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

News of income tax increases that seem to go relatively unnoticed in Spain. But perhaps I’ve got that wrong simply because little about them comes up in my Spain feed. They certainly don’t seem to be the political hot potato they are in the UK. Possibly because they’re stealthily imposed.

The PM ignores the feelings of his further-Left ministers and coalition partners on defence spending, sizeably increasing it. As demanded by Brussels

Cousas de Galicia

The Diario de Pontevedra and the Voz de Galicia – both tabloids – went to town on the death of the Pope yesterday, with the former devoting its first 18 pages to it, and the latter 11. But many fewer today, thank god.

A total of 5 cruise ships disgorged more than 15,000 tourists into La Coruña yesterday. Which must have made some folk happy at least. I predict growing resistance in these northern reaches. Especially if it works further south.

Europe

Prospect is a left-leaning magazine, so it’s telling that this should be the lead article in the latest issue: Europe’s wake-up call. For too long, Europeans ignored Russia’s growing threat and the United States’ waning interest in their security.

LA LA Land

The mind of a very stable genius . . .

One wonders what he’d say if he weren’t so clever. Trump is, of course, a complete stranger to the exaggeration he complains about in others.

Trump likes to pretend he never backs down – has done so again. After a disastrous day in the stock market – attributed 100% to his words – Trump, a ‘humiliated clown’, has backed down from suggestions he might fire the Federal Reserve Chair, revealing that there is one person in America more powerful than him. My own suspicion is that Trump was trying to set up the Reserve Chair as the person responsible for Trump’s failure to bring down inflation. And even for the inevitable recession.

Interesting question – was Hesgeth drunk or high during this bizarrely manic interview.

Musk dumped?

BTW . . . Thanks to ‘Trump’s brand destruction’,Tesla’s profit fell 71% in the first quarter. I think Musk might also have played a part in this.

Russia v Ukraine

Is anyone surprised at Trump’s failure to secure peace other than by rewarding Russia for its murderous aggression? Donald Trump will let Vladimir Putin keep almost all the territory he has seized from Ukraine under the terms of a proposed peace deal. The condition is part of a 7-point plan to end the war that leaves Ukraine with no clear US security guarantee.

Allegedly, there’s jubilation in Moscow Possibly even among the families who’ve lost their sons.

Quote of the Day

Donald Trump’s tirades against the head of the US central bank is so obviously negative for the dollar that you have to wonder whether the president is deliberately trying to undermine the American currency. Remarkably, the answer may indeed be “yes”. So, why? One possibility is that the president is simply flailing around, and none of this rhetoric should be taken too seriously. . . Above all, Trump is probably comfortable with a weak dollar. This could be seen as another part of the grand plan to reduce the US trade deficit, by making US exports more competitive and imports even more expensive. But there are many ways in which this approach could backfire.

Spanish

Tifo: Typhus.

Did You Know?

A staggering 32% of Brits believe that intelligent alien life has visited Earth at some point.

You Have to Laugh

Despite centuries of availability in Mexico, the North Koreans claim that the burrito (‘little donkey’) was invented in 2011 by Kim Jong Il, the father of the current Dear Leader, just before his death. And that he called them “wheat wraps”.

Yesterday Through the Ages

Courtesy of the Autodidact Professor. A treat for those who’ve always wanted to know about the shocking Oklahoma Land Rush. Or about the Portuguese bumping into Brazil. Or how come the Portuguese got the Spice Islands when they should have been Spanish.

Finally . .

Welcome to new subscriber, Mabilica. As ever, I’m not sure that he/she will read my posts but will check and delete the subscription, if not. As I’ve said I don’t understand why false subscriptions are taken out. I guess it must help in some way those folk who have blogs. But, in fact, Mabilica doesn’t. So, I’m optimistic.

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.