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

One of Spain’s cultural legacies – the siesta. I actually learnt of its benefits when working as a young man in Iran. Lucky me. I have no difficulty agreeing with the sentiments expressed therein.

Take a guess . . . Against the 500,000 of last year, how many camino ‘pilgrims’ came through Pv city on the Camino Portugúes 40 years ago, in 1984:-

• 500?
• 1,000
• 5,000
• 10,000

Well, the answer is actually a big fat zero. The Camino had died. Hence the formation back then of an organisation called Friends of the Portuguese Camino, who resolved to revive it. And, boy, have they been successful!

Another curmudgeon sounds off – especially about motoring fines and the uselessness of Google Maps in cities.

Cousas de Galicia

Interesting . . . Galicia’s red wine – Mencia – has fewer calories than Ribeira del Duero and Rioja. Lower alcohol content, of course- 12% v. 14%.

Portugal

• Vinho verde – Only 9% alcohol. ‘Good for slimming’ . . .
• Port: 20%. (At which level, like sweet sherry/Jerez, it goes straight to the brain, via osmosis.)

The UK

If you buy your tea in the UK, this will be of interest. Fascinating to see how many of them get no stars and that one of these ‘tastes like pond water’.

Far more importantly . . .A possiblyj correct observation: It surely won’t be long before the courts system is overwhelmed by grooming gang cases. Not criminal charges against the child rapists, sadly, but civil cases brought against local authorities by survivors of this appalling national scandal.

The USA

What we are all dying to know – Has Trump got any marbles left to lose​?

Meanwhile . . . Is this a ‘right wing’ view on culpability for the Californian fires, or the harsh truth?

Relatedly . . . DEI – Already moribund before Trump was re-elected, it’s said here. The D is now seen to stand for ‘Divisive’, it seems.

I didn’t know that Musk’s grandmother was Scouse. And I don’t know, of course, if this is an accurate take on how his mind works.

The Way of the World

A lady writes: Women dating in their 50s and 60s is now normal and celebrated. Let’s take a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come.

Quotes of the Day

• Is Elon Musk the most powerful civilian since Rasputin?
• What’s so wrong with ‘fat-shaming’? Most people have no excuse for being overweight.

Net Zero

Richard North explains the global temperature ’artefact’ here.

English

Catio: A patio for cats. Fenced, to prevent them indulging their favourite pastime of slaughtering birds. And to stop a fox dining on your pet. Can get quite expensive.

P. S. I read the description Multilevel in one ad as Medieval, which set me wondering . .

Spanish

• Lioso: Messy, confusing, muddled
• Comedido en el comer: Picky eater
• Avizor: Watchful, vigilant

Do you know?

• How many capital cities has Spain had?
• I had to look it up . . . Grok AI is an advanced chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI.It. It has access to real-time information through the social media platform X. More below.

Finally . . .

I read that someone had paid to be taught to sing like Bob Dylan. I’d pay a lot to be taught how not to do that . . .

Finally, Finally . . .

A surprise treat . . .

GROK.AI

Grok AI is an advanced chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI.It. It has access to real-time information through the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), allowing it to provide up-to-date responses. It is programmed to answer “spicy” or provocative questions with witty and rebellious answers, setting it apart from other AI systems. Key features include:

1. Two interaction modes: “Fun Mode” (default) for a more edgy and humorous personality, and “Regular Mode” for more accurate responses
2. Ability to draft emails, debug code, generate ideas, and perform various tasks using human-like language
3. Access to current information from the web and X platform
4. Image generation and analysis capabilities
5. A focus on privacy

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.