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/Galicia

Just to follow up yesterday’s comment about late-eating Spaniards sleeping badly – a headline in a national paper: It’s an outrage that more that 6 million Spaniards[14%]suffer from insomnia, says an expert

And here’s a headline about one of the cases of political corruption currently being reported on in the media: The Leire case has brought to light a decade of manoeuvres in the political sewers

And this is the headline and opening paragraph of a long article in the DdP today. Nothing in it will come as a surprise to readers of this blog over the last few years . . The Portuguese Camino now generates an average of €18,000 per day in Pontevedra: The economic impact of the pilgrimage is skyrocketing with the growth of the route and the changing profile of pilgrims, which is becoming less “low-cost” and more “premium.” Hostels are losing ground to hotels, where they emphasize that “de-seasonalisation is already a reality” and that “Pontevedra finally has foreign tourists“. In the hospitality industry, international clients are driving kitchens to open earlier and increasing the hiring of staff with language skills. There’s a machine translation of the whole article at the end of this post. The original is here.

Right on cue . . A foto taken today outside the €165 night Parador . . . A specialist bike-camino company:-

You’d think that, after 7 years in the Middle and Far East, I’d be able to smell a crook. But the Peruvian chap who did some tiling for my neighbour has disappeared with the cash I gave him to buy the tiles for a path in my garden. Yes, said materials have not materialised and he’s not answering his phone. Happily, I have a few Colombian friends, one of whom has found out where he works at the weekend and will have a few words with him about giving me back my money.

This is not the first time I’ve been cheated in Spain. In order to be able to put my house on the property register and to lift the mortgage lien over it, I had to pay the notary bills of the defaulting Pontevedra lawyer who’d sold it to me. This was only alternative to taking him to court, which the notary informed me while laughing at the thought of that. One is reminded from time to time of the comment made by a (Spanish) reader years ago – This is not a corrupt society so much as one of low ethics.

This huge Ford Ranger sports-utility truck is a very rate sight on Spanish roads but I believe this type of ‘car’ has been the best-selling vehicle in the USA since the year dot. Which must say something about the country:-

Trumpworld/LA LA Land

From the ceaseless reality TV show that is today’s USA . . .

TACO Tonterías

• I’m only getting good reports about our trade negotiations with China.[Well, who’d dare give him negative feedback?]
• We won the war. If we didn’t [hadn’t], you’d now be speaking a mixture of German and Japanese.
• Newsom’s primary crime, for which he should be jailed, is running for Governor of California.
• Paid insurrectionists are behind the LA riots. [Of which there is nil evidence proffered, of course.]

The WSJ reports here on the backcloth to provocation which, as devoutly wished, led – says Trump – to the immolation of the entire city of LA . . . The White House Marching Orders That Sparked the L.A. Migrant Crackdown: After deportations fell short of Trump’s campaign promises, federal agents summoned to a meeting in Washington were told to ‘just go out there and arrest illegal aliens’. You’ll surely be able to guess by whom.

Here’s the very funny john Stewart on the LA events.

And here’s comedian Jimmy Kimmel – from what’s left of LA – on Trump’s endless abuse of power.

Quote of the Day

The Trump birthday parade of 14 June will involve 3 mules, one of which will be taking the salute.

Russia

Today happens to be the last day of the 2 week ‘deadline’ Trump gave Putin to stop slaughtering Ukrainians. Anyone holding their breath?

In 1946, an American diplomat called George Kennan sent a telegram from the Moscow embassy providing a ‘comprehensive analysis of Soviet motivations, ideology, and strategy’. He argued that at the root of Soviet behaviour – under Stalin – was a deep-seated Russian sense of insecurity, which, after the Russian Revolution, had become intertwined with communist ideology and a tradition of secrecy and conspiracy. Kennan described the Soviet leadership as viewing the outside world as hostile, leading to a policy of strengthening internal power and weakening external threats. “Soviet power”, he wrote, “is impervious to the logic of reason and highly sensitive to the logic of force”. He emphasised that the Soviet Union operated on “two planes”: official, overt actions and unofficial, deniable activities -now known as “hybrid warfare” or “cross-domain competition” . Kennan warned that the Soviets would seek to expand their influence wherever possible, using both direct and indirect means and that it should be US strategy to ’contain’ this.

