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

• Trips to Spain are set to hit new record amid tourism protests, with visitor numbers expected to increase by at least 30%[!]on last year’s record. Countries of origin are Portugal, with an annual increase of 70%; Germany, 48%, and Italy 36%. In contrast, bookings from the UK are down by 15%. Possibly because of tabloid reporting of anti-tourism demonstrations.
• Between 2010 and 2018 tourist accommodation increased by 80% Ordinary rental stock suffered a 30% decline and a 12% increase in price. In the centre of Madrid, almost 10% of properties is dedicated to tourism. In the centre of Malaga the figure is 25%. El País has urged that “the different authorities must now seek joint solutions in accordance with the urgency of the problem”.

The UK

Oh, dear. Things might get even worse . . . Expect Labour to become the party of austerity . . .  The British public will be forced to stomach lower-quality public services, higher taxes and, likely, even more strikes and dysfunction in public transport. Time to be a deserting rat?

A very good question . . . What on Earth is a ‘global majority’ person? That this term is now being used in Britain is yet another example of how Americanised racial identity politics has wormed its way into our institutions. It is especially telling that the National Trust, an organisation that is supposed to primarily be responsible for conserving British heritage, has adopted a term that makes so little sense in the UK context. . . . Terms like ‘global majority’ and ‘BAME’ overlook the complex demographic realities of modern Britain, creating both divisions and generalisations that don’t make sense. British institutions like the National Trust need to end their slavish fascination with American-style racial politics and its simplistic, binary treatment of whites and non-whites. British society is far more complex than the racial identitarians imagine. More here. You might need Reader view to see all the text.

The EU

The French warn of civil unrest as new EU border controls loom. Non-EU passport holders will be required to have their fingerprints and picture taken when going to Europe, raising fears of travel chaos. Come next autumn and beyond . . .

France

A bewitching French woman mesmerises the mayor of a swinging French city.
“He found himself involved with a perfectly malevolent character. This is the first case of misappropriation of funds that does not result in enrichment, but in personal impoverishment.”

Ukraine v Russia

A Ukraine peace deal has never been further away. . .  Russia has no incentive to consider peace now.

English

I had a fleeting thought that bringing back thee, thou, and thine would take the heat out of the issue of personal pronouns but then I realised that you, you and yours are pretty neutral. Duh!

Spanish

Pundonor:  Sentimiento que impulsa a una persona a mantener su buena fama y a superarse. A fading Rafa Nadal, for example. Not to mention Andy Murray.

Did you know?

One of Britain’s more eccentric annual festivals, is the Rolling Cheese race, believed to have been held since the 1820s. It draws contestants and spectators from across the globe, with this year’s champions hailing from Germany, Australia and the US as well as the UK. Youtube video here. And a Guardian article here, if you crave a left wing view.

Finally . . .

Yesterday’s article on British pubs noted that some are known for violence, I am penning this not far from The Flying Horse, known to local wags as The Flying Chair.

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.