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

Property Matters

• The letter that adds value to your home.
• This was far from the case when I bought my house back in 2000. Home buyers in Spain face the highest tax burden in all of Europe. Thanks to various ‘stealth taxes’, I guess. Unsurprisingly, it’s said that the state’s fiscal policy is worsening an already strained housing market. But it’s easy money for the national and regional governments.
• For the courageous with oodles of money, time, patience and a low frustration threshold: How to flip.

The Camino de Santiago . . .

These 2 terms came up at dinner with Spanish friends last night, both new to me: They are colloquial and often critical terms, used to describe people who walk the Camino differently from traditionally. They are seen by many as cheating or distorting the meaning of the Camino, which used to involve physical effort, introspection, and coexistence with others:-

Things are worse than I thought . . . I also learned last night that Caminos are now being organised as team-building exercises for executives of US companies. Which might explain why I see ‘pilgrims’ coming out of the 4-star Parador. Hotels in this chain are said to offer a 15% discount to Caminers who show their stamped passport(Credential).

• Taxigrinos: People who, instead of walking, biking, or riding horseback, use motorized vehicles, especially taxis, to cover part or all of the stages. These typically cover only short stretches on foot, primarily to obtain the necessary stamps for their credential(stamped ‘passport’) but they travel by taxi between towns or stages.
• Turigrinos: People who walk without spiritual, religious, or personal motivations but, rather, as a tourist activity, prioritising comfort and services. They often hire agencies to organise the entire trip, including backpack transport, accommodation in hotels or rural houses, and meals. And they walk only the last 100km necessary to obtain their certificate. They don’t always show interest in the traditional values, such as hospitality, solidarity, and camaraderie. This phenomenon has grown in recent years, contributing to the overcrowding of certain routes and the transformation of the Camino into a tourist product rather than an authentic pilgrimage experience. [Ain’t that the truth. But, TBH, we Turigrinos were a much smaller percentage of the total 15 years ago, when I did my first Camino with English friends]

• BTW 1. Reflecting its dilatory nature, neither of these terms features in the RAE’s dictionary.
• BTW 2: An AI search tells me there are at least 5 companies offering team-building programs. I knew full well that the Camino isn’t what it was only15 or even 10 years ago but this has rather surprised/shocked me . . . Can it get even worse?

Footnote:

I went to the Parador today to ask about the alleged 15% discount for Caminers. I was told:-

• They are full from March to November.
• Virtually all the clients are Caminers, some of whom reserved last year.
• The current price for a double room is 165 a night. [Which might rise in mid summer]
• In these circumstances, they don’t feel obliged to offer a discount, even if you’re over 65.
• You can get 5% off as as a Friend of the Paradors, provided you book on the internet and well in advance.
• They don’t have a garage for guests’ cars [But, then, if all your clients are walkers . . ]

In summary, things have changed, as regards the Caminer profile, even more than I thought only a few hours ago.

Last bit of Camino news . . . As I walked across O Burgo bridge this morning, I was surprised – shocked even –- to be passed by a young female Caminer whose 2-piece attire – reflecting today’s high temperature – was as scanty as anything the young women of Pontevedra will be wearing in Pv city this summer. Quite a change from the last few days of bedraggled folk wrapped in wet-weather gear or shrouded in ponchos.

The UK

Reform light. Since there is no coherent policy to sustain Reform, or underlying political philosophy, one might expect that the current levels of support are very fragile and easily turned. Most likely, the party’s high poll ratings reflect more a detestation of the other parties then a genuine enthusiasm for Reform.

The Latest Insane Pronouncements of the Jester

Worth listening to.

Trumpworld/LA LA Land

Trump’s conflicts of interest: the shadow of kleptocracy.

Trump’s gargantuan self-dealing. Federal ethics rules now seem little more than decoration. . . . The suspicion arises that the US president’s real agenda is Trump First. The rest is sleight of hand.  Shocking and, yet, by now not shocking at all. And all defended by Trump’s despicable Press Secretary, a practising Catholic.

Quotes of the Day

• Autocracy’s twin is kleptocracy. 
• Russia or the USA? . . . The conflicts of interest are so densely woven that it is difficult to separate the presidency from the commercial ambitions of the presidential entourage. That is a defining feature of state capture in regimes that lack democratic safeguards and where law enforcement is incapable of policing corruption. It is an affront to the principle that public office should be sought with a view to advancing public interest, not exploited for personal enrichment. It is the mark of a kleptocracy.
• Is the American worship of wealth so profound and distorted that a majority of the electorate regard this as acceptable? If so, will only their reducing personal wealth change matters?
• Why would anyone risk travelling to the USA now, when we’re all advised to clean up our phones in advance in case of arrest by ICE on arrival?
• Trump has created an Anti-Christian Bias Task Force headed by some of the most powerful people in the US. It’s justified by lies and will either be used as a political stunt or to actually oppress people. Which will it do? Time will tell.

Spanish

See above . . .

English

To (parochial?) Anglos, ‘American means not even ‘North America’ – including Mexico and Canada – but just the USA. To Spanish speakers, América includes both North and South elements. So, to them, the new Pope isn’t the first but the second ‘American’ to hold the post.

You Have to Laugh

A roll call of some decidedly odd names . .

Finally . . .

There were white feathers on my lawn last night when I came back from town. I’d like to think they were from a magpie but the evidence is that my neighbour’s cat has killed one of the 2 collared doves which were building a nest in my bougainvillea. A real shame.

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.