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

More dastardly behaviour in the property sector down South.

And behaviour that is even more dastardly nationwide, I guess.

The UK

The sun is shining today. Or was this morning. A nice change from the endless grey cloud and the occasional spot of drizzle. The wind must have changed.

The good news? . . . My impression is that petrol is now cheaper in the UK than in Spain. How come?

France

Is French society really more macho than Spain’s?

The USA

It’s not all bad news from that side of The Pond . . . The US murder rate is set to fall by 13% in a year. Unless it’s been a very bad final few weeks.

The EU

The goose that lays golden eggs is looking uglier than she ever was. But what will happen if her neck is wrung?

Quote of the Day

Too much truth doesn’t go with travel writing. . . . Witness The Bible in Spain by George Borrow. Brilliant but questionable, at least in parts..

Did you know? . . .

Tally sticks were acceptable in the UK until as proof of payment - or debts – until 1826 in the UK. A short time later, something unfortunate happened.

WordPress tells me that May 8 this year saw 562% of all visits for the year. If anyone knows what this means, please write in. 

Finally

Happy New Year to all and sundry. Well, perhaps not to the sundry, who tend to be miserable. I won’t be a welcoming it with a mouthful of Spanish grapes tonight. Unless they’ve been crushed. And then only if I can be bothered to stay up.

A suitably curmudgeonly note on which to end a bad year for my family.

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.