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

Cosas de España

Politics:–

• Things have got violent in Spain’s streets – see here and here – around the acting-PM’s plans to secure his position via an amnesty for secessionist Catalans, designed to give him enough votes in the imminent parliamentary investiture vote. But the FT is surely right when it asserts that Pedro Sánchez is set to retain power despite the visceral reactions to his actions in a polarised country.
• But the other side of the EU subventions coin is interference in domestic matters from unelected EU technocrats . . . Brussels seeks answers from Spain on the divisive Catalan amnesty plan, reports the FT here. The Justice commissioner presses Madrid for details on the move to end the prosecution of separatists, as anger boils over at continuing protests. And if, in due course, he’s not happy with the response from Sanchez, what then? Hungary-type fines? A slowdown in transfers? Fiercer examination of where the EU money actually goes?

The ‘€18 billion’ treasure galleon lying off Cartagena in Colombia was, of course, Spanish. So, it’s not at all surprising that Madrid – among several other capitals – has laid claim to its suspected riches. If the past is anything to go by, the court cases could run for decades. Enriching at least the lawyers, of course, long before someone gets the big bonanza.

I confess to being surprised to read that 8% of Spaniards suffer ‘severe poverty’. Or 3.8m souls. In more than 20 years, I’ve never seen much evidence of it. But this isn’t, of course, to say that Caritas is wrong. I do wonder which section of society is most hit by ‘severe’ poverty. I assume it includes the gypsies* and many of the 4m immigrants who’ve increased Spain’s population by more than 10% over the last decade. Though not the wealthy Venezuelan émigrés who’ve made the Madrid barrio of Salamanca ever richer. Nor the many Russians who are snapping up properties along Spain’s costas.

* Says Bing: The most common figure for the gypsy population in Spain is around 725,000 to 750,000, from the Minority Rights group. The gypsies, also known as Roma or Calé, are mainly concentrated in Andalucía, Cataluña, Valencia, and Madrid. And near my house in Poio . . .

This amusing article is on how – and why – to make the Camino de Santiago by train. I’m surely not alone in wondering how this can be considered a real pilgrimage, by any stretch of the credulous imagination.

I don’t suppose that Hercules, wherever he resides, has ever thought he’d appear in this blog 2 days running. Yesterday’s citation was about the myths associated with him in La Coruña. Today’s is about an island off Cádiz – el islote de Sancti-Petri – where the Romans thought his grave was to be found. And where they built a temple dedicated to him, on top of an earlier one erected by the Phoenicians to honour Melkart, their name for Hercules. Almost unbelievably, the island has a connection with Pv city. For one of the discoveries made there by the Romans was the belt of Teucro the (mythical) founder of our fair city. Brought here – like St James later – by kindly angels. Though in a boat that wasn’t covered in conch shells.

En passant, the statue of Teucro featured in that Wiki link isn’t quite how it is today, after half of his bow fell down and almost killed a pedestrian. Which would have been the only thing accurately accredited to him here.

Given the total lack of flights from the North West of England to Galicia, it’s rather galling to read of new EasyJet flights to Spain from such airports a Southampton and Newcastle. Plus additional flights from Luton. All to the costas, of course. Where the summer heat is still considered tolerable by the Brits. But this will surely change.

The USA

Fentanyl killed more than 70,000 people in the US last year, marking the worst overdose crisis in American history.

English

A Spanish acquaintance mentioned the Diogenes syndrome yesterday and I had to look it up. Also known as ‘senile squalor syndrome’ it’s a disorder characterized by extreme self-neglect, domestic squalor, social withdrawal, apathy of garbage or animals, and a lack of shame. I wasn’t impressed that she cited this after I’d told her I lived alone . . . Not sure she’ll become a friend.

English v Spanish . . . A ‘False friend’?

• Spanish: Prevaricación: A crime consisting of an authority, a judge or an official knowingly issuing an unjust resolution.
• English: Prevarication: 1. [The usual meaning] The act of prevaricating or deviating, especially from truth, honesty, or plain-dealing; evasion of truth or duty; quibbling or shuffling in words or conduct. 2. Transgression; violation: as, the prevarication of a law. 3. [As per the Spanish but very rarely used] A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office or commission.

Did you know? . . .

An Australian cattleman was repairing fences in a remote part of the Northern Territory when a large crocodile rushed him, clamping its jaws around his foot and pulling him into a billabong. But he narrowly escaped by biting it on on the eyelid I can’t say I was surprised to read that this enterprising chap is called Colin.

Finally . . .

I was going to ask if anyone could tell me why my washing machine has a predilection for ripping sheets. I suspected over-filling and Bing has endorsed this feeling: The top reasons for rips are:- Overloading; Poor quality clothing; Incorrect cycle or program; and Incorrect detergent use. Or possibly all of these in my case . . . Must stop shopping at Zara.

The Usual Links . . .

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.