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

What would you expect of Economics, the dull science? The Spanish economy shows ambivalent signs that, depending on the data and periods chosen, serve a multitude of purposes:-

• Positive: GDP and employment are increasing and the external balance is improving
• Negative: Productivity, per capita income, and convergence with the EU are all stagnating.

It’s no surprise that: The government chooses the best of the repertoire to conclude that the economy is the electoral weapon to win support. They probably won’t stress that the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.

The egregious UK media aimed at the poorly-educated is trying to drum up a boycott of Spain over the ‘new £97 daily rule’. Which isn’t, in fact, new though it might be being implemented more than before. But they might as well try to drum up a boycott of Ryanair because its service is crap. Low prices are everything and so long as Spain caters for low-quality tourists they will continue coming, in their millions.

I’m told that yesterday’s FB Alcoy reel might not have been accessible. So here’s Wiki and here’s a web page and YouTube video. This year’s 3-day event is over next weekend. I wonder how many participants have Berber genes, without realising it. Quite a few, I imagine.

Back in Galicia, all teaching jobs are allocated by the local government, on the basis of (over-subscribed) tests, known as oposiciones. It’s reported that biologists and historians face the poorest odds in getting a job – with only 10 biology positions for 600 candidates, and 30 for 900 candidates for Geography and History positions. So, a lot of folk will get little return on the money invested on the courses available on how to do the tests. And then there’s the nepotism and croneyism, which might not be as bad as they used to be 20 years ago. When kids of senior politicians regularly got the best results. Allegedly.

The UK

There’s an old gardeners’ dictum that runs: Ne’er cast a clout ‘til May be out. Which is warning that frosts can occur even after the spring weather had warmed up. And so it was that winter returned here in South Manchester yesterday, with hailstones and an icy wind. Probably because I put my heavy jacket and gloves in the boot of my car the day before. But today was warmer, as the sun strove to shine through the clouds. Or ‘strived’, as the kids say nowadays.

Russia v Ukraine

The Ukrainians are understandably angry at what they see as a ‘double standard’ in the West’s response to Iran’s attack on Israel compared with its response to Russia’s attack on them. This, it’s reported, has “prompted disbelief, rage and bitter mockery”, and allegations of hypocrisy. But surely the Ukrainians can see that ‘defeating’ Iran won’t risk provoking Russian retaliation. We hope

Iran v Israel

This is certainly a plausible, if very negative, viewpoint: Iran has chosen self-destruction, and is happy to take the world down with it. Tehran can’t possibly win a war against Israel, but the danger is its leaders are just too irrational to admit it. I imagine most Iranians are more realistic than their Mad Mullahs. Which might not do them much good.

Spanish

• Hasta la cuarenta de mayo, no te quites el sayo – The Spanish equivalent of Ne’er cast a clout ‘til May is out.
• Un sayo: A tunic/smock

Did you know? . . .

The only excommunicated village in the world is in Spain. It’s Trasmoz, in Aragón. And I was close to it on a road trip there in 2022. Shame I missed it. Or did I? It was certainly on my original itinerary. But there were so many places on that and I certainly didn’t get to them all. Despite returning to Aragón last year.

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. And this is something on the so-called Beckham Rule, which is beneficial – tax-wise – for folk who want to work here.