Awake, for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts
the stars to flight.
And, lo, the hunter of the east 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 Economy

• Good news 1: DBRS has upgraded its rating to A+ from A. ‘Stable outlook – based on strong economic growth, the reduction of external debt and an improvement in public finances. The deficit is expected to fall to 3% of GDP this year and public debt to 100% of GDP by 2026.
• Good news 2: Tourism was up an astonishing 16% in October.
• Bad news: Overall, Spain’s GDP per capita continues to grow less than that of its neighbours. It grew by 2.5% between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2024, compared to an average of 2.7% in the eurozone and far behind Italy’s 6.8%[!], Portugal’s 3.9%, or Greece’s 10.9%.

Talking of warnings . . . . Wild boars are not only becoming urban but bringing disease with them.

Talking of tourism . . . This is a very accurate guide for newcomers to Spain’s societal norms. I’m delighted to say that the final bit is about drivers who don’t signal and the chaos of roundabouts . . .

Cousas de Galicia

More and more Galician councils are placing a tax on tourist flats. Low hanging fruit I guess. I rather doubt they believe it will decrease either supply or demand, as the South gets hotter and hotter.

Many years ago, if I ever took my car into Pv city, I’d park my car in this little square, where the 3 cars are. Until I got fined for doing so. It looks like this isn’t an offence any more. Life can be very arbitrary in Spain . . .

P. S. My house is in the top right-hand corner. Among the greenery.

The UK

Did the UK twice beat the USA to religious nationalism? In the form of the welfare state and, particularly, the NHS in the 2nd case.

France and the EU

The political convulsions in Paris are said to the taking the EU to (another) brink. And providing a warning to others.

The USA

Losing parties always search for explanations. When they lose big – when they lose the White House and both houses of Congress – that search becomes a full-scale reckoning. What went wrong for Democrats? How can they correct it? Those questions aren’t lacking for answers. The problem is sorting out the ones that really matter.

Another fine article, on what Trump’s re-election really means in the context of this progression over the last 100 years:-

• 1930’s-1970s: The Roosevelt Republic era
• 1970s-2008: The Reagan Revolution/Neoliberalism Era
• 2008-2016: The Post–post–Cold War/Post-neoliberalism/Great Awokening/Great Stagnation Era
• 2016 – ?: The Trump Reaction Era

One question arising is whether something similar will happen – is happening? – elsewhere. Will Farage be the UK PM in due course? When the current Labour government falls but the Conservative party is not considered fit to replace it, leaving the way open for Reform

Quote of the Day

There is a long-standing rule in the media that something that happens to a journalist is exponentially more important than something that happens to anyone else.

English

• Brain rot: The intellectual lethargy suffered by people doom-scrolling banal content online while scratching their groins, or possibly pausing occasionally to take another picture of their cleavage.
• War: First written in the 12th century: Hostile contention by means of armed forces, carried on between nations, states or rulers, or between parties in the same nation or state.

Spanish

• Corear: To chant. As the Opposition MP’s did yesterday in parliament, accusing the government – in unison – of corruption.
• Delantel: Apron, and the like
• Falacía: Fallacy, Falsehood, lie
• Tramar: To plot, hatch a plot

Did you know?

The human race very nearly died out at one point, albeit quite a few years ago.

You Have to Laugh

The programme Americast, although theoretically produced to BBC impartiality rules, was prone to regard ‘balance’ as someone who used to work for Trump but now hates him.

Finally . . .

I’m having my roof cleaned and repaired. Along with the broken tiles, the workmen have thrown down a few of these:-

I understand how seeds can be blown onto a roof but how does the substrate in which they grow get up there? Do the emerging roots catch dust?

Finally, Finally . . .

I’m still waiting for notification of my parking fine in Amansa a month ago and my for very briefly exceeding the 120 limit on the A6 a week before that.

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts, either after reading them 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.