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 disgraced ex-king is in nearby Sanxenxo again this week, moving ever closer, it’s said, to a reunion with his son. Though possibly not with his estranged and long-suffering wife.

Espadrilles found in a cave in southern Spain are the oldest known footwear to have been discovered in Europe. About 20 sandals made from esparto grass were discovered among the partially mummified remains of dozens of humans in a bat cave in Granada province. More here.

I was not surprised to read that inflation rose last month.

Astonishingly . . . Barcelona FC is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been charged with bribery – in a referee corruption scandal – and could be banned from football.

Remember the hapless woman wo produced the “Monkey Christ” – fotos of which reduce me to tears every time I see them? Of laughter, of course. Well, now the poor woman is the star of a comic opera.

Sadly, my old friend and I failed to have Borja on the Must-visit list for our recent road trip to Aragón.

A friend new to Spain is confused – as we all are – about how to use tu, usted, señor, señorito, señora and señorita. This is a minefield for foreigners and she was especially concerned about how to get the attention of waiters or waitresses without insulting them by either saying, Hombre!, clicking her fingers or making a strange hissing sound. She got lots of Spanish comments/advice, which only served to confuse her further, and in the end, was advised just to say/shout Disculpa! or Por favor! I confess to being surprised to hear that Señor was disfavoured these days but not surprised to have it confirmed that using Señora or Señorita is more than a tad risky. Especially as a single but divorced 19 year-old, I was assured, is no longer a Señorita. I blame Catholicism.

Another quote from Cees Noteboom’s Roads to Santiago: [Driving into Navarre] I drive through the rain into the hills. Now and then I catch a glimpse of the mountains on my left, when I stop the car I can hear the river. Before each village and by each bridge over a mountain stream there is a signpost with a name, and I spell out the words and say them aloud as I drive past. The road is still full of bends, the mountain landscape green. When I leave behind the foothills of the Pyrenees the land will spread out wide, it will be low, undulating, empty. Iron clouds will hang over the rusty fields of the old kingdom of Navarre. There is no traffic, tourists do not frequent this region[Hmm], and it is thinly populated. Old, old, is the ambience that clings to everything I see, timeless time, the empty back-rooms of history. Fortress-like churches with abandoned storks’ nests, the shifting outline of an earth-coloured herd on a distant slope, nothing more. I’m on my way to Olite, but in this landscape that seems to repeat itself I feel like a pilgrim to nowhere. The same, the same, the same, the windscreen wipers drone, and the effect is that of a prayer-wheel, the same the same.

Ireland

One of the things Moeen Ali wished for was a simpler life, and simpler times, in which people could talk to each other without every word scanned for offence. This can still be found, it seems, on the west coast of Ireland. eldest lad was there a while ago, climbing mountains with his mates. They were in the local pub. One of their number went to the bar. Ordered 9 pints of Guinness and a gin and tonic for himself. The young Gen Z barmaid smiled at him sweetly. “And will you be having a tampon with that?” she asked. Woke has obviously not hit Galway yet.

France

I can attest to the validity of the (French) claim that the rugby World Cup there is a great success. At least on the TV. Not so, it seems, if you’ve attended matches in at least some of the stadiums. Allegedly, The overwhelming anecdotal evidence suggests plenty of match-going supporters are finding this the most miserable tournament to date. Quel dommage! Details here.

The USA

The question on everyone’s lips.

Spanish

I learn some strange things from the 7 Gallegas in my Pilates class, some of them verde. This week it was the word vaina and the phrase una vaina chévere. The word vaina has always meant ‘shell’ or ‘pod’ to me, (as in cardomomo) but una vaina chévere was new to me. I’d heard chévere from Colombians, meaning great/fantastic etc. But not vaina chévere. The net says it means ‘a cool thing’. The Pilates teacher insisted it was Venezolano, not Colombiano and added, in a whisper, that una vaina chévere is used for a pretty woman. ‘Great body’. I guess . . .

Finally . . .

This is a more famous song by the Galician group featured by Lenox. It’s a parody of a JL and RM number – Adrenalina – and is probably very funny. I don’t know why it’s called, Bertolina as this a surname or an Italian cake. And a farm machine? Or the twerking Gallega?

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.