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

Just what you want to read when times are tough and belts are being tightened.

Something that people go on and on about but which I can take or leave, to put it politely. But it’s not as bad as the hyped and ridiculously expensive percebes – goose barnacles. A bit shocking to hear how the meat is tenderised.

Says the VdG this morning: Another ‘Two Spains’: wet and dry: We Galicians have been leaving home with umbrellas for fifteen days this month. The reservoirs are full. Meanwhile, Andalucía and Cataluña are thinking about turning off the taps. Their reservoirs are barely at 18% of their capacity. They are preparing to declare a state of emergency next week in the middle of January, which means restrictions in cities and metropolitan areas: the swimming pools have run out, there will be water cuts at certain times, pressure drops will arrive and, finally, the showers will be shut off. Reader – and businessman – David suggests Galicia starts selling water to those regions.

Germany

My friend in Hamburg says there’s growing civil unrest there. But I wonder if he’s pulling my leg.

The USA

Can a British reporter be impartial reporting on US presidential elections?

AI

Companies have been warned that the chatbot ‘cycle of doom’ is making customers miserable. At least in the UK: Utilities and transport companies are among the worst for customer service. More here.

BTW . . . I’ve been with First Direct for about 35 years. Always impressed with their service.

The Way of the World

The West is blind to rising antisemitism, says this columnist. Which she sees as a harbinger of greater doom. And she might be right.

My last bike – still being ridden – cost me 35 quid back in 1985. This the sort of machine years of marketing have resulted in – costing a mere £14,000.

Finally . . .

I do wonder if your heart sinks as much as mine when I get guff like this: Thanks for contacting us. We’re experiencing more emails than usual right now. There’s no need to get back in touch, your email is important to us, and we’re working hard to get back to you just as soon as we can. Translation: You aren’t a great priority for us. Otherwise we’d employ more staff. I’ll be quite a while before you hear from us. Meanwhile, don’t bother us.

The Usual Links . . .

You can get my posts by email as soon as they’re published. With the added bonus that they’ll contain the typos I’ll discover later. I believe there’s a box for this at the bottom of each post. I guess it’s logical that this doesn’t appear on the version given to me . . .

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.