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

Property expert, Mark Stücklin shares my belief that the plan to hit non-EU property buyers with a huge tax bill is, as he puts it, more like political theatre than a viable policy. He also has critical views on other elements of the government’s grand plan.

One irony here is that Brits tend to buy out in the campo – where Spaniards don’t want to buy – not in the urban hotspots. And to spend money in these rural communities. Another reason why this bit of the plan might wither on the vine.

The opposition PP party has put forward its own plans, here.

Hot on the heels of my item yesterday on spearfishing, here’s a Lenox Napier post on the internet, then and now. The Golden Age might well have passed, say some – with the internet increasingly providing opportunities for scammers, hackers, fraudsters and crooks. 

Cousas de Galicia

One of the features of the Spanish scene is the butane(butano) truck, stacked high with fat, orange gas bottles. These are still delivered to 850,000 Galician homes, by 25 companies employing 500 drivers. But the business is said to be on the verge of bankruptcy and a strike is threatened, aimed at getting the price increased.

Wild boars are a growing problem on our roads, causing 10 accidents a day. I look forward to the day when the roads are patrolled by licensed archers in the back of pick-up trucks. Though these might be less effective at night. One of yesterday’s was a 6-car pile-up on the AP9 autopista, where cars travel at 120km per hour. Unless they’re being driven a senior politician from Ourense, who was recently snapped doing more than 200kph twice in one day.

The UK

What to do re the tax

Germany

The EU’s engine has has sneezed again., achieving annual growth much lower than post-brexit UK.

The USA

Allegedly . . . The LA wildfires have left the diversity industry in ruins. This historic disaster has awoken countless Americans to the downsides of DEI. Across the US, big businesses are quietly ditching their diversity programmes. Perhaps now the country’s public services will follow suit. Because the LA wildfires appear to have awoken the American public to the downsides of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – aka DEI.

AI/Russia

Having read in Lenox’s post that the Global Fact-Checking Network was Russian, I checked with an AI engine if this was true. It said not and that I was confusing it with a US international agency. A Google search also proved fruitless. I then re-phrased the question to the same AI engine and got this response: Yes, in November 2024, organizations linked to the Kremlin announced the creation of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), which appears to be a propaganda tool rather than a genuine fact-checking initiative. Key points:-

1. It is promoted by Kremlin-controlled outlets, including TASS and ANO Dialog, (a nonprofit organization founded by the Department of Information and Technology)
2. It aims to oppose existing coalitions of journalists and researchers engaged in legitimate fact-checking
3. Its main proponents have been involved in disinformation campaigns in several countries over recent years
4. The initiative appears to be part of a deliberate strategy to distort the concept of fact-checking and equate lies with fact-based reporting
5. It plans to recruit and train new “fact-checkers” aligned with Moscow’s views, potentially allowing both organizations and individuals to join.

It’s important to note that this Russian initiative is not recognized by legitimate international fact-checking networks and is seen as a potential threat to genuine fact-checking efforts. Its creation could sow confusion among the public and potentially flood social media with false information disguised as fact-checking.

Quote of the Day/The Way of the World/Social Media

• What is truth, asked Pilate. And departed laughing. [Didn’t have a fact-checker to hand]
• A fact of life . . . Like the Old Testament God, the bond markets have a rigid sense of good and evil. Punishment for getting in the markets’ bad books is swift and terrifying.

English

• The three worst words in the language . . . Rail Replacement Bus.
• Situationship: 1. A romantic relationship that lacks clear definitions or commitments, falling somewhere between friendship and a committed partnership. It often involves emotional intimacy and physical attraction without the formal label of a relationship. 2. A romantic or sexual relationship that hasn’t been formalized and is characterized by a lack of obligation or exclusivity. The real hallmark is a lack of clear boundaries or labels. There are elements of friendship and romance but they exist without defining the relationship. So, essentially, you have many of the benefits of a traditional relationship without having to make a commitment.

Apparently, Joan Baez had a toxic one of these with Bob Dylan. Pretty common these days, it’s said.

Spanish

• Parvada: Flock, murder(crows), covey
• Regazo: Lap
• Escampar: To clear up
• Tozudo: Stubborn

Did you know?

Rollo was the Scandinavian king who created Normandy and was the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror. As the Autodidact Professor tells us here, Rollo’s bloodline shaped not only Normandy but soon had repercussions in the British Isles, southern Italy, and beyond.

You Have to Laugh

Finally . . .

Despite wearing fluorescent armbands, I was nearly mown down on a zebra crossing last night. The crossing in question is at the Pv city end of O Burgo bridge and is about 8 metres wide and well-lit. When I was 2 metres into it, a driver coming at at least 30kph swerved past me through the remaining 6 metres. So, it’s back to the fluorescent jacket, if I want to keep writing this blog. Long time readers will know that this is not, by any means, the first time this has happened to me and, secondly, that folk do get killed on Spanish crossings. Quite regularly. Possibly even more regularly where drivers are high on drugs and alcohol.

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.