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/Galicia

Left wing governments like price controls. This article cites the usual impact of these, as regards properties..

I was told by an estate agent years ago that the majority of flats in Pv city are unoccupied. And today’s paper reports that there are many properties here left empty by their owners out of fear of letting them to tenants who are (over)protected by the law. As Pv city’s population continues to grow – now 85,00 compared with 70,000 in 2000 – the inevitable result is hugely increased prices. And co-living. Or a longer time in the family nest.

I saw a reference to a remarkable dress on woman I’d never heard of, so I went to Google Images. Where all the fotos of her had horizontal black bars strategically placed in the 2 obvious places. But this isn’t how things are done in Spain . . .

As the retail trade continues its decline in Pv city, there are a couple of stores defying the trend. Both of these are in Rúa Real – the Camino – virtually next to each other. One might survive for some time yet but I doubt the other one will:-

A ferreteria, or hardware store. After taking the foto today, I read that it’s celebrating its 70th year this year,

A gentleman’s outfitter, where you might actually be able to get yourself a made-to-measure suit. I’ve never seen a customer in it, despite passing it 2-4 times a day. I expect it’ll be a tapas bar within 5 years.

Portugal

Just across the Miño/Minho border is the town of Monçao, where there’s a company specialising in construction of speedboats. They get a lot of enquiries from folk in Andalucía, Morocco and South America – and possibly Holland and Albania – but have no truck with them, they say. Which is very good to know . . .

The USA

[I have promised myself these will be the last comments here on Trump. I’m sure you all access the news and columnists who write about it]

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that:-

• Trump is running the USA transactionally – at best, like a corrupt New York realtor and, at worst, like a mafia boss. In either case, with complete disregard for the impact on the allies of the USA.
• His model of government if one of oligarchic imperialism, under which the billionaires who financed him can get him to pressure other governments to do without laws which disadvantage the tech bros and Elon Musk. Most obviously laws on curtailing the worst excesses of social media. All done under the banner of ‘free speech’.

A couple more articles:-

• The sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China do not stem from protectionism. In Trump’s mind they simply amount to massive destruction weapons aimed at waging wars without casualties. He aims to submit and bully every nation on earth, be it a friend or a foe. . . . Trump has a hunch for tariffs. He staunchly believes they can upgrade the US economy, bringing manufacturing and jobs back home, while closing the huge gap in public finances. Both targets are highly delusive. Self-imposed autarchy can only fuel inflation and disrupt the economy. 
• What is Trump’s endgame with the Canada-Mexico tariffs? This writer thinks he knows:-

Quotes of the Day

• Trump is a poor person’s idea of a rich man, a weak person’s idea of a strong man, and a stupid person’s idea of a smart man.
• Ex-conservative columnist Jen Rubin: Musk is running the government. Trump is a feeble figurehead.
• Me: Following Musk’s access to Treasury records, I suspect the odds on another US civil war are shortening, though I have no idea if they are anywhere near 50%

The Way of the World

• Astonishing . . . Far more people die from taking selfies than from shark attacks. Pursuit of the ‘ultimate selfie’ has claimed up to 480 lives – yet the craze shows no signs of ending. And I thought the hordes snapping themselves in the Alhambra were mad . . .BTW . . . Falls from height are the most common injury mechanism in selfie-related incidents, followed by drowning.
• Another daft thing . . . Amazon is suggesting I’m worthy of some sort of title/label for reaching a certain number of books ordered from them . . . As If I want, never mind need, it.

Spanish

More (obsolete?) vocab from the writer Julio Camba, who turns out to be Galician . . .

• Haragán: Lazy, idle
• Zancada: Stride
• Botón: Bell-hop. Office boy/girl
• Faz: Face
• Perilla: Goatee beard

Did you know?

The sea cucumber is really the echinoderm – equinoderm in Spanish.

You Have to Laugh

Finally . . .

A (lovely) waitress in one of my watering holes is very slim. Some would, I guess, say skinny. Today I thought of trying an old Scouse joke on her – You have lucky legs. Lucky they don’t break. But thought better of it . .

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.