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

Politics:

• The VdG today: Political tensions yesterday did not invite a peaceful birthday celebration for the [1978]Constitution. And things got more complicated: the president of Congress relied on that honored Magna Carta to hint at the legality of a possible referendum on self-determination in Cataluña. The [PSOE]PM, for his part, stated that the birthday girl did not belong to a single party. And, of course, the [opposition]PP party leader didn’t hide his anger when recalling that the defense of our law of laws[Rule of Law?] is incompatible with questioning it. Vox, the BNG and the independentistas did not go to the party. Nonetheless. . . . The Constitution might have many more.
• It seems that the various politicos took the opportunity to use armas arrojadas – projectiles – against each other. Merely, verbal I guess.

Is Galicia the New Andalucía? María writes here or here of the surging tide of tourists – more than 40% up on last year, I read somewhere.. And of the competition around Xmas lights. I guess the former will be good for property values. But how to get aboard the gravy train without too much hard work and the hassle of customers?

Lenox Napier doesn’t much like the modern Madrid airport. Nor do many others it seems. Like Oporto’s, it’s nothing like it was 20 years ago. Progress. At least where old facilities are expanded, rather than built anew.

An interesting judicial development . . . After an action by a consumer rights group, a Spanish cinema chain has been fined for banning customers who bring their own snacks. So, is one free to take even a curry?

Back in 2002, when I was fulsome in praise for Spain’s new highways, a cynical Spanish friend said: Just wait until you see what happens when EU money isn’t available for maintenance. I recalled this chat when reading of the poor state of the main routes into Galicia – the A6 and the A52. I guess the AP9 along the coast is better maintained because it’s an expensive toll road.

The UK

Despite all the criticisms of how Covid was handled in the UK, it’s said that Britain had an excess death rate of 126.8 people/100,000, very close to France, 124.4 and Germany, 120.5. European countries that did worse than the UK included Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland and Lithuania. But not Sweden, of course.

The EU

Italy’s veto of a French deal shows that EU defence consolidation is a distant dream . . . Just the latest shot in an often strained Franco-Italian defence relationship

(A)GW/Energy/Net Zero

A while ago, I cited a book – Fossil Future – which argued that the (A)Global Warming challenge could be met without impoverishing the whole world by rapidly cutting the use of carbon fuels. In a surprisingly optimistic article here AEP clearly agrees:- Technology and market price signals are already solving the problem without need for degrowth, hairshirts and sacrifice. That is what we should be proclaiming from the rooftops. So . . . We should shut down the Cop circus, says AEP. Surely correctly.

Spanish

Reader David in La Coruña has given me the chance to invent a new word – narcovecino: Someone who lives near a massive hoard of cocaine – the relevant one having been brought into Vigo harbour before being trucked to La Coruña.

Did you know? . . .

There’s a new way to deal with the moth menace:–

And there’s a new scam on the block – an email claiming you’ve infringed someone’s copyright and demanding USD500 to ‘peaceably’ and cheaply settle the case. Needless to say, the internet has no record of the alleged artist and Google says it doesn’t recognise the email address. Shame, as I just wanted to reply: Go F Y.

Finally . . .

I called the heating company early this morning. And was quite surprised when someone answered my 3rd or 4^th call. As for getting the boiler connected to the heating system, it seems I’ll have another 3-4 days without that, at the least. As María has written . . . From today to next Monday, most people are not working. [Stoppress: Just this minute confirmed ‘Monday midday’]

My daughter in Madrid bequeathed me a dedicated TV console to bring back to Galicia. It’s replaced the temporary one I set up 23 years ago . . .

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.