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

That power blackout . . . This is an article which seems better informed than others. . It is a bit premature to blame the power failure on solar and wind power generation, but it is not too early to say that Spain’s over-reliance on solar and wind contributed to the failure

Can you really be fined €150k for a cash withdrawal in Spain?

This is the fine place my old friend and I found to be closed earlier in the year – on a Monday. As on every Monday for every museum in Spain. You’d think I’d know by now.

Portugal

A 12th century depiction of a lion above a church door in Melgaço:-

This is an article on a newish Camino – The Way of the Geira and the Arrieiros. It starts in Braga and passes east of Pontevedra City up towards Santiago de Compostela. My impression is that it’s accurate to say that: This is a complicated route only recommended for experienced pilgrims or those with GPS. It certainly involves a stiff climb or three.

In our hotel in Castro Laboreiro yesterday, we bumped into 13 women from the Czech Republic who were hiking this route. And who found it necessary to get up at 5.30 this morning and to do a lot of shouting to each other in the corridors. Which didn’t go down well with my companions, who don’t rise as early as I do. Or with the hotel staff, for that matter. You’d have thought they were Spanish . . .

The UK

A lament on the quality of spoken English. There’s an interesting table on English language skills by migrant groups. Oceania scores best. [This is made up of thousands of islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean. It is traditionally divided into four main parts: Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia].

Royal wags . . .

Europe

Protection for wolves is being reduced in several EU states, after reintroductions that seem to have been too successful.

Trumpworld/LA LA Land

This might or might not be an overstatement – Trump loses it, as panic over a full collapse sets in.

Quote of the Day

Trump’s talking about how it’s great that the container ships are coming over are empty, as this means we’re saving money. This is literally economically illiterate. [Like people laying out 800 on gym equipment priced at 1,000, thinking they are ‘saving’ 200 not spending 800].

Spanish

Arrieiro: Muleteer

Did You Know?

Green gas can be made from grass. The process typically involves anaerobic digestion: 1. Harvesting Grass: 2. Anaerobic Digestion: The grass is broken down by bacteria in an oxygen-free environment (an anaerobic digester). This produces biogas – a mix of methane and carbon dioxide. 3. Upgrading: The biogas can be purified to remove CO₂ and other impurities, resulting in biomethane.

Finally . . . You Have to Laugh

An amusing statue of Jesus in a church in Castro Laboreiro on a wet Saturday afternoon.,

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.
• This post of mine contains several relevant articles from ThinkSpain.
• 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.