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 España/Galicia

To stay in power, the PM did a controversial deal with some Catalan separatists but now a Supreme Court judge has now thrown a spanner into the works, by denying their leader full immunity from prosecution. This, says the FT here, threatens the PM’s fragile governing majority. But there’s a way to go as the judge’s decision can be appealed at the supreme court and at Spain’s constitutional court.

Here’s the VdG on the development: El Tribunal Supremo no aplica la amnistía al delito de malversación de Puigdemont. El juez instructor afirma que el expresidente de la Generalitat y otros dos consejeros usaron dinero público en su beneficio, así que mantiene las órdenes de detención contra ellos. El PSOE critica la decisión: dice que el Supremo se mete en el terreno de la política. Puigdemont compara a los jueces con la mafia y habla de la ‘toga nostra’. El lider del PP, por su parte, recuerda que el Gobierno solo ha aprobado la ley de amnistía durante toda la legislatura: «Y por lo que se ve, ni siquiera saben hacerla», ironiza. Entretanto el presidente del Parlamento de Cataluña habla de una nueva infamia. El patio está revuelto… ¡Orden en la sala!   

I can’t say I’ve ever felt feminism was big here in Spain. So, this finding came as a surprise. If you think feminism is a firmly established and respected concept globally, think again. In a recent survey, only 39% of respondents from 31 mostly high and upper-middle income countries said they identified as feminists. In fact, only 2 – India and Spain – had a majority who saw themselves as feminists – despite a mixed records on gender rights in both nations. Perhaps it all depends on definitions. Or the ability to either lie. Or fool to yourself.

If you’re a non-resident owner of property in Spain – subject to the 90/180 rule – there’s still time, it says here, for you to get a Golden Visa. Provided you can invest what it takes to get you to the qualifying amount. But I doubt you can say that a property you bought 10 years ago for, say, 300,000 euros is now worth more than 500,000 and, therefore, qualifies. Too logical for bureaucrats.

Here’s several ways to look at Galiza from my (nationalist)friend, Fran.

Portugal

Not a headline you expect to see: The BBC is branded a ‘disgrace’ after poking fun at Cristiano Ronaldo’s tears. It seems a commentator called him ‘Misstiano Penaldo’ during analysis of his saved penalty

The UK

Says Effie Deans: The fundamental problem with Scottish nationalism is that, while it has an emotional case for independence, it doesn’t have an intellectual case. In this, it differs from Cataluña, which – economically – could go it alone successfully. If allowed to do so, which is very unlikely.

In the UK, 26% of women say they binge drink (6 drinks or more in a single session) at least once a month, the highest percentage for women across 33 countries. Emancipation – becoming as bad as men.

British history . . . Dealt with very amusingly in a book I highly recommend for its LOLs – “An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years Of Upper Class Idiots In Charge)” by John O’Farrell.

France

Le Dauphin is the name given to a king’s eldest son, like The Prince of Wales in England. It literally means ‘dolphin’, which was a symbol on some prince’s coat of arms ‘back in the day’.

A right-wing view – from a Spanish columnist – on France’s economy – past, present and future.

The USA

Mrs Biden still appears to think her husband in compos mentis. Possibly the only American among c. 330 million. But what right does she have to ignore the big beasts of the Democratic Party? Or even the little people who vote for it.

Here’s the view on this from a left-of-centre UK columnist, who asks the obvious questions.

And here’s something from the US on Biden’s many previous gaffes. No one should really have been surprised by the debate fiasco. I wonder how it’s going down on Russian TV. Possibly heading the Comedy charts. Though this surely wouldn’t be difficult right now.

Russia

This is the link to the hoax article I cited yesterday.

The Way of the World

This is a right-wing view of the world-view of the ‘progressive’ Left. You can decide for yourself about how many grains of truth there are in it. . . The key political divide is no longer between Left and Right but is now between fantasists and realists.

Did you know?

The share of 25-34-year-olds who own their own homes – compared with 1990 – is down:-

• 3% in France
• 8% in Germany, and
• 22% in the UK

Appropriate comment . . In the UK, Millennials are the generation who can’t afford to buy a property, while Gen z is the generation who can’t afford to rent.

Finally . .

The fearless oversized seagull which yesterday morning took my churros last night came for a piece of dry tortilla I’d left at the edge of the table. I didn’t care about this but I was annoyed it knocked over my glass of wine. As it’s terrorising tourist diners in one of the busiest eating places in Pv city – Plaza de Leña – you’d think something would be done about it. But I’ll be surprised if it is.

The price of my pescaditos at lunchtime today got me thinking about how rapid inflation is so noticeable even if your income is rising in sympathy with it. You’re not reminded of the latter several times a day, whereas you are of the former. Illogically, this can be depressing. Even more so, of course, if your income isn’t keeping pace.

Finally, Finally . . .

As it’s the start of the month . . .  Some readers, I hope, will know that the verse I cite at the top of my posts is the opening quatrain of Fitzgerald’s wonderful – but very ‘free’ – translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which you can read about here. Some verses are well known, of course, eg:-

The moving finger writes; and, having writ,
moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit
shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.

My favourite:-

Myself when young did eagerly frequent
doctor and saint, and heard great argument
about it and about: but evermore
came out by the same door as in I went.

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.