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

These are said to the unspoken rules broken by tourists

As reported, Spain spends the lowest percentage of GDP on defence among the EU states. And the government is (inevitably) facing problems with its far-left coalition partners in taking it to the ‘agreed’ level. Or anywhere near it, I guess

One of the least crowded Caminos de Santiago.

Cousas de Galicia

Michael Reid’s (accurate) description of the City of Culture in Santiago de Compostela – An assemblage on a hillside overlooking the city which resembles a ski-jump designed by a drunk.

Portugal

What to know about the collapse of the government.

France. Europe, the UK

Trump’s vandalism gives Gaullists the last laugh. European distrust of America is now mainstream but it puts Britain in an awkward spot.

Europe

Via their elections, the Greenlanders have sent Trump an unequivocal message about his plans to annex their territory. These were won by the centre-right Demokraatit party, which gained c. 30% of the vote and advocates for gradual independence from Denmark. Naleraq, which campaigns to begin the independence process and forge closer ties with the USA, gained c. 25%. The pro-Trump Qulleq party got around 1% of the vote, finishing a distant last.

Outlandish Trump

• The people of Greenland want to be part of the USA
• People are illegally and collusively boycotting Tesla. [A crime new to everyone.]
• People protesting at Tesla outlets are domestic terrorists. We’ll stop them. [Presumably by arresting them for the commission of a crime.]

Musk

Elon Musk just made his Tesla plight even worse by associating his cars with Trump, raising the question – Has Elon Musk never heard of this ‘textbook example of how not to handle public relations’? Back in 1991, CEO Gerard Ratner joked about his company’s products, saying they were “total crap” and comparing their earrings to a prawn sandwich, suggesting they “probably wouldn’t last as long”. This caused a massive backlash, wiping £500m from the value of his company. This incident is a classic reminder that, in business, your brand isn’t just what you sell – it’s also how you’re perceived.

The USA: Observations and Quotes

There are now measles outbreaks in 15 states. The Health Secretary attributes one or more to ‘poor diet’. As if.

Given his profound stupidity re Canada, Trump must be the worst student to graduate from Wharton School of Business. . . .

His promotion of Tesla on the grounds of the White House grounds is illegal.

Trump at the controls of the car was like a monkey with an iPad. . . .

He’s finally turned into the used car salesman he always was.

The WSJ: We said from the outset this was the dumbest trade war in history. And we were being kind.

Does his Commerce Secretary Mr. Lutnick understand, well, commerce? [Of course he does. As I said yesterday, he hasn’t drunk Trump’s Kool Aid but has a job to keep with a vindictive employer]

Trump hasn’t finished making Zelensky squirm. Withholding intelligence from Kyiv was an act of bullying that threatens the future of Nato.

It’s a major strength, not caring whether people think you’re not only wrong but also stupid,

Russia v Ukraine

It’s claimed here that the secret to Trump’s Ukraine negotiations is hidden in plain sight. Everything is part of plan written by his envoy to Ukraine.

Western security officials said Putin has no intention to compromise on demands on land, peacekeepers and Ukraine’s neutrality in any peace talks, complicating Trump’s efforts to secure a credible settlement. Putin has made deliberately “maximalist” demands ahead of negotiations to end the war, which he knows will likely be unacceptable to Ukrainians and other Europeans. Near term. Trump has said he will speak to Putin about plans for a ceasefire. He has invited Zelensky back to the Oval Office after Ukraine agreed to the US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, and the US is set to resume intelligence sharing and military assistance to Ukraine.

Spanish

• Trasmallo: Trammel net, gill net.
• Alud: Avalanche, mud/landslide. Not to be confused with . . .
• Ataúd: Coffin, casket, box
• Ajetreo: Hustle and bustle, rush, busyness, buzz, commotion. Etc.

English

Rando: A slang term used to describe a random or unknown person, often someone who is unexpected or not recognized in a particular context. It can carry a mildly derogatory connotation. This might or might not be an Americanism. As I’ve said, I don’t care much about these entering British English but others do. Here’s quite a few examples of words and phrases which get up some British noses.

Did you know?.

CNBC and MSNBC are distinct cable news channels owned by the same parent company, NBCUniversal, but they serve different purposes and audiences. CNBC is primarily focused on business news, financial markets, and economic coverage. MSNBC is a general news channel with a particular emphasis on politics and current affairs.

Proverbs from around the world:

Finally . . .

• Nepal: Opportunities come but do not linger.
• Sweden: If you buy what you don9
• ’t need, you steal from yourself
• Belgium: Happy nations have no history.

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. But see here on this. 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.
• Getting a mortgage in Spain: Some advice on this challenge.