Sixty years on, has much changed? Is Putin, I fact, the heir to Stalin – an appalling tyrant to whom he’s just had a statue erected?

Of course, Putin won’t be getting much ‘logic of reason’ from Trump to be impervious to . . .

Spanish

Farolear: To bluff

You Have to Laugh

A large hole . . .

Finally . . .

Oh, frabjous joy . . . WordPress tells me my May readership was 1% up on April. Per ardua ad astra.

Finally, Finally . . . .

A few more extracts from The Pillow Book:-

A capricious emperor of an earlier period . . .

Long ago there was an emperor who liked only young people and who ordered that everyone over 40 should be put to death. The older people therefore went and hid in remote provinces, leaving the capital to their juniors. [The emperor relented, of course. After he’d seen evidence of the wisdom of the old].

Rain and Snow

• I don’t like sleet but when it is mixed with pure white snow it is very pretty.
• Snow looks wonderful when it has fallen on a roof of Cyprus bark.
• When snow begins to melt a little or when only a small amount has fallen, it enters into all the cracks between the bricks, so that the roof is black in some places but pure white in others – most attractive.
• I like drizzle and hail when they come down on a shingle roof.
• I also like frost on a shingle roof or in a garden.

Clouds.

• I love white, purple and black clouds and rain clouds when they are driven by the wind.
• It is charming at dawn to see the dark clouds gradually turn white.
• I believe this has been described in a Chinese poem that says something about the tints that leave at dawn“
• It is moving to see a thin wisp of cloud across a very bright moon.

To feel that one is disliked by others is surely one of the saddest things in the world and no one, however foolish, could wish such a thing on himself. Yet everywhere, whether it be in the palace or at home in the bosom of the family, there are some people who are naturally liked and others who are not. Not only among people of good birth, where it goes without saying, but even among commoners, children who are adored by their parents naturally attract the attention of outsiders and everyone makes a great fuss of them. If they are attractive children, it is only natural that their parents should dote on them.. How could it be otherwise? If the children have nothing particular to recommend them, I can only assume that such devotion comes merely from the fact of being parents. I imagine that there can be nothing so delightful as to be loved by everyone – one’s parents, one’s master, and all the people with whom one is on close terms.

THE CAMINO ARTICLE

The Portuguese Way now generates an average of €18,000 per day in Pontevedra.

The economic impact of the pilgrimage is skyrocketing with the growth of the route and the changing profile of pilgrims, which is becoming less “low-cost” and more “premium.” Hostels are losing ground to hotels, where they emphasize that “deseasonalization is already a reality” and that “Pontevedra finally has foreign tourists.” In the hospitality industry, international clients are driving kitchens to open earlier and increasing the hiring of staff with language skills.

The rise of the Portuguese Way and the changing pilgrim profile, less low-cost than ever, are generating an unprecedented economic impact on the city. A walk through the monumental area is enough to get an idea of ​​the impact this type of tourism is having, but there are also data that help outline the impact of pilgrims on the business community of Pontevedra and its surrounding area.

So far this year, 64,795 pilgrims have walked the traditional Portuguese Way and its coastal variant. Although not all of them stay overnight in Boa Vila, all of them pass through the city, and approximately 75% book accommodation.

This results in a total of 48,000 guests between January and June, a record number that, in addition to contributing to the economic impact of the Way, is accompanied by an increase in daily spending per capita. While the Association of Friends of the Portuguese Way previously estimated a minimum average of 40 euros per person, the average now rises to 60 euros because, according to its president, Tino Lores, “the profile of the pilgrim has changed.”

“Before, sleeping in public hostels was prioritized more, it even seemed obligatory. However, now they are more inclined to choose private establishments, and this causes the average expense to rise. At least, a pilgrim pays 20 euros in a private hostel, and to that you have to add lunch, dinner, and other expenses, because they will probably have a drink on a terrace or buy a T-shirt in the city,” the spokesperson points out.

