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

The government wants to shut down the Valley of the Fallen outside Madrid but has problems with the living occupants. Having got rid of the key dead ones.

I knew that Columbus had been a piss-poor administrator in the lands he’d discovered but I wasn’t aware that he’d “Committed so many terrible crimes that he was dragged back to Spain in chains”.  So, I checked with an AI engine . . Yes, Christopher Columbus was arrested and sent back to Spain in chains due to his brutal governance and crimes during his time as governor of Hispaniola. His administration was marked by extreme cruelty, including the enslavement and torture of Native Americans as well as harsh punishments for Spanish settlers. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella dismissed the charges but did not restore his governorship.

Cousas de Galicia

From the headline, I fleetingly thought this might be the 45th Camino de Santiago. Looks slightly drier . . .

There are still a few decrepit buildings in Pv city’s old quarter, some of them cheek by jowl with stately places such as the Parador Hotel, La Casa del Barón, as here . . .

This handsome building opposite the Parador was a wreck for years but has been converted into a multi-flat tourist place. It’s taken 4 or 5 years – no idea why – but now just lacks a front entrance. And very possibly a licence or two.

The VdG today . . . Galician neighbourhoods against drug-flats. The increase in drug dealing has led to squatting in homes where drugs are sold, fights, and, in short, palpable insecurity on the streets of our cities. But some have said enough is enough: in more and more neighbourhoods, residents are mobilizing to demand police and judicial action. They have lost their fear and don’t hesitate to challenge the dealers to pack their bags. A complicated task because sometimes the criminals are the owners of the property, which only deepens the problem.

Another local concern . . . Galician tuna-canners are said to be worried about competition from Thailand as a result of a trade deal struck by Brussels. I guess mercury levels could become a competitive factor . . .

The USA

Trumpisms of the weekend:-

• People of crime.
• I’m not joking about a 3rd term. [We know. None of us is laughing]
• I am angry with Putin [Ah, we are laughing at that]
• Vance and his lovely wife had a very successful trip to Greenland
• This Executive Order is about “restoring truth in American history“. [“An outright lie. But what else is to be expected out of the Trump administration?”]

That last comment is from an article on one of the numerous Executive Orders – on the teaching of US history.

In this latest episode of Shrinking Trump a new (to me at least) noun has appeared – extortionist. Trump’s relies on mafia-like tactics, with extortion being his [life-long] go-to, to manipulate everyone around him and project his power at any cost. . . His basic MO is the simple Mafia formula of Nice bakery you’ve got here; it’d be a shame to lose it.

Possibly an extreme view but thought provoking . . .Trump’s US doesn’t just think Europe is obsolete – it wants to see it dead. . . . Visceral hatred is driving American policy . . . Washington considers Europe to be obsolete, arrogant and parasitic.

Spanish

• Moretón: Bruise
• Hematoma: Bruise
• Traspié: Setback, stumble, misstep

Did You Know?

The English saying is that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, it reached 27 in Pv city yesterday. Pretty lambish, I guess.

Finally . . .

I read that, for the kids, an avocado emoji represents a penis. But you probably all know that.

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.