asking to get back into Horizon for years. And all Matthew Lyn can say is that Horizon is not delivering. So why do scientists want to get back in? Is it just for the money? I doubt it. And does Matthew Lynn know what he is talking about? No he does not. But I bet he gets paid handsomely to deliver bait for the DT’ s subscribers. So perhaps not so stupid after all. Nevertheless, another step back from the Brexit high mark and another step forward to rejoin the EU and sanity. I give Brexit another 10 years.

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    • Does the fact that I cite Guardian articles too imply that I also endorse them?

      Horizon: I am by no means an expert but this seems to suggest a country doesn’t need to be an EU member to participate and receive funding. Implying that the UK could have done this even if it had never been an EU member.

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      • As for the 10 year horizon you cite . . . If you mean the UK will have re-joined the EU by then, I hope to be still around to see if you are right. I have my doubts.

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  4. Mathew Syed on Vilda. Clueless piece of unresearched journalism. Vilda should have gone over a year ago. It’s also very well known that his coaching was completely ignored, as it was considered poor. The ladies team did their own thing, and with 6 of the first 11 being from Barcelona, they had solid grounding to work from. Syed also fails to mention Vildas rules, such as all the players having to leave their hotel bedroom doors open until lights out at midnight. Was this Carabanchel or the National Women’s Football team? And the uninvited breast squeezing moment? Syed doesn’t even mention it. Would any of these shenanigans happen to the men’s squad. No. Vilda only remained in the job, because he was Rubiales little pet. But the pet has been abandoned and now sent away. Conclusion: Sack Syed.

    Holiday season is over but up the road in Coruña there are still festivals and events going on. I am staying away, it’s the Victor Meldrew inside of me.

    Last night, further up the coast in Caion, my friend Juan el Panadero, was at the same Merienda (which finished at 1am) as my partner and I. He delivers bread to restaurants, bakeries for a living. So, he gets around. A lot. He was saying that over the summer, the “verbenas” had received bigger crowds to see Paris Noia or Panorama than the likes of Scorpions and other famous groups. Why? We asked. Turns out with the teenagers it has become a big trend. Passing or not? Who knows.

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    • Yes, teenagers have gone gaga over Paris de Noia and Panorama. I have a 16 year old student and she much prefers to go to a verbena where one of these two is playing than to a pub or disco. It’s the Latin music, I suppose.

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    • Needless to say, I have no idea who the groups are you and Maria have cited . . .

      We are now in Llanes, where the Sunday evening numbers in the bars seemed as high as in July and August.

      As for Syed, my take is that he was arguing not against the ‘What’ that happened – the dismissal – but against the ‘How’, with the absence of due process. And bucketsful of hypocrisy, responding to trial by media, both MSM and social.

      I don’t think he really feels Vilda shouldn’t have gone. Rather than things should have been done differently. After all, even serial killers get a fair trial

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  5. Fortunately for you, I don’t think Paris Noia et al reach as far as Llanes.

    Villa had to go it should have been 12 months ago, but yes the whole business could have been handled better by a group of 5 year olds. It’s all been heavenly for those awful daytime talk shows where C rate celebs scream on from dawn to dusk. The best commentator on footy in Spain by a long shot is Sid Lowe in the Guardian. Incidentally, don’t be surprised to see the horrid Rubiales soon appearing on daytime TV for silly money, as part of his new career.

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