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 Galicia/España

More trouble for La Presidenta of Madrid . . . Una inspectora municipal confirma que la obra de la vivienda donde vive Ayuso en Madrid se hizo sin permiso. See here.

The Colombian government has started exploring a sunk 18th Century Spanish galleon dubbed the “holy grail of shipwrecks”. Colombia announced the discovery of the wreckage in 2015 – but it is subject to longstanding legal disputes over who owns the contents of the ship. More here from the BBC, a page deemed ‘suspicious’ by Google . .

The UK

The sad decline of the pub – A  response to demands for safety and security and society’s widening fear of freedom, says this columnist.

Iran

Well, at least one person is optimistic re the collapse of the current (evil by any standards) regime: For all Iran’s pretensions to be seen as a major force in the world, the bitter reality is that, in the 45 years since the ayatollahs seized power, this once proud nation has been reduced to the status of a basket case. . . It is a measure of the regime’s desperation to keep a lid on seething discontent that executions have reached record levels, with protesters, bloggers and notable dissidents receiving death sentences under the catch all charge of committing “enmity against God”. Dear Dog.

The Netherlands

The Guardian view on the Netherlands: a radical-right reset will challenge European unity

France

With 3 years left in office, President Macron is aware he holds a weaker hand in Europe with his unpopularity at home and in the EU dog-house for debt and deficits that breach the bloc’s rules. There has been poor chemistry between him and the German chancellor. The pair have clashed over defence, Ukraine, Russia, China, EU finances and nuclear power. But, big man as he is, M. Macron has started a rare ceremonial tour of Germany aimed at soothing a Franco-German relationship that has sunk to its worst for decades. Bonne chance, say I. It’s no coincidence, I guess, that the chancellor has been resisting Macron’s push for mutualising EU finance.

The USA

Just what the country needed . . . Reports El País today: Faith, family and the hatred of progressive policies: The power of Latino evangelicals is spreading across the United States. The Christian faith among Latinos is on the rise as the country becomes less and less religious. Fueled by new immigrants and a community in search of belonging, it points to the growing conservatism among the traditionally Democrat voter base. More here.

Ukraine v Russia

There’s Western ambivalence re a successful strike inside Russia.

Russia

An anti-corruption drive – at the behest of the corrupt emperor. Maybe there are 2 definitions of ‘corrupt’ in Russia.

The Way of the World

The life sabbatical: is doing absolutely nothing the secret of happiness?

Yes.

Quote of the Day

Comedy speaks more powerfully to the human condition than even tragedy, perhaps simply because we survive to survey the wreckage with a grin.

Net Zero

A true bill, re the tyres on e-cars?

English

Look squirrel!: A phrase used to describe someone getting easily distracted, often by something trivial or irrelevant. It refers to the tendency of squirrels to suddenly dart off in a different direction when they spot something that catches their attention. It suggests a tendency to get sidetracked by distractions, leading to an unnecessary escalation or display of aggression. Who knew?

Spanish

• Sábado: Saturday
• Sabatino: Related to Saturday
• Una jornada sabatina: Though not supported by the RAE, some Spanish friends suggest this doesn’t mean ‘a Saturday day’ but a holiday, or relaxation day.

Did you know?

Reader Perry has kindly sent me this map showing belief in an afterlife of a belief in an afterlife among Europeans:-

No great surprise that Muslim Turkey and Catholic Poland have high percentages but I wouldn’t have expected the UK percentage to be higher than Spain’s.

Finally . . .

The discovery of an unknown miniature painting has uncovered a 1590s spy plot to dupe Spain with a portrait of an English society beauty. Details here. What a movie that would have been, if it had come off.

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.

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.