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!

Cosas de España/Galicia

Just how many capital cities has Spain had? Click here for an insight.

I’ve written recently of a couple of Galician myths. This is a 3rd one . . . That Francis Drake destroyed the monastery on Tambo Island in the ría of Pontevedra and then had his pirate mates chuck its statue of the Virgin Mary into the sea. And here’s the inevitable 4th . . . That the statue rose of its own accord out of the sea and placed itself back on the altar. Interestingly, it’s a Spanish historian who’s debunked the myth. I guess we still await the one who does the same for the famous bones in SdC. Harder to prove that negative, I guess.

There are few ugly buildings in Pv city’s old quarter but several outside it. These can be right opposite a handsome building, as in this case:-

Or they can be right next to each other, as here:-

Talking about buildings in Pv city . . . . There’s a shortage of accommodation there but an awful lot of unoccupied ground floor places (locales) which were given over to shops when the flat block was built. It finally occurred to someone that allowing these to become residences would be a good thing. But the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly in Spain and I’ve yet to see this happen in the old quarter. Though I read yesterday that the oferta of ground floor premises in the new quarter has increased significantly of late. And that licences for residences will be given ‘soon’.

Well, after a summer without rain, the final live stage-show of the year – involving acrobatics – was eventually rained off last night. This was to be the spectacular intro to our medieval fair –the Feira Franca – being held today. Fears of more rain were allayed by the bright dawn shown in the above foto but the river mist you can just about see slowly developed into a blanket of fog by 9am. Which obliterated everything beyond my hedge. Fortunately, the sun burnt off most of it within an hour or so, taking us back to the stream of river mist. Which then itself dispersed, allowing the festivities to proceed without the need for umbrellas or ponchos. Which was just as well, given how many folk had laid out decent sums for medieval garb. God is a Gallego, after all.

Technology

The 7 best and weirdest gadgets at Europe’s biggest tech fair. The ultramodern devices on display include colour-coded home security, convertible laptops and budget home projectors, with AI taking centre stage.

Quotes of the Day

• If it were not for the intellectual snobs who pay the tribute which philistinism owes to culture, the arts would perish with their starving practitioners. Let us thank heaven for hypocrisy: Aldous Huxley
• The Rolling Stones are a mediocre R’n’B pub band who got lucky: Anthony Quinn.

English

Old English. This ‘short’ takes, I think, the same phrase from the oldest to almost modern English. Hard to see the first one becoming a global lingua franca . . .

Spanish

• Estar de Rodríguez: “Describes the state of a man, typically a husband, who is left alone at home to work while his wife and children go on vacation. The phrase implies a sense of temporary freedom for the man, who may engage in activities his wife might disapprove of, while also being somewhat helpless with household chores. The expression originated in Madrid in the 1960s and 1970s, during the later years of Franco’s dictatorship. This era was characterized by:

• A significant gender divide in social responsibilities and rights
• Men as primary breadwinners, often considered inept at household tasks
• Women primarily as housewives, responsible for childcare and domestic duties

It became common for wives and children to travel to their home-town for vacations, leaving the husband behind to work. So, men were temporarily” bachelors,” The expression carries a playful connotation, similar to the English saying “When the cat’s away, the mice will play”. It reflects the social dynamics and gender roles of mid-20th century Spain, though its usage has evolved as gender equality has progressed. The reason for choosing Rodríguez is unknown. It’s one of the most common surnames, and there are various theories about its selection. As Spanish society has changed, the phrase has begun to be used by women as well, reflecting shifting gender roles and responsibilities in modern Spain”.

• Here, from an old text book, is one reason why Spaniards seem to speak so fast . . . When, within a breath group, a word ending in a vowel is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, both vowels are linked together in pronunciation, although both retain their full vocalic value. In other words, there can be no pause in Spanish. For instance, in the following sentence:

El campasino_andaluz/iba­_a la_aldea.

Ironically, poor Spanish speakers of English – eg DJs on the radio – tend to leave over-large gaps between words in English song titles.

Did you know?

My thanks to María for the advice that: The reló is not as demanded as other clams, so its price is lower and it isn’t worth the trouble. Also, some years ago, it was discovered that the larger relós accumulated lead. The smallest ones couldn’t be commercialized because of their size, and the larger had too much lead. Investigation into the safety of eating the larger ones was ongoing when the pandemic struck and things more or less stopped. That the clam beds be overrun by these relós is a threat to the other clams which have no problem and bring in more money.

Finally . .

One problem is ageing is that you get nostalgic/sentimental/maudlin. As with this number:-

Finally, Finally . . . .

I’m tempted to say only a young (North) American could be daft enough to list these 7 Spanish things that ‘don’t make sense’.

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. If you do this but don’t read the posts, I will delete your subscription. So perhaps don’t bother if you have other reasons for subscribing . . .
• 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. And this article ‘debunks claims re wealth and residency taxes’. Probably only relevant if you’re a HNWI. In which case, you’ll surely know what that stands for.