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

Reading Nigel Townson’s History of Modern Spain, it’s impossible not to be immensely impressed by the speed with which Spain changed and progressed – relatively peaceably – after Franco’s death in 1976, though economic development had begun – driven by tourism – in the 1960s. Also unavoidable, though, is shock at the humongous corruption of the PSOE party in the 1980s and 1990s. Townson says this of it: The corruption of the PSOE was not confined to individual members or isolated networks, but enveloped the party apparatus itself. . . The torrent of scandals exposed the socialists’ disdain for legality and the public trust, while even the ‘sins of omission were glaring in a party that was as tightly centralised and hierarchical as the PSOE’. Worse still, the party did not rush to uproot the ‘generalised and widespread’ corruption, as ‘neither the government nor the PSOE seemed particularly anxious to curb [it]’. While the corrosive corruption within socialist ranks did much to taint the party’s image, it did not make Spain different insofar as similar scandals befell parties in many other Western European countries during the 1980s and 1990s. What is striking about the Spanish case is the extent to which the scandals were exposed by the press, not the public prosecutors, reflecting the degree to which the judiciary had become politicized. The judiciary’s lack of independence, together with the limited accountability of the government, made it clear that the separation of powers in Spain left much to be desired.

More recently, it was the right-of-centre PP party which – between 2011 and 2015 – found itself accused of massive corruption. For which it was ultimately punished at the polls, when the current PSOE party returned to power.

I confess I don’t know how much politico-commercial corruption remains in Spain. Certainly there are regular reports about national and, more so, regional/provincial/municipal politicians caught with their hands in the till. I doubt it’s been completely eliminated – and it certainly raged during the phoney boom years of 2003 to 2007 – but I can say that one never comes across corruption – eg of bureaucrats – in one’s daily life. Or at least not mine. Except, I guess, for the sort of commercial cartels that have disappeared elsewhere – wine-producers, pharmacists, and driving schools, for example.

Nor do I know that the separation of powers is greater than it was 30 years ago but suspect that it is. Others will know and perhaps comment.

It’s been along time coming but, finally, the towers of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona have been finished. And work on the cathedral is forecast to come to a complete stop in 202, a mere144 years after it began.

Twenty years ago, it was very rare to hear English spoken in Pv city. In contrast, at 8 last night, all 5 tables around mine were of folk of several nationalities speaking only in English. As were the waiters. Things will change later this month, I guess, and I, for one, will be happy about this – the main reason being that it’s far easier to be distracted from my reading by nearby chat in my native language. However strangled it is . . .

I attended 2 football matches yesterday. The first one – under a hot midday sun – was an unequal 8-a-side contest between a team from Sheffield and the local Os Porcos Bravos. The latter – being younger, fitter and more accustomed to heat – managed to shave the match, 11-1. Fortunately, I wasn’t called on to participate on the English side. Though one Irishman had been drafted in to make up the numbers. The 2nd match was between Pontevedra FC and a team way above them in their league. So, the result of 5-0 for the Pv team was not only joyful but something of a welcome surprise. I might go again. For the 3rd time in 23 years.

Another quote from Cees Noteboom’s Roads to Santiago: [The late 1980s, possibly before ferries came to Santander and Bilbao] How insane that most people visiting Spain never venture beyond the burning glass that is the east coast. I have travelled around here for all these years, and there is no end to it. Beyond the Pyrenees lies an entire continent, mysterious, secluded, unknown, an ensemble of lands with their own histories, their own languages and traditions. it takes years to discover that past, to piece it together, to come to terms with it. As I’ve said, things have changed significantly up here in the North.

Portugal

More on the country’s positives as a retirement option. I looked hard at them 5 or 6 years ago – or the financial ones, at least – but finally decided to stay in Spain, much to the satisfaction of the Hacienda here.

Germany

It’s been coming for quite a while . . . The Germans overtook the British in the wake of the pandemic as the biggest group of Spanish second-home buyers from abroad. BUT the latest figures suggest that the British market is faring better in overall terms this year.

I don’t know how many Germans have bought properties in Galicia but suspect the vast majority of them have done so on the island of Mallorca and along the mainland costas. British type rainfall is of no interest to them, understandably.

The Way of the World

• As of then . . . Non-fungible tokens took off as an investment craze during the pandemic, as celebrities, big brands and artists began producing digital artworks, videos and collectable images to sell as NFTs. By the end of 2021, the market was estimated to be worth about £40 billion, with NFTs being sold by auction houses.
• As of now . . . The cryptocurrency firm Dappgambl has identified 73,257 NFT collections — of which 69,795(95%) – are now worth nothing.

Some of us always thought it was madness and declined the chance to make money by getting in and out before the whirligig stopped. The questions remain – Who has the 5% of NFTs still worth something? Have they made a profit? if so, how come they are lucky ones?

Did you know? . . .

There’s a ‘Spanish Tuscany’ – the Matarraña region, in the Teruel province of Aragón, bordering Castellón. And these are some of its ‘charming villages’.

Finally . . .

I still regard a (basic B&W) printer as essential but might well be part of a miority now. At least in the UK . . . Notorious for paper jams, ludicrously expensive ink cartridges and wi-fi connection problems, the home printer has long been a frustrating if necessary part of many households. The torment these devices have caused over the years appears to be coming to an end, however, as sales have slumped amid the rise of the digital boarding pass, electronic tickets and online document storage. Tempting fate, I’ve been lucky with the HP printer I bought about 5 years ago but I await the (publicised) development if it telling me it will no longer work with the ‘cheap’ knock-off cartridges I buy form Prink.

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.