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

Why the Aztecs lost the war with the Spanish. And how history has misremembered them.

Spanish breakfast stuff.

Cousas de Galicia

I decided, after the Franks, to go down the The Celts rabbit hole a bit. I started by asking when they arrived in Galicia and got the answer: Between 1,000BC and 300BC, but gradually rather than in one fell swoop. I was given brief details of archaeological evidence for this and was then told: Galicia’s Celtic heritage is deeply ingrained, with the Galicians considering themselves distinct from other Spaniards and tracing their origins to these Celtic migrations. Celtic influence has persisted in various aspects of the culture, including language, music, and traditions, contributing to Galicia’s recognition as one of the seven Celtic nations. As long time readers will know, I regard this as (harmless) Romantic Age nonsense, in particular the last sentence. So, I asked the same AI engine if Galicia really was one of the official Celtic Nations and got the answer I expected – No, Galicia is not recognized as one of the Celtic nations by the main pan-Celtic organizations. The primary reason for this is linguistic: No Celtic language has been spoken in Galicia since the 9th century AD. Galician is a Romance – not a Celtic – language. But it certainly is true to say that: Galicians often proudly embrace their Celtic heritage, participating in Celtic music festivals and cultural activities. I see this as a valiant – and very successful – attempt to show they’re different from any other region, which is something of an obsession in Spain.

Incidentally, since the Celts came to NW Iberia, the area has been invaded by the Romans, the Franks, the Visigoths and the Moors of North Africa. One wonders why none of these is favoured over the long-displaced Celts. Less Romantic, I guess.

The UK

The Guardian says something positive about Brexit . . . I quite like the idea of curried salami. After all, the Germans love currywurst. As for the talk of exporting it, I can’t see the Spanish taking to it.

Football rivalry: It’s been Manchester’s turn for a while but Liverpool is again in the ascendant. Says one (London) columnist: One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Premier League this season has been watching the swift deliquescing of Manchester City from being imperious guardians of the title to bedraggled, dilatory also-rans. This has been a fillip to all neutrals, of course — schadenfreude is always at its more delicious when it is the truly mighty who are failing.

Germany

A treat for German speakers – Dinner for One in that (Frankish) language . . I didn’t find it as funny. But, then, I don’t speak German . . .

More importantly . . . A taboo has been broken. In giving room to a pro-AfD piece by one of the world’s most influential people, Die Welt has shattered a tacit consensus among German media outlets not to give the AfD a sympathetic platform.

The USA

Not exactly a surprise . . Trump’s coalition is fraying.

Russia

Apparently, the Azerbaijani plane that came down in Russian had hit a flock of birds, whose beaks presumably poked what look like shell holes in its fuselage . . .

A relevant article.

Quote of the Day/The Way of the World

I wrote that bit above about the Galicians wanting to be different from other Spaniards this morning but then read these comments this afternoon: What is it that causes human beings to spend so much effort trying to demonstrate that they are different from their neighbours? Ever since the Mesolithic times, the broad tendency has been for human beings to further subdivide, coming up with endless new ways to distinguish themselves from their neighbours. Quite.

English

Getting down with the kids . . 3 US slang terms which might well have gone out of fashion by the time you’ve finished reading them . .

• Cheugy: Coined in 2013 as a pejorative description of lifestyle trends associated with the early 2010s. The opposite of trendy. Cheugy folk are cheugs.
• Basic: Culturally unoriginal people – particularly young women – perceived to prefer mainstream products, trends, and music.
• Extra: Trying too hard, over the top, excessive, maybe a little dramatic.

Spanish

• Pegar: Usually To hit; To stick, paste, etc. But am told by a young person that it also means ‘To suit’. As in Esas gafas te pegan. An idiom rather than slang, I guess.
• Constipado: Congested chestwise. Not the obvious. Not exactly my current state, as both my nostrils are streaming. As ever, the left one more than the right one. The Lord works in strange ways.

Did you know?

Talking of myths . . . And about Spanish regions being different from each other

You have to laugh . . .

This car was ‘parked’ thus outside my house this morning, raising questions as to Who and Why:-

Finally . . .

Am I the only person to regard this as good news? . . . Strikes, falling sales and chaotic cafes: how Starbucks ran out of steam. Sadly, this is only in the USA. In the UK, the chain is betting big on expansion. I drank in one once, at 6am in the morning in an M61 services station, telling them my name was José. My abiding memory is of an East European barista trying hard to get me to add things to my basic – but very expensive – black coffee. And then I came out to a fine because I’d unwittingly parked in front of the (invisible) hotel next door. I never paid it, of course. Despite threatening letters

Oh, and I once entered one in Madrid which hadn’t looked like a Starbucks from outside. When I heard the barista asking for the name of someone in front of me, I walked out. Which must have severely dented their profits for that day. En passant, Starbucks is a $36 billion-a-year (£28 billion) coffee empire, employing 361,000 people, selling mostly water. In more than 80 countries. Final comment/quote . . . Today, its highest-margin products are its iced drinks, like the frappuccino, which it prices at a premium even though the biggest ingredient, ice, is almost free. As with its coffees, of course.

Finally . . . Finally . . .

Feeling a cold coming on, I decided to go to bed this evening, wrap myself in several layers and – for the first time this year – watch a film recommended in one of those Xmas lists you can’t get away from. But the internet decided not to reach the first floor of my house tonight, despite the booster on the landing. Sod’s law again. Back to the armchair in the not-very-hot salón . . . Life can be tough.

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.