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

The Prado shines a light on Spain’s glorious polychrome sculptures. A new exhibition seeks to restore the prestige of an artistic tradition that was often dismissed during the Enlightenment.

Cousas de Galicia

As if we didn’t have enough international criminals operating in Galicia . . . The VdG yesterday: Las mafias especializadas en la venta de pasaportes falsos han elegido loa aeropuertos gallegos para colar a inmigrantes. El hecho de que se trate de terminales pequeñas, que cuentan además con vuelos hacia otros países de la UE y el Reino Unido, facilita la operativa de estas organizaciones criminales, que por tarifas que rondan los €10.000 venden un paquete completo de pasaporte, billetes y consejos para llegar al destino. This, of course, reflects the fact that Galicia specialises in small international airports – 3 for a population of 2.8m – when one large one (in SdC) would make far more sense. And maybe eliminate this criminal activity.

No huge surprise to read that the AVE high speed line around Ourense won’t be completed as previously indicated. Or that the increase in our tolls on the AP9 have been the highest in Spain in the last 5 years – a period in which tolls were eliminated from several highways. We do seem to live in a badly-served region.

Bit less of a surprise – given the positive publicity it gets – to read that property sales in Pontevedra province have recently been very close to the peak level of the insane boom year of 2007.

This is one of those media-financing institutional ads that Lenox Napier writes about – from the Galician Xunta. The tag line is Seek calm, seek Galicia. Which leaves me wondering why the foto depicts a couple who seem to have just had a huge row . . .

And this is one of our biggest narcos, in court with many of his colleagues. But might not be convicted of anything. I can’t imagine Burberry are happy about his accessories . . .

The UK

Earth-shattering news this morning . . . Britain’s favourite drink, it’s alleged, is no longer tea, but G&T. Certainly mine, as I rarely touch the former. And then only black, with lime. The 2 drinks arrived in the 17th century and – not surprisingly – the UK is the world’s biggest market for gin

The EU

For economy nerds . . .

• The ECB plans to double down on the policies which have stagnated the euro area economy. Doubtless some will disagree.
• The gap between US and European economic performance is now a chasm

The USA

• So, how long do you give the Trump-Musk bromance? Couple more weeks, if that?
• MAGA insiders refer, in mockery, to Musk as Leon, an anagram of Elon. Last year Steve Bannon suggested that “Anybody that’s fanboying for Elon Musk — you’re a fool, you’re a fool, you’re a fool. You think you trust this guy. If you trust him, you’re a fool.” What does this tell you about Trump that you didn’t already know?
• Assuming it lasts in some form, Spain’s politico-industrial corruption will be nothing compared to that under a Trump and Musk duumvirate. Except it will be ‘legal’ in the US case.

The Way of the World

Interesting ngrams of words which almost dominate discourse these days, showing both non-usage and usage. They correlate, of course. Draw your own conclusions.

Transgender

Transwoman

Social Media

A word which doesn’t show on Google’s ngram is keratopigmentation. The Guardian tells us here that this is eyeball tattooing and that it’s on the increase. As to why . .

• Q. Why would anyone think this is a good idea? A. Because a lot of TikTok influencers are getting it done and recommending it.
• Q. People are undergoing unnecessary eye surgery because people on social media did it? A. Of course. People ate laundry detergent because people on social media did it.

• A new phone designed to be safe for children is launching in the UK to meet demand from parents for alternatives to smartphones. It blocks web browsing and social media apps but allows 1,200 other apps, including messaging and location tracking. It’s the first of what promises to be a new wave of devices that address concerns over the impact of smartphones. Not before time.

Quote of the Day

Obvious for years already . . . A social media exodus may make us all calmer. . . .  Ours is a world that could do with much less connection, not more. . . X is in some ways the last vestige of an ultra-connected internet that is already dying.  . . . Most people post much less frequently on social media than they did a few years ago, preferring a “passive” experience. The majority of content is now produced by an emerging class of professional or semi-professional influencers. The rest of us wisely stay silent. . . . The age of the chaotic worldwide free-for-all is drawing to a close. A few will mourn it. Everybody else should be relieved that, despite all their other sinister triumphs, Silicon Valley executives have been unable to foist their utopian scheme of infinite chaos-inducing, privacy-less connection on an unwilling population.

Net Zero

Is COP 29 beyond parody? Some facts:-

• It was held in Baku, capital of an oil-state whose president thinks carbon fuels are gifts from God
• There were 67,000 attendees
• There was no Biden, Macron, Modi, Ishiba, Scholz nor Xi in attendance
• Only one G7 leader did attend, the UK’s PM, along with more than 400 UK delegates, almost certainly including the Energy Secretary, a man some think is an ideological lunatic
• But the Taliban were there.
• The number of private jets that landed in Baku was 65.

Spanish

• Colar a alguién: To sneak in someone
• Sofoco: Stifling sensation: Hot flash: Suffocation: Trouble: Embarrassment

Finally . . . Did you know?

Gin – jenever – arrived in the UK in 1688 from the Netherlands, when – during The Glorious Revolution – a Dutchman was invited to share the throne with his (English) wife, in order to get a Catholic king off it and to keep his heirs away from it.

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts, either after reading on line or in my FB group Thoughts from Galicia.

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.