The business that was born during the pandemic and became a benchmark for pilgrims’.

Six million in 2025, and the estimate is likely to be an underestimate

Taking into account this average expenditure and the fact that in 2025 the average number of pilgrims is close to 298 per day, this means that the Camino already attracts almost €18,000 per day in the city. On an annual basis, Lores predicts that the 100,000-guest barrier will likely be surpassed, attracted by this experience, and that more than six million euros will be mobilized in the city of Lérez, two million more than just two years ago.

However, the forecast is very likely to be short-lived. Why? Because more and more pilgrims prefer to book accommodations where they can rest “with more comfort and privacy than in a hostel,” and because, although there are menus for less than twelve euros, many resort to the conventional à la carte menu to sample the gastronomy of the Rías Baixas, which is usually more expensive than the standard menus.

“Today’s pilgrims have a higher economic level,” adds Lores, “and the pilgrimage is no longer just a religious experience, but has become an eco-friendly sporting activity that attracts people from all over the world, many of whom don’t even know what Santiago is.”

“It is our responsibility to ensure that pilgrims have a good experience in Pontevedra.”

The association’s spokesperson emphasizes that their accounts speak of “minimal” spending and that, without a doubt, “the impact of the Camino in Pontevedra is very strong.”

“Deseasonalization is now a reality.”

The city’s hospitality map confirms the upward trend in the number of pilgrims and spending. The director of Galicia Palace, Patricia Sierra, assures that reservations from walkers “have grown enormously after COVID” and that from March to October, room bookings by this type of client “are constant.”

She adds that this type of tourism is one of the key factors that have allowed “deseasonalization in Pontevedra to become a reality,” as well as one of the clear causes of the increase in travelers of other nationalities: “Pontevedra finally has foreigners, and not just Europeans, but also from South Africa, Asia, South America, and many other territories,” she states.

Among these destinations of origin, she also includes North America, “which until recently was an exception in Galicia and which has now increased significantly” thanks to “the sporting events” that choose to host the podium in the city, but also to the pull of the pilgrimage.

Linked to the internationalization of the Camino, the director of the Galicia Palace, the only four-star hotel in the city next to the Parador, states that another notable change has to do with the “economic level” of pilgrims, which is higher than a few years ago. And the truth is, she’s not the only one to make this observation.

The positive figures for the Portuguese Way are spurring entrepreneurship in Boa Vila.

From the sandwich pilgrim to the one seeking the best menu

The president of the Pontevedra Hoteliers Association, Paula Lourido, indicates that “for many years there have been hostel pilgrims and hotel pilgrims,” ​​but that the figure of the wealthy pilgrim who demands services is becoming more common.

A while ago, many pilgrims came with a sandwich, and although today some still ask where they can eat a daily menu, most invest in restaurants. My hotel is one-star, and I’m often asked which is the best restaurant in Pontevedra. There are pilgrims who even stay two or three nights in hotels with more stars, because they approach the Camino as a vacation,” she points out.

The spokesperson also states that while in 2018 there was an upswing in customers linked to the Portuguese Way, since the pandemic, the growth of this profile in the hotel sector “has been incredible.” “Just taking a walk around Pontevedra shows that they’ve opened many hostels, and in this case, almost all the customers are pilgrims,” ​​she points out.

Specialized agencies, the driving force of change

Another issue highlighted by the hotel sector is that much of the growth experienced by pilgrimages in the Rías Baixas is due to the role played by travel agencies specializing in the Camino. According to them, most pilgrims “don’t come alone,” but are mobilized by these types of companies, “which are the ones that have made the Camino work.”

One of them is Tee Travel, a company founded in Vilagarcía de Arousa that, among other things, has been “tailoring the Camino de Santiago” to travelers’ needs for more than 20 years.

The sources consulted confirm that in recent years there has been “significant growth in the Portuguese Camino and the coastal Camino,” and that the audience “is increasingly premium.” This profile “seeks convenience” and wants to discover places located beyond the yellow arrows. Among them, “people coming from the interior of Spain, Europe, or Latin America, who want to see the beach, visit the most beautiful towns, discover local cuisine, try Albariño wine, and mingle with the local life.”

