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 . .

Here’s Lenox Napier on the banks. I look back on the crazy phony-boom years of 2002-6 and wonder if they ever really happened. Back then, banks were opening new branches in every town on a weekly basis and staffing them with dozens of employees, just waiting for you to walk in from the street because you wanted a Ferrari. Or at least the porcelain or towels you’d get from opening an account. How things have changed.

If you live in Spain – even temporarily – and don’t know what the Padrón is, this is for you. Some folk, by the way, will have TIEs, not NIEs.

Info on Spain’s traditional drinks here.

Spain will one one day rejoin Africa, via Gibraltar. Meanwhile, the news from The Rock seems to be encouraging. As always happens when the left-of-centre PSOE is in power.  

For what it’s worth, here’s The Times’ advice on tipping in Spain. I suspect most Spaniards would disagree with it. And many guiris too:- Some restaurants in Spain include a 10% service charge in the bill, indicated as servicio incluido, but this is not universal. As hospitality and service is “a revered and well-paid profession” in Spain there is less pressure on tourists to shell out extra. In general, 5 to 10% is acceptable, with tips in cash being preferred, as payment machines seldom have tipping options. 10% in restaurants is standard in Spain. One travel company tells Camino walkers to budget €20-25 for a guide.
What to tip for:-
• Coffee: Nothing for a takeaway; 10% if you sit in
• Meals: For servicio incluido meals, tipping is not necessary; about 10% if the bill states servicio no incluido
• Guides: €5 to €10 for a half-day
• Housekeeping in a hotel: There’s no pressure to tip, but you can leave €1 to €4 for each night of your stay, with a note.

The EU

Well, the Eurovision Song Contest – ‘The most political ever’ – was won by the 3rd favourite, Switzerland. The singer identifies, of course, as non-binary. The British entry did a lot better than I predicted but, in my defence, got absolutely nul points from the public votes that form half of the total.

The UK

Talking, as I was yesterday, about the Green Party . . . For much of its history it’ been a repository of protest votes, a rattlebag of wacky policies and a magnet for weirdos. David Icke, the conspiracy theorist who claimed to be the son of God and that the world is run by reptiles, was briefly the party’s national spokesman in the early 1990s.

Jeremy Clarkson on the general election later this year: We will be treated to a bombardment of promises and polls. And it will be a good spectator sport. But it doesn’t really matter who wins because the pot holes will continue to give you punctures, the trains will continue to be unreliable, air travel will continue to be a nightmare, NHS waiting lists will continue to be barbaric, the navy’s missiles will continue to misfire, the small boats will continue to arrive, farmers will continue to get a kicking, bills will continue to land on the doormat, we’ll all continue to pay taxes and we’ll all continue to die. I fear he’s right. And, so, am glad I live in Spain, where things aren’t this bad. Despite the tribal politics. And the ornery Catalans . . .

France

Macron’s theatrics fall flat. The president is convinced France’s destiny is to lead Europe, yet many of his ideas have proved divisive and his dealings with Putin and Xi have had little impact. Allegedly..

Quote of the Day

If I hear ‘progressive’, I’m braced for bigotry. How has a word that should mean enlightened come to be the exact opposite?

The Way of the World/Social Media

A question raised by the success of Baby Reindeer. Is social media responsible for the fact that, not only do people lie more these days, but also get away with it. Indeed, even profit handsomely from it. We seem to have built a world for ourselves in which fakery is uppermost; where the person who can lie convincingly, or create something incredible, plastic, diverting is the most rewarded.

Another comment prompted by that film: I have sympathy for channels and streamers creating shows in a world where social media platforms evidently couldn’t care less* about ethics.

*US: could care less.

English

Fraggle/Fraggly:: Obtuse, lazy, inept incompetent.
Shonky: Dishonest, unreliable, or illegal, especially in a devious way.

Finally . . . .

To amuse . . .

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.

If you’re thinking of moving to Spain, go to one of my early April posts to see a link to an excellent guide on this.