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

Today saw the first of the 7 annual bull runs in Pamplona. Quite a long one.

I wrote about the property market yesterday, specifically the shortage of flats to buy or rent. I meant to include this interesting graph of what happens when there is massive speculation during a property boom:-

The main reason I didn’t make a lot of money in 2003-4 is that I knew that the losers were those who got in late and experienced the bust and I was convinced the madness couldn’t last much longer and that this inevitability was just around the corner. How wrong I was, as I could have got out any time during another 4-5 years.

Incidentally . . . 17 houses were built behind mine and all sold off-plan during the long – and very noisy/dusty – construction phase of 2004 to 2008. So, they were finished after the bust and the estate agent and constructor went bust. I imagine a lot of folk lost a lot of money. The houses then remained empty for almost 10 years, and were eventually sold at a large discount. Possibly by the Saheb bank. [Additional point: They possibly could have been sold earlier, if the access road hadn’t been closed off for 2 or 3 years, as it had been built illegally. In Spain Caveat emptor! Never trust an agent.

Talking of property in Spain . . . If you have one but aren’t resident, you should have been told by the agent – but possibly not – that you are liable for a small annual tax on it. This article relates to that.

And talking of madness . . . To see JLo in Pv city tomorrow night will set you back between 108 and 758 euros.

Cousas de Galicia

The Asian wasp is a real nuisance in Galicia these days but, fortunately, it has an avian predator – la hembra del abejero europeo – the European Honey Buzzard. The female of this bird feeds on the larvae in their nests. All strength to their beaks.

A feature of the Galician summer is the round-up of wild horses and the cutting of their manes and tails – A rapa das bestas. It’s quite a spectacular event and the biggest one has already taken place. Like so many things and places in Iberia, it’s much more touristy than when I saw it more than 20 years ago.

Need I say that this problem is unprecedented in Galicia. Especially in early July. . . . Trying to get the temperature down from 26 in my bedroom last night, I left a large window open – inviting in the occasional mosquito – when the external temperature was only 17, with a strong breeze blowing. But the bloody temperature only fell to 24. It must be something to do with physics . . . Hot walls?? Perry?

MAGALand

A few non-surprises:

• Triumphant deal-making . . . Trump says tariffs are delayed until 1 August, sparking confusion. And that his team will start sending trade partners letters with new tariff rates ahead of this week’s original 90-day deadline to make a deal.
• The White House Press Secretary, having said months ago that all the countries were begging to do deals, now says they haven’t been in contact and so will being receiving Trump’s unilaterally imