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

Pedro Sánchez is defiant as his wife is placed under formal investigation. Spain’s Socialist prime minister defends Begoña Gómez in open letter and says the case is politically motivated. And here’s The Times on this.

Spain’s government has proposed a law to protect children from online threats that includes virtual restraining orders for felons and a higher age for opening social media accounts. More here.

Let’s hear it for Spain . . . The French lose their culinary crown to Spain. A poll has infuriated some traditionalists but comes as no surprise to observers, who claim that French food is in decline. Not only did survey respondents prefer Spanish food to French, they also ranked France below Spain for its natural sites and cultural wealth.

From grub to booze . . . And a storm in a beer mug? The boss of Estrella Galicia has accused British brewers of “dishonesty” for selling beers that appear Spanish but are brewed in the UK. There’s a “lack of transparency” among UK beer companies, he said, and this was confusing consumers in pubs and supermarkets alike.. His criticism comes after the recent success of Madrí Excepcional, a lager which markets itself as “the soul of Madrid.

Sunny cemetery plans, down in sunny Valencia.

The summer sales!  The VdG today: Black Friday de verano:  La fecha oficial de las rebajas de verano es el 1 de julio, pero las grandes marcas del textil, el calzado y los complementos prevén colocar los carteles el 20 de junio, o incluso antes. De hecho, ya hay anuncios de Black Friday del verano en los escaparates. La inflación ayuda: en lo que va de año, los precios han caído más de un 4 %. Los comerciantes también tienen altas expectativas en el turismo internacional. Las tiendas de tecnología, por su parte, apuestan más por el deporte: la Eurocopa y la Olimpiada. Baja, pues, el precio de los televisores.

Ukraine v Russia

This sounds encouraging for the Ukrainians but, of course, I have no idea how accurate it is. I’ve certainly read less positive/optimistic commentaries .  . . Putin’s ‘Victory Day’ offensive in northern Ukraine has backfired spectacularly. Biden finally unties the Ukrainians’ hands, and Belgorod comes under the hammer.

China

China is beginning to see Russia as a bad bet. Putin has become a needy ally ahead of challenges that will come with a new US presidency. More here.

English

Zugwang: Chess. ‘The situation in which the obligation to make a move in one’s turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage’.

Spanish

Zugwang : RAE: La palabra no está en el Diccionario.

Finally . . .

I’m now switching between my daughter’s Mac and my new (cheapie) Asus PC. They function in different ways and it drives me nuts. Worst of all, it’s moving me in the direction of paying 900 euros for a new motherboard for my (superior) Mac at home, rather than ‘just’ 400 for a PC motherboard. Life’s a bitch. I really need to stick to the Asus for the rest my UK sojourn.

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. Finally, some advice on getting a mortgage.