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

Politics . . . The WSJ thinks it’s the centre-right which is rising in Spain, not the far-right.

The very estimable Guy Hedgecoe here lays into the teaching of Spanish language and literature. His criticisms suggest that nothing has changed in the 24 years I’ve been here. At least in Madrid. Here in Galicia, we have an annual Galician Literature day. So, perhaps things are better here.

Here’s advice on Vegan places in Madrid, where you’ll possibly never bump into me.

And a nice little city not far from Madrid which I enjoyed visiting 5 years ago. And where I spent an hour or so reporting the theft of a wallet which was actually lying at the bottom of my rucksack, having fallen from a trouser pocket. Something I only discovered after I’d cancelled and replaced all my cards . . .

The European Medicines Agency has begun a review of Nolotil, a painkiller banned in many countries but widely prescribed here in Spain. And held to be responsible for the deaths of ‘dozens’of northern Europeans. After my GP had prescribed it for me, I luckily mentioned it to my (knowledgeable) dentist, who recommended I tip it down the toilet. There but for the grace of God . .

Rental pressures in both urban and rural Spain.

The UK

The general elections . . .

• 1. Quite possibly a majority view : Why none of these charlatans gets my vote.
• 2. Hardly a surprise . . . Fewer than 200,000 Brits living abroad have applied to vote.

The EU

Those bloody troublesome young folk . . .

• 1. Not fond of foreigners, and
• 2. Are driving the populist pushback.

The Way of the World

This writers truth about wokeness.

Do you know?

Is there a phishing attempt out there around the messaging service Signal? I ask because I got a plausible email from someone I haven’t heard from for quite a while. After I responded very briefly asking for more info, I was quickly asked to switch to Signal because of its wonderful benefits. Along with 2 links I certainly won’t be clicking on.

Finally . .

Driving 5.5 hours from Santander to Pv city yesterday afternoon meant sun in Cantabria, torrential rain in Asturias and then sun, mist and, eventually rain in Galicia. And today started with the Atlantic Blanket over Pv city, though this gave way to sun by midday, allowing for tiffin on my favourite terrace in PV city’s old quarter.

During my absence, my neighbour – at my request – commissioned gardeners to cut the grass of my lawns. But they also cut down half a large bush I was training and 2 small palm trees of 7 and 5 years slow growth. Don’t you just hate thick people with initiative.

What they didn’t cut down were the 2metre sucker branches which have sprouted in massive profusion from the beautifully blooming bougainvillea at the back of my house.

Finally, finally . . . .

Talking about the weather in Spain . . . . The VdG today: El umbral de calor saludable: Sanidad ha publicado un mapa de calor con los umbrales a partir de los cuales las temperatura pueden se prejudiciales para la salud. En Galicia, van desde los 25,5 grados de A Mariña hasta los 37,5 de Ourense. En España son 182 zonas en total. El máximo del país lo marca Córdoba, con 40,4 grados. Las diferencias se ajustan a las condiciones de cada lugar: «No es lo mismo una persona del interior de Lugo, acostumbrada a veranos de 32 grados, que una de la costa, con veranos de 26», dicen los autores del mapa.

And I’ve just read this report, dated yesterday: An unseasonable polar front is due to bring more storms and cold weather to Spain. This weather system will sweep in from the north and bring heavy rains, thunderstorms, and a notable drop in temperatures to many parts of the country. Today [Monday], a cold front will arrive from the Atlantic, bringing locally heavy and persistent rainfall to Galicia, north-western Castilla y León, Asturias, and other areas of the Cantabrian coast. I guess this is what I experienced driving from Santander. But it seems have moved further South now. Or blown itself out.

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 . . .

The Usual Links

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.

The Usual Links . . .

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.