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

Politics: The travails of a fragile, fractious left-of-centre coalition. And the wonderful world of Spanish politics . . . I’m reminded of John Donne’s description of metaphysical poetry as “the most heterogeneous elements yoked by violence together”.

Another warning about the inadequacy of the sheet of green paper if you’re a resident Brit but have failed to get a TIE.

The stress of of being a self-employed autónoma in Spain.

Just in case you’ve never heard of Valencia’s astonishing festival of fallas.

Cousas de Galicia

OK, across the border in León but worth a mention. Quite a sight.

The EU

Every time I read of the EU’s planned planned EES system it’s been delayed to a later year. Last week it was 2026 but now it’s ‘early 2027’. Likewise the ETIAS system.

France v. The Anglos. . . . Can it be that: Key defence decisions are being driven by ‘French opportunist, hubristic logic’?

Emperor Donald I

Trump makes a rare admission of Musk’s conflicts of interest after the latter had visited the Pentagon visit. He says plans for a potential war with China would not be shared with the billionaire due to his business interests.

Why is Donald Trump crashing the US economy? Because he’s high on his own supply of fake news. We forget that he’s not only a propagator of false news but also an avid consumer of it too.

Is Trump really stupid enough to believe the British king will invite the USA to become a member of the Commonwealth? Very possibly, I guess. Though it’s more likely to be one of his (endlessly effective) media distraction ploys.

The USA

Light at the end of the tunnel? Why trump’s poll numbers are sagging.

Here’s what you need to know about the radical blueprint that forecast Trump’s biggest moves – Project 2025. About which he – unconvincingly – feigned complete ignorance. Naturally, the What comes next? Section is the most interesting. For all Project 2025’s apparent influence to date, many of its suggestions remain unfulfilled. They could yet become policy. The awful bottom line: Trump can pass as many of Project 2025’s proposals as he wants. Judging by his first 2 months, there may be many more to come.

Talking about the future . . . Politics have changed but the Democrats haven’t – they are old and out of touch.

Russia v Ukraine

The Way of the World

Why shouldn’t this white German woman ‘identify as black’?

Spanish

• Quilla: Keel, fin, centreboard.
• Dar por sentado/Dar por hecho: To take for granted

Did You Know . . .

• Google searches for “No buy challenge, where people undertake a period of purchasing only necessities, are up 40% year on year.
• Visible bras have hit the high street. But possibly not in Pv city in spring. Vamos a ver.

Finally . . . A Moan . . .

Encouraged by the oft-heard comment that too much teaching here is done by rote, I occasionally wonder if Spanish kids are taught to think at school. Long time readers will know this thought hits me daily at roundabouts. Anyway, in the supermarket car-park this morning, I had to wait several minutes for the only available space while a woman who could have done this in the shop took all the items out of her cart and put them one-by-one into 3 or 4 carrier bags before putting the latter into the boot(trunk) of her car. Meaning she had, at the check-out, taken them out of the cart, put them onto the conveyor belt and then put them back into the cart rather than into carrier bags. Only to do the latter back at her car. Thus moving all the items not twice but thrice. Ahead of moving them a 4th time back home . . . But at least she sort of apologised to me as she took the cart to the cart-station. . . An AI comment:  Efforts have been made to address the issue of excessive rote learning in recent years. Some educators and parents have called for reforms, including reducing homework and implementing more interactive and thought-provoking teaching methods. 

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 . . .
• I can also be read on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/colin.davies.752861 or on Substack at https://doncolin.substack.com/
• 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.