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

Times have changed – A British (state) pension might not now be enough to fund retirement here.

Potentially useful for some – How to appeal a visa rejection.

Cousas de Galicia

Yesterday was hot, at 25, but the evening grew cold as a river mist flowed in from the whimsical Atlantic. And, this morning, we awoke to fog. In case you don’t know what this looks like, the 7am view of Pv city from my salón is at the top of this post . . .

Two fotos from Pv city’s old quarter . . .

• The retained façade of a building in Bridge Street which is being reformed. I will post developments over the years it takes to complete the job, if traditional project management is practised. . .

• A repainted façade of a (probably) new set of tourist flats as at 18.6.25. I expect the city’s legion of graffiti ‘artists’ to deface it within days.

A propos . . . a ‘self-obligating graffito’:-

A conversation today in a bookshop I’ve mentioned before as never having any customers when I pass it – 4 times a day:

• Do you have a book of puzzles suitable for a 6 year old?
• No

• Do you have a funny books section?
• No

I am more convinced than ever that the store is a money-laundering front . . .

Well, I took the English-language tour of Pv city’s old quarter this morning. It was high on pleasant chat but low on info. During the hour I stayed with it, I did learn 2 things, which worked out at 3.50 each:-

• The Galician suffix –eiro can indicate place (as I’d thought) but more usually indicates a person. As in pulpeiro, panadeiro and canteiro.
• The myth of the Greek warrior Teucro founding the city of Pontevedra includes his naming the city Helenes. The Romans called it Ponte Veteris. But they actually lived here.

Israel v. Iran

No one seems to know what decision Trump is likely to take about the USA helping Israel to destroy key Iranian nuclear facilities, least of all Trump himself. Meanwhile, differences on this are said to be splitting the MAGA base.

Richard North: It stretches credulity to breaking point to assert that the Israelis have embarked on a complex, high-risk operation without the means to carry it through, then halfway through the operation to turn to the Americans, headed by the unpredictable and volatile president Trump, and expect them to finish the attack for them. This simply does not make sense. . . Whether or not the US needs to become directly involved has massive implications but if Israel can do the job – which it says it can – this helps contain the conflict which retains regional rather than high-level global dimensions.

The USA

Before you read these latest Trump Tonterías, bear in mind there’s no shortage of evidence validating the claim of the 2 psychologists of the Shrinking Trump podcast that Trump’s mental condition can only get worse:-

• My people love me more now than when I was elected and I love them more. [There’s only one person he’s ever loved, of course.]
• My approval ratings are higher than they’ve ever been. [He has the worst rating of his – or anyone’s – presidency]
• Hatred is never a good thing in politics. [!]
• Russia-Ukraine would never have happened if I’d been president.
• Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran. [More than 9 million souls. Possibly to Gaza.]
• I might bomb Iran, I might not. No one knows what I’m going to do.
• I take my decisions at the last second. [Though no one knows on what basis]
• There’s only one thing worse than being than being talked about and that’s not being talked about.[Or was that Oscar Wilde?]
• L’état, c’est moi. [Or was that Louis XIV?]

With the world is on the edge of nuclear war, Trump obsesses about flagpoles. Sorry, Flag Poles. . . It is my great honour to announce that I will be putting up 2 beautiful Flag Poles on both sides of the White House North and South Lawns. They are tall, tapered rust-proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality. Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come.

Only someone as brain-addled as Trump could think that his press conferences [“pressers”] put him in a good light. Utter madness. What on earth the Iranians – and Putin – make of them is anyone’s guess.

I hope all American Catholics and Evangelicals who helped put Trump in the White House are praying hard that he won’t kill us all. Much good that will do us, though. He is more capricious than God even.

Quote of the Day

A good question . . . As Trump is so stupid, if he begins to suffer from senile dementia, how would we know​?

Spanish

• Lúpulos: Hops (for beer)
• Cacharro: Pot (as used for catching octopuses) but also jalopy, old banger.
• Tobillera: Something attached to the ankle – anklet, brace, monitor, etc.
• Trama: Plot, storyline
• Chorlitejo: Plover

Finally . . .

Another fascinating development on the issue of portable typewriters . . . This one is exactly like the two I featured recently. Seen in last Sunday’s flea market in Pv city.

I refrained from asking about the price.

Welcome to new subscriber, Chris White, who has his own blog.

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