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

HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for this article on 8 little-known museums in Madrid.

The sombre Escorial – a testament to Spain’s Golden Age is to open up its secret places,

Cousas de Galicia

I’ve mentioned that my impression that the use of Gallego is increasing is at odds with that of my Spanish friends in Galicia and also, starkly, the the stats and the graph here. The article claims that spoken Galician is ‘approaching the threshold of collapse’, There are c. 7,100 languages spoken in the world today and the most pessimistic estimate is that 20% of these could be lost by the end of this century and then a further 90% in the following century. Sad to relate that Gallego could well be one of these.

It’s comforting to know that I wasn’t the only driver to be done for speeding on Galicia’s roads this year. In fact, I don’t think I was this year, though I might yet get a letter. The VdG tells us that Entre enero y noviembre, Tráfico multó a más de 35.000 conductores en las carreteras gallegas por exceso de velocidad, a razón de más de un centenar de sanciones diarias con pérdida de puntos, lo que implica que los vehículos circulaban al menos 20 kilómetros por hora por encima del límite establecido. Para evitar la infracción más recurrente, la DGT tiene operativos 78 radares fijos y establece controles móviles en otros 131 puntos de la red viaria gallega. These are said to be more active at the times of the year when the policemen need more money, via commissions.

More positive driving news . . . They’ve fixed the pothole which destroyed my tyre a few weeks ago, for the nth time. But it looks like yet another bodge to me.

Portugal

Portuguese is the sister language to Gallego but it’s hard to see this going extinct. Some consolation, I guess. [Portuguese speakers will claim Gallego is the daughter language but this seems to be fanciful, as they were once both the same language. But, if you go along with the definition of a language as A dialect with a navy, then I guess Gallego has to be seen as a dialect of the original mother language. Assuming this had a navy . . .]

The UK

Even The Economist can be positive about Brexit . . .

The USA

Trump and Musk are said to be obsessed with genetics but ignorant of the relevant science.

The US spends considerably less on public media than its peer nations , , , Germany spends $142.42 a person on its public media, Norway spends $110.73, the UK $81.30, and Spain $58.25, while the US spends just $3.16. More on this here.

Russia

One wonders how many folk are celebrating 25 years of Putin

The Way of the World

Wokeism is possibly in retreat, leaving behind the question of what historians will make of it, when saner times have returned.

Transgenderism/Quote of the Day

Nice message from J K Rawlings on X today: The number of men who tell me I’m unqualified to have an opinion on whether there might be downsides to cutting healthy breasts off teenaged girls with mental health issues, yet are 100% certain they’re qualified to tell women what a woman is, continues to astound.

English

Business buzzwords of the year, in the UK at least

Spanish

Agüilla por la nariz: My nose is running.

You Have to Laugh

“A planet doesn’t explode of itself,” said drily
The Martian astronomer, gazing off into the air —
“That they were able to do it is proof that highly
Intelligent beings must have been living there.” — John Hall Wheelock

Finally . . .

There was a rather nice wooden Buddha for sale in the Pv city rastrillo yesterday and I was tempted to by it. But then I realised it would another of my artefacts my daughters would quickly get rid of after I’ve returned to dust.

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.