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

Some expert insights into the booming property market in Spain.

The Tourism sector has long been very important to Spain’s economy but, after recent stellar growth, now represents an even larger percentage of GNP. But will this be adversely affected by the alleged trend of Brits to look elsewhere? Since this might see substitution of unwanted tourists by higher earning/more profitable/less troublesome others, possibly not.

For anyone new to Spain, a few annual explanations:-

• December’s April Fools’ Day
• New Year’s Eve – Nochevieja: BTW: If you’ve ever eaten a Ploughman’s Lunch in the UK, you should know it has similar producer-driver origins, only with cheese.
• Los Reyes – The day, January 6 – when Spanish kids used to get their only set of Xmas presents. You can probably guess what often happens in these – more affluent/child-centred – times.

A list of 2025’s price increases. Or those we know about, at least.

Interesting to read that: Top [UK] Premier League clubs are keeping a close eye on Dani Olmo’s future, because he might be available next week, owing to Barcelona’s “shambolic financial situation”. Sic transit gloria . . .

Cousas de Galicia

An example of the press-financing ads from the Xunta – bizarrely selling the merits of Galicia to Galicians. One of several . . .

The UK

Boy, are British politics in a mess, as you see from this article. Which has a great bottom line on Farage’s non-party: Perhaps we should say the quiet part out loud. What if putting our faith in this new party is no better than a desperately thirsty man gulping buckets of saltwater while lost at sea?”. I fear for my grandchildren there.

The USA

The Way of the World/AI

Reading this (disturbing) article on AI-enhanced deepfake videos, I wondered if the concept of these had first risen in just one twisted mind, or whether several ‘visionaries’ had come up with it around the same time. To be followed by a herd. I fear the hope that the normalisation of deepfakes doesn’t turn out to be soul-destroying will prove pious. And am sure the word deepfake will soon be in my spellcheck.

Quote of the Day

Many of Shakespeare’s most brilliant turns of phrase turn out to have been common expressions of the day, which any Elizabethan Englishman or woman would be likely to have thrown into casual conversation, and whose authors remain as obscure as those of knock-knock jokes. Were it not for Shakespeare, they’d probably have passed out of use and been forgotten long ago.

AI

The optimistic view . . . Don’t fear AI: used well, it can empower us all. New technologies will bring change as immense as the Industrial Revolution and it’s natural for us to be wary — but engaging now will make our lives better.

English

The word ‘fuchsia’ comes from the name of the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566).

Spanish

• Cautelar: Precautionary; interim; preventive; protective; cautionary; interlocutory; supervisory
• Pericia: Expertise; skill; prowess; know-how; proficiency
• Atronador: Thunderous

Did you know?

Yoga centres are not always what they seem to be . . . Tara Yoga clubs are located all around the UK and in Dublin, Ireland. If you attend one, you should know that it’s embroiled in a scandal involving allegations of sexual exploitation and human trafficking linked to its affiliation with Atman federation. This operates in 29 countries and is headed by Gregorian Bivolaru, who is reported to be a convicted sex offender facing multiple charges in France, including human trafficking and organized kidnapping. Both the Tara Yoga Centre and Atman have condemned these abuses but declined further comment due to ongoing legal issues. There’s a BBC podcast on the scandal – The Bad Guru. This takes us into a world that shows us how the promise of salvation and spiritual growth can groom and condition people in truly strange and frightening ways.

You Have to Laugh/Groan

The Times article cited above has this line in it: And let’s finally say that Farage is able to place “hundreds” of new MPs on the tired green benches. I’m pretty certain this isn’t what the author intended, which was surely ‘tiered green benches’. Probably dictated over the phone to a teenager who doesn’t know the difference between the almost-homonyms and then missed by a sub-editor of whom the same can be said.

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts.

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.