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

As predicted, the PM’s wife continues under criminal investigation, despite the police saying there’s no evidence of a crime. The right-wing judge had read more newspaper cuttings and says there’s enough to go on, as far as he’s concerned. And that’s the Continental system. HIs decision is likely to reignite the political storm surrounding the case, which the government says is a plot led by the opposition and client media to oust him.

Lenox Napier here on women’s footie.

The UK

Yet more gloom . . .

• Welcome to Britain’s most miserable election. Come July, apathy will be the only winner.
• Is Britain the world’s biggest holiday rip-off? With uninspiring cottages for £1,000 a week and shocking rail fares, the UK staycation boom has come to a sudden halt. . . it’s hard not to reach the conclusion that UK holidays simply don’t offer value for money, a key concern amid spiralling mortgage rates, food costs and utility bills.

Ireland

When I hitch-hiked in Ireland way back in 1967, one driver told me that the IRA  – to which his brother belonged – was a national joke. And  Sinn Fein was ‘small and often without parliamentary representation'(Wiki). Things have certainly changed in the interim, witness this fascinating article, by Irish journalist, John Boyce: The remaking of Sinn Féin: How the one-time party of the IRA is winning hearts and minds on both sides of the Irish border.

Europe

Talking of ‘generational change’ . . . Are Europe’s tectonic plates shifting, worryingly? The FT reports here on How the far right is winning over young Europeans . . . Rightwing populist parties are making inroads into a demographic fed up with economic insecurity and immigration policy.  . . Young Europeans succumbing to the siren song of rightwing populist parties, with their seductive mix of ethno-nationalism, anti-wokery and conservative values.

France

Really just a question of degree . . . What to watch out for at Paris Olympics? Theft, fraud and gangs.  Paris’s chief prosecutor said she was anticipating drunkenness and the arrival of gangs that specialise in stealing luxury items from tourists. Plus ça change.

The USA

Looted Roman antiquities returned to Italy

Ukraine v Russia

Ukraine now knows that it has just months left to survive. Kyiv is buckling under the force of Putin’s brutal assault.  If this harsh assessment is true, what is the West going to do about it?
After all . . . A Russian victory in Ukraine would rewrite the map of Europe and present the continent with a threat not seen for more than 80 years.

The Way of the World

A milestone no one really needed . . .

Quote of the Day

The personal is always more important than the political. Our lives are changed most by the education we obtain, the job we do, the people we meet and the events that happen in our lives. Our lives are changed least by the actions or inactions of politicians.

AI

Can things really be this serious? How Google’s malfunctioning AI risks ruining the internet. In changing the way its search engine works, the tech giant threatens to become its own undoing. .

Did you know?

Feeding babies peanuts could cut allergies by 70%.  Research suggests that future generations have a chance of being allergy-free.

Finally . . .

Even more seriously . . . Chunky boots are the shoe of the summer.

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.