Demand also includes routes to monasteries and ruins, boat trips, and even starlight experiences that offer the chance to see the stars on the islands and beaches of the Pontevedra coast. Furthermore, the company highlights the number of pilgrims who choose to cycle the Camino, a group that has grown in recent seasons “and is expected to continue growing.”

Foreigners are the most willing to pay for a tailor-made Camino

Foreigners are increasingly more likely to “pay to receive good service.” “Many travel 10,000 to 20,000km to get here and prefer to hire a company to organize their trip to be safer and make the most of their time, because sometimes they spend a week on the Camino and then take advantage of the opportunity to visit other European destinations before returning to their home countries.”

The company offers different packages with prices that vary depending on the experiences and type of accommodation. For the Portuguese Way, the lowest rate is around 740 euros for the journey on foot, including seven nights’ accommodation and breakfast, transfers, assistance, and insurance.

For the Portuguese Coastal Way, the price reaches 1,620 euros for cycling the 282 kilometers between Porto and Santiago, including eight nights’ accommodation, breakfast and dinner, support vehicles, DPG, assistance, and insurance.

Pontevedra bids farewell to the legendary Bar París

On both routes, Pontevedra is a must-see and, according to Tee Travel, it is a capital that holds “great appeal” for pilgrims, due to its rich culture, heritage, and gastronomy. “Many even want to spend more than a day in the city, where the spiritual variant of the Portuguese Way begins and which is also close to the Padre Sarmiento Route. There isn’t a week that goes by without a reservation, both from domestic and international pilgrims, and the vast majority stay overnight in Pontevedra, because it’s the end of the stage,” the sources consulted add.

The effect on the hospitality industry: kitchens open earlier and there are more staff with language skills.

The hospitality industry in Pontevedra is another sector where the Camino effect is felt daily. And not only at the cash level, but also in other areas such as the earlier kitchen hours to serve international travelers and the increasing hiring of staff with language skills, English being the most prevalent.

The president of the Pontevedra Hospitality and Business Association (Hoempo), Rafael Rúa, points out that pilgrimage tourism “has significantly increased in the city” and that the stoves in many establishments are lit earlier “to adapt to European time zones, where people eat earlier and have dinner at the same time we have a snack.”

He also confirms the growing importance of knowing English in table service, although with the important caveat that right now “close to 70% of hospitality employees are Latino” and that, generally, they are professionals “who have already worked in other countries, such as Italy, France, Belgium, or Miami, where English is one of the basic working languages.”

“Before, you served beers, and now you serve dinner.”

The Borona restaurant is one of the businesses that opened early to cater to international customers and has at least one language-savvy employee on each shift. However, if there’s one thing that one of its owners, Juan Antonio Pérez, highlights, it’s the ability of pilgrims to boost turnover during off-peak hours:

“Starting with Easter, the pilgrims’ savior is the one who saves you the most, because from 7 to 9 p.m. you used to sell beers, and now you serve dinner. Besides, they’re no longer sharing customers, but rather order a dish per person and a bottle of wine, and they leave good tips for the waiters. It’s a very friendly and profitable customer base, and their opening hours allow you to close earlier, which is also good for the waiters and cooks.”

For her part, the manager of the Hotel Madrid, Paula Lourido, points out that her establishment has expanded its staff to respond to “a higher level of occupancy” and that, in response to this growth, “they’ve worked hard to hire staff who speak languages.” “Twenty years ago, I remember speaking English four or ten times a year, but now you either speak it at the reception desk or you’ll have a really hard time, because there’s a very high percentage of guests who only speak English.”

Regarding the restaurant’s operations, he indicates that in his case, the decision was made to open the breakfast buffet earlier and that it was largely done during the Camino, “because pilgrims have different schedules.”

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

The Usual Links . . .

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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.
• A comparison of UK and Spanish living costs.
• And here’s a personal guide to moving to Spain – to work, not to retire.
• Finally, from a tax lawyer: Everything you need to know about taxes and healthcare when retiring to Spain.