I am having problems with WordPress.
This the best I can do tonight, on my phone. You might have to C&P the links
Cosas de España
Some stats that I find hard to reconcile:-
The home ownership rate in Spain is 75%, higher than in all EU states except one.
So, only 25% of homes are rented, I guess.
Spain ranks among the lowest countries in Europe in terms of social housing, at only 2% of the total housing stock. This places Spain at the bottom of the European ranking for social housing availability, with the EU average being 4 times higher, and far more in the ‘EU-15’, whatever that is
Despite efforts to increase social housing, progress has been slow:
- In 2023, only 8,646 subsidised homes were built
- This is similar to the average over the last 10 years but is far below the 60,000 per year completed in the previous decade.
- Of the subsidised homes built in 2023, 52% were allocated for ownership rather than rental.
The Spanish government, it’s said, has recognized the need to increase social housing stock, with targets set to increase the proportion of social housing by 20% in municipalities with strained areas over the next 20 years. However, the current situation remains challenging, with social housing supply falling far short of demand. This is despite property ownership being a major concern for Spaniards and despite there having been several socialist administrations in the last 45 years. Odd
As Brits start to look for more friendly destinations than Spain for their holidays and their investment in a holiday home, ‘North Americans’ are increasingly attracted to Spain, it says here.
A perennial issue – racism in Spain. Especially in sport
Ryanair v AENA . . . The First Battalion of Innocent Bystanders might well suffer as a result of their war. In Galicia, Ryanair are removing 61% of their flights from Vigo, and 28% from Santiago de Compostela. Mostly domestic, I’d guess.
If you’re visiting Barcelona, be aware that: The Catalan capital is home to Europe’s most notorious pickpocketing hotspot La Rambla. And, away from its most notorious street, the Barrio Gótico has earned itself a reputation for night-time petty crime thanks to narrow, shadowy alleyways that make the perfect stomping ground for thieves. Other popular tourist attractions including the beach, Parc Guell and the area around the Sagrada Familia are also known targets. On the [upmarket] Paseo de Gràcia thieves look out for expensive watches to rip from people’s wrists. When I was there with my 2 daughters years ago, 2 likely lads ineptly tried to steal from me a plastic bag containing – a I recall – little more than apple cores. But I did have my wallet successfully pic-pocketed not so long ago in a packed food market in Madrid.
If this puts you off that Catalan city, there’s always lovely La Coruña here in Galicia . .
The UK
Richard North writes here of a fin de siècle feeling, where the whole edifice of government seems to be falling apart, bereft of ideas and high-level initiatives, with the prime minister under siege in his Downing Street bunker and the bookmakers running odds on how long he will last. . . I cant recall, he adds, any time this early in the electoral cycle when the prospect of defeat for the ruling party was under consideration. His final sentiment: We were once a nation that meant something. I’m not so sure any more.
Centuries ago . . .
The USA
Am I the only person who feels he’s watching a real-time fairy tale, as drafted by the Grimmest of brothers?
Canada v USA
One perspective on the unedifying saga . . . Trump’s one-month reprieve resolves nothing. He effectively retreated, given that the Canadians offered little that was not already agreed. . . . That climbdown makes him look like a bluffer who folded under pressure. . . . There is no point wasting any time on Trump’s stated grievance against Canada. He alleged a failure to control fentanyl-smuggling and illegal immigration. Canada’s role in both is almost zero.
Probably not Fox News’ take.
Israel/Gaza
Many commentators agreed that Trump’s [insane] proposal was too audacious to taken seriously. But in pledging a US takeover of Gaza, the president handed the [egregious]Israeli leader a political lifeline.
Social Media/Quotes of the Day
The days of stepping back… to let an investigation run its course are long gone. The pace with which the court of public opinion moves demands action. Say nothing further, fail to inform, and a vacuum forms.
Donald Trump is the most brazen liar in political history – The UK Attorney General. [Trump’s reply: I am not. He is. And everyone knows it. A horrible, nasty man with the IQ of a rock]
Once a crooked realtor, always a crooked realtor.
The Way of the Mad, Mad World
Stop the world. I want to get off . . . Gen-Z are flocking to TikTok to discover their destiny.
Transgenderism
Not the first time I’ve heard this . . . A gay rights group – the LGB Alliance – says “misogynistic” and “homophobic” trans extremists have corrupted DEI, turning workplaces into ‘battlegrounds in the culture war.
AI
A friend in the South of the UK asked me for the recipe for a chip butty, as his [effete]neighbours had never heard of them. I was impressed that an AI engine gave me the correct way to make the ‘classic’ item, while adding that you could top the chips with condiments and sauces to your taste. Which I consider a travesty.
Spanish
Zafarrancho: Havoc, row
Peroles: Pots, pans, casseroles
Ademán: Gesture, move, flourish
Croque: A bash on the head. [Obsolete?]
Chirigota: Joke [Ditto]
Did you know?
The percentage of Spaniards who believe the earth is flat – 6.
The percentage who believe they can communicate with ‘spirits’ – 24.
You Have to Laugh
Finally . . .
A headline in one of today’s newspapers . . . Por qué no intienden las rotondas? A very good question. Often asked by me.
Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain 
I write my blog on the phone, now. It’s either that or wait ages for my computer to pull up the web page and save what I write. So, I bought a Bluetooth keyboard and write with that. Easier and faster.
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Vaya problema con Ryanair, a ver si se soluciona. Ya hace años suspendió vuelos en el aeropuerto de Vigo.
Otro problema que tiene Canadá con ese anormal, no es que se baje los pantalones es que tiene que negociar con él, un mes no es nada…este tipo nos lleva a todos al desastre.
En cuanto a la vivienda social se llega muy tarde más de 20 años. El gobierno se ha implicado en éste tema pero depende Las Comunidades Autónomas y de Los Ayuntamientos.
Veras que los británicos no van a tener problemas en comprar su vivienda en España..
Np eres el único que está viendo un cuento de hadas. Que pena de mundo, de civilización, de avances cientifico tecnológicos, que falta de lectura… Y ahora Trump piensa en hacer un centro turistico en Gaza, echando a sus habitantes supervivientes a otros dos países que por supuesto, no lo van a aceptar. Es la locura total.
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Es verdad es un hombre horrible y desagradable y su cociente fe inteligencia como tú dices es el de una piedra aún así es El Presidente de Los EE.UU, increíble.
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Que pesimista ese señor con respecto al Primer Ministro del Reino Unido. Yo pienso que UK sigue siendo algo muy importante. Espero que El Primer Ministro de UK haga algo no sólo estar en un búnker.
Algo se comenta aquí, sobre el racismo en España, es cierto, no tanto como antes pero todavía es muy alto.
Te defines muy bien a ti mismo. Está muy bien que te preocupes por los problemas de las mujeres.
Barcelona es una ciudad preciosa y cosmopolita, vanguardista, bien diseñada, tuene mar, un buen puerto, sus ciudadanos son bilingües y muchos políglotas etc… La Rambla es agradable de día, por la noche tiene peligros aunque yo estuve allí y no tuve problemas yendo sola de un taxi a la casa, el taxista me avisó, dándome alguna recomendación, el barrio gótico, Puerta del Angel, La Catedral, El Liceo de Barcelona, da gusto pasear por allí, pero es cierto que aumentó la delincuencia y la visibilidad por la noche, no es buena.
Espero que se tomen medidas por el bien de todos.
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