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

Mark Stücklin of Spanish Property Insight writes on last week’s blackout, telling us about the infamous ‘Sun tax’. BTW: I’ve learned that the earliest return of electricity – one hour – was in Galicia.

Mark reports here on one of the nefarious consequences of the blackout.

In an article of the many cities around the world where tourists are no longer welcome, the Spanish citations were Barcelona, Mallorca and Galicia’s Cies Islands. The last mentioned is odd, as there’s been a limit on the numbers who can take the boat there for several years. And very few folk live on the island who could protest. Better candidates would be Málaga, Sevilla and Santiago de Compostela here in Galicia.

An unexpected obit in the Sunday Times . . .

Talking of renewables . . . I was astonished last night when my neighbour told me that his new solar panels were not connected either to the grid or to the alternative, a storage battery. So, I asked an AI engine about this and got the answer below, which endorses with what I understood him to say., viz. That there’s a financial case for making a ‘pointless’ investment which – because of financial inducements – has a payback in maybe 5 years with continuing benefit after that from various discounts. But further investigation is needed. The financial calculation on payback and future profit might depend on which region one lives in and the inducements offered there. Comments welcome.

Cousas de Galicia

From an AI engine . . The town in Galicia that had power restored quickly is As Pontes. Galicia was among the first regions to regain electricity and the restoration process prioritized areas close to hydroelectric facilities, as these plants – especially pumped-storage types – were essential for the rapid recovery of the power grid due to their autonomous start-up capability. Hmm. Perhaps Pv city – 12-13 hours recovery time – needs a wave-driven hydro plant in the nearby sea. There’s a big one in Scapa Flow, I’m told. See here on this.

This article includes Pontevedra province’s cities as one of those in Spain in which cars breakdown most frequently. There seems to be a large mix of possible reasons.

The beggar dressed as a Caminer interrupted my Sunday lunch again today. When I declined to give him anything, he departed gracelessly, muttering “Tenga un buen día. O, no.”

Portugal

Portugal’s caretaker government announced plans on Saturday to expel about 18,000 foreigners living in the country without legal permits or authorisation.

The UK

In the opinion of Richard North – and possibly quite a few others – the leading political party – Reform – is led by a man – Nigel Farage – with an extraordinary and long-standing aversion to policy formulation – a defect one might have thought was terminal for an aspiring politician. If so, the easy bit – winning a huge number of local councils – could well be over. Here’s one columnist who certainly believes this. Both parties of the old duopoly have fallen under the wheels of political distrust and discontent. [It’s perhaps relevant to note that Ms Toynbee outdoes Bernie Saunders in her long-standing dream of a socialist utopia, despite being vastly richer than her readers]. I like her(?) word Trumptastrophes and her spot-on description of Farage as a master communicator of ersatz chumminess, with a talent for dressing up a visceral nastiness with a smile. Personally, I laugh at the suggestion he’ll be a PM one day.

The John Crace article cited is also accurate and amusing. As is Marina Hyde’s article on the subject. I wonder why the Left has the most waspish observers. And why they get away with with it more than anyone on the Far Right would. The latter would surely just be seen as ‘nasty’.

Last word for Richard North, who might agree with Toynbee, Crace and Hyde but is certainly not of the Left: Reform is a party united by what it doesn’t want, not by what it wants. For Farage now to shape Reform and put his weight behind a coherent set of policies would be a disaster. Supporters, who have in common only their dislike of the Lib-Lab-Tory “uniparty”, would immediately fracture into disparate groups, supporting different policy lines. This is why Reform is not going anywhere and why Farage will never become prime minister. Even if he could decide on a broad sweep of policies, he could never get his supporters to unite behind them.

Trumpworld/LA LA Land

A dire warning . . Trump’s next 100 days will make the first 100 look tranquil.

What a parallel universe The Jester lives in! Where the [7]%] stock market fall is not Trump’s fault but Biden’s, and that it had ‘nothing to do with tariffs’. And where there are millions of Americans who believe him. And his power/money acolytes pretend that they do too.

The astonishing levels of Trump corruption in plain sight, at minute 57:30 seconds here.

On this theme . . . Trump’s presidency is his family’s piggybank. The US leader’s graft is astonishing, but he learnt from the best – Putin. . . Trump believes he can get away with turning the presidency into a vehicle for his own family’s enrichment. Everything he does in the Oval Office should be viewed in that light. Some truly shocking details here.

I wonder if anyone over 18 will ever view the USA in the (mostly) positive light it used to be seen in.

Russia v. Ukraine

The Way of the World

Given that we know that democracies can be subverted from within by a determined authoritarian leader, perhaps the greatest lesson to be drawn from what’s happening now in the USA is that we must do our utmost to prevent societies becoming as divisive as that one is. So, if voter discontent is stimulating populist parties, then the causes of that discontent need to be addressed. Which is the dilemma faced by the UK’s governing Labour party in the face of the local council gains of the upstart Reform party. And every other democratic government around the world. Most obviously Germany and France, perhaps. Not to mention the EU a a whole.

Quotes of the Day

• A ‘senior Wall Street figure’: Trump always judged himself by the strength of the markets. Our big mistake was to think he’d be the same this time. Now, it’s like he’s at war with the markets.
• A ‘Hill veteran’: What will make or break Trump is Congress in the next 30 days. If he can’t get his current [‘massive spending’] bill through, the economy is screwed.
• Trump has told the American people to be patient. This from a man with a mind like a popcorn machine.

Spanish

Vaya tela: Means something like ‘What a scandal’ or ‘Cor blimey’. [HT to Lenox Napier for that] Other equivalents are said to include ‘Good grief’ and ‘How weird’. . .

English

All new to me . . .

• Philomath: Lover of learning; a scholar.
• Noddary: A foolish act.
• Fedifragous: Contract-breaking.
• Subitaneous: Sudden.

You Have to Laugh

Finally . . .

The Reasons Spanish homeowners might install Solar panels without grid connection

1. Off-Grid Independence and Rural Locations

Some Spanish homeowners, especially those in rural or remote areas, choose to install solar panels without connecting to the electricity grid to achieve full energy independence. In these locations, connecting to the grid can be complicated, expensive, or simply unavailable. Off-grid systems require batteries to store energy for use at night or during cloudy periods, but they allow homeowners to avoid reliance on utility companies and potential grid outages.

2. Complexity and Barriers to Grid Connection

The process can involve significant administrative hurdles, especially for collective or multi-apartment installations. Delays, complex paperwork, and restrictive practices by distribution system operators (DSOs) can discourage some homeowners from pursuing grid connection, prompting them to opt for off-grid setups instead. [The battery option, I guess].

3. Financial Incentives and Tax Relief

Spain offers various tax incentives and subsidies for installing solar panels, including:

– National tax deductions: Up to 20% of installation costs can be deducted from personal income tax, with higher deductions (up to 60%) possible when significant energy efficiency improvements are demonstrated.

– Municipal property tax (IBI) reductions: Many municipalities offer IBI discounts of up to 50% (and in rare cases up to 75%) for several years after installation.

– Reductions in construction taxes (ICIO): Some regions allow up to 90–95% reductions in the ICIO tax for solar installations.

These incentives generally apply regardless of grid connection status, as long as the solar installation is for residential self-consumption and not for commercial purposes. 

4. No Requirement to Connect to the Grid

Spanish law does not require homeowners to connect their solar installations to the grid. The main advantage of grid connection is the ability to sell surplus energy and draw from the grid when needed. However, for those seeking complete autonomy or facing grid connection challenges, off-grid systems are a viable alternative.

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts.

The Usual Links . . .

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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.