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

Brussels is still not happy with the way Spain is spending EU funds.

Almost 50 years after the death of Franco, the Spanish government has announced that it will start the process of outlawing a foundation that not only honours his memory but also is the custodian of 30,000 documents from his personal archive – including letters from Hitler. 

You’’ll all have read – here, if not elsewhere – of the requirements for post-Brexit visitors to Spain. Here’s a relevant article. I confess that I’d assumed that the Carta de Invitación to my daughter and her family would be a brief note from me to her, albeit in Spanish. But, no . . . As this article puts it: This costs around £70 and takes weeks to obtain and requires the host to navigate a bureaucratic maze. As you can see from the details at the bottom of this post, this is no exaggeration. Horrendous. But it should be said that the proof of the pudding lies in the eating and the reality might be that the requirement is only demanded, on arrival, by folk from, say, Africa or Azerbaijan.

The Euros . . .The match was billed as the battle of the heavyweights, but Spain made Italy look like a punch-drunk journeyman fighter who was outsmarted by a leaner, cleverer and more devastating opponent. Spain’s performance was one of champions-in-waiting. . . . It was exhibition football. We are used to that, of course, but the difference here was that as soon as they lost the ball, they were on to the Italians in a flash. Not once in the first half did Italy look comfortable in possession. Elsewhere it was said that the Spanish now play their traditional game but at Premier League speed, combining the best of Spain and the UK. Quite possibly unbeaten.

The UK

We all know that parties of the Left are fissiparous, with discrete elements vying for the moral high ground of purity. So, this strikes me as very probably true: Just wait until there’s a Labour government with a stonking majority and no opposition to speak of. When Labour becomes its own opposition – and even in less fortuitous times it has had no trouble assuming that role – we will see the sparks fly. The centre-Left, which has remained quiet up until now for fear of being accused of rocking the boat, retains its suspicions of Keir Starmer. The centre-Right Starmerites have had their appetite for routing the Left well and truly indulged in the last couple of years, and they won’t be satisfied until the job is complete.

The Way of the World

Human greed knows no bounds. . . . A global health alert has been issued over fake Ozempic weight-loss injections. The WHO has identified counterfeit medicine in the UK, the US and Brazil and has advised that it was being “supplied in the regulated supply chain”, which means it has been dispensed by legitimate clinics or doctors.

And there aren’t many bounds to the stupidity/gullibility of very rich fools. . . . To most people, the idea of anyone spending £610 on sneakers that look as though they’ve done a 10-hour stint at a music festival is insane. But that would be to underestimate the popularity of Golden Goose.  . . . Never was a brand more appositely – some might say “cynically” – named. Founded in 2000 by an Italian couple, in its own words, the brand offers “functional footwear, hand-distressed by skilled artisans for a lived-in feel”.  Something that you probably can rather more cheaply get by living in them.

Quote of the Day

The leaders of the main UK parties were interviewed on TV last night. By all accounts it didn’t go well for any of them . . . Asked one columnist: Was there a winner? Her answer: Undoubtedly – anyone wise enough to switch over to the football.

Did you know?

The heat-related deaths of pilgrims on the Haj now exceed 1,000. Definitely not what any God would have wanted. Outside the Old Testament, of course. And in bits of the Koran.

Finally . .

I now have hot water again, after the técnico fixed a problem of arena (in this case not sand but grit, I guess) in a valve. He wrote this up as an electrical fault, explaining that, if he’d given the real reason, the repair wouldn’t have been covered by the guarantee. The implication of this is that, if you use a new boiler for 10 days and then leave it unused for 6 months, the liability for repair is yours, even during the guarantee period. I wonder how many of us are aware of this.

The process for obtaining a Spanish Carta de Invitación.

It’s important to note that this process can take 20-60 days in total, so it should be initiated well in advance of the planned visit. The Carta de Invitación is valid for 90 days and serves as proof of accommodation for non-EU visitors staying with friends or family in Spain.

1. The host in Spain (a legal resident) must apply for the Carta de Invitación on behalf of their non-EU guest.
2. The host needs to make an appointment at their local National Police Station.
3. The host must complete form Modelo 790-12, selecting “solicitud carta de invitación” and pay the fee (currently €74.31) at a bank. This is only in Spanish.
4. At the appointment, the host must provide the following documents:
   • Completed application form
   • Proof of payment (Modelo 790-12)
   • Property deed or rental contract
   • Padrón certificate (less than 3 months old)
   • TIE or EU residency certificate and passport (plus copies)
   • Copies of the guests’ passports
5. The processing time can take up to 20-60 days.
6. Once approved, the host will be notified to collect the Carta(s) de Invitación.
7. The host must pay an additional fee (currently €6.43 per guest) using another Modelo 790-12 form.
8. The host collects the Carta(s) de Invitación from the police station.
9. The original Carta(s) must be physically sent to the guest(s) in their country of origin.

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.