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

I think I’ve said that my old friend and I visited Belchite’s Old Town, described here on Wiki, and moreso here. I’d thought that – as with the French memorial village Oradour-sur-Glane – we’d be able to enter this and wander around freely. But, no. It’s surrounded by a fence and there’s only one entry point, where you’ll be charged a (ticketless) €8 and given an audio guide. But at least this, though brief, was a great deal clearer than a reader had suggested it would be. I get the impression that a visit never used to be as restricted – and as pricey – as it is now. The ruins feature at the start of a BBC documentary on the Civil War. Which reminds me . . . I wondered if this was once a cat entrance in a wooden door:-

María writes here or here about a trip across the Portuguese border, with some nice fotos. From this I learned that Germany more or less forced Portugal to join WW1 on the side of the Allies. And, what Namibia used to be called and whose colony it was for a while.

Today’s quotes from Cees Noteboom’s Roads to Santiago:-

• To make time melt strikes me as a peculiarly Spanish occupation.
• My route from Barcelona takes me through Zaragoza to Soria, to Old Castile, Castilla Vieja. I see the town lying in the distance like a vision, shimmering in the heat. This is where the true Spain begins, the ‘meseta’, the high plain of Castile, empty, scorched, as huge as an ocean. Not much can have changed since the 13th century, when the principal sheep farmers joined forces to secure free passage of their flocks from the drought-ridden prairies of Extremadura to the green pastures of the northern cordillera. This is where the kingdoms of Castile and Aragón met the Muslim south[north?]. All ove this region rise the ruins of once mighty fortresses whose sturdy contours still dominate the landscape.

The UK

A follow-up on today’s parental values . . . As the status of obedience has declined, the restrictions on childhood freedom have tended to increase, from helicopter parenting to the monitoring even of nascent adults on gap years or at university. Parental anxiety may have replaced tyranny, but the effects are not dissimilar: a stealthy constriction of liberty whose inevitable consequence is the sturdy rejection of parental values.

Italy

Giorgia Meloni, the rightwing PM of Italy, has warned that the EU’s future is at stake unless it can stop a huge surge in uncontrolled migration across the Med, which has returned to the crisis levels of 2015. Ms Meloni claims the minimum response would be an ‘EU naval mission against smugglers.’ Which might just happen. Eventually.

The EU

This is an article on that immense challenge to the institution, entitled: The Mediterranean migrant crisis could collapse the EU. And sub-titled: The European Commission’s plans to manage asylum applications Europe-wide are coming unstuck just as Keir Starmer is hoping to join them. I think I’ve already cited his ‘impeccable timing’ . . .

The USA

Has anyone noticed that America’s ancient politicians are a national embarrassment? If you haven’t, this is for you.

Iran

Having lived there and having an affection for the country and its people, I hope this is true: The mullahs want to convey the impression that the balance of power has reverted to its pre-uprising status. But the daily realities experienced by the people paint a starkly contrasting narrative. A bankrupt economy, unbridled inflation, chronic unemployment, and institutionalised discrimination are contributing to a situation in which Iranian society is primed to erupt again. 

Quote of the Day/The Way of the World

The market for nonsense solutions to non-existent problems has always existed. Credulity is a fact of human life. The difference is how large that market has now become and just how many people are prepared to lose themselves in it. I blame the internet. And Brexit, of course.

English

Columnists struggle to name the re-named Twitter, usually saying something cumbersome like ‘the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.’ Why not just call it ‘Ex-Twitter? Or even just ‘X-Twitter’?

Did you know? . . .

If you want to know more about the latest celebrity accused of rape – and about his cultish followers* – this is as good as anything, I guess.

*He has about 12.8m of these on the main social media platforms, though there’s surely some double counting. A parallel universe where he’s a good guy – a perpetual victim who wouldn’t hurt a fly. And is defended and supported by some truly horrible folk. Who, along with him, would be guillotined in my world . . .

Finally . . .

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.

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.

Which, it turns out, he really is . . .