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/Galicia

I sometimes wonder of the Spanish government – as the British one with Gibraltar – would really like to get shut of their North Africa enclaves (“Not colonies”), Ceuta and Melilla. For, there are frequent violent attempts there by Africans to get over the massive fences and to get to ‘Europe’. In Ceuta recently, there were multiple attempts to storm the border – thrice in 3 days – by hundreds of desperate Africans. As ever, these met with the ruthless defence which results in fatalities.

HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for these items:-

• The common tourist scams in Spain, and very probably elsewhere.
• Everything you need to know about EES and ETIAS, which is coming one year soon.
• ‘The University of Málaga is working to create the first 4-legged robots, to support the city police. Equipped with 360-degree cameras and artificial intelligence, they will patrol in the city centre, it’s claimed.
• Galicia has its own font. Presumably meant to be Celtic.

Portugal

You don’t have to travel very far from Pv city to experience the very different culture of Portugal. And a much lower cost for almost everything, including the excellent food and wine we had yesterday in Ponte de Lima and Guimaraes – Portugal’s lovely first capital city. “Where Portugal was born”, as it says in a large sign on wall on the edge of the delightful old quarter.

One immediately obvious cultural difference with Spain is the much lower level of noise. People here speak to each other at a normal level, instead of shouting. If I hadn’t known this already, I’d have learnt it when 5 Spanish women came into the restaurant for breakfast this morning and made more noise than 30 Portuguese guests.

The UK

Why Scotland will very probably never join the EU.

Europe

Talking of would-be immigrants/refugees . . .

• Estonia is using “dragon’s teeth” anti-tank barriers on its border with Russia, after the Kremlin had started pushing illegal migrants from Africa and the Middle East towards the border.
• Finland: The Russians are accused of sending asylum seekers there too. Border guards try to stop them using tear gas ‘and other methods’.
• Hungary is dealing with a situation in which trafficking is now in the hands, would you believe, of the Taliban, more specifically its “terrorist Haqqani wing”.

It’s a problem which is surely only going to get worse.

Finally . . .

Off now to Aveiro – ‘The Venice of Spain’ . . .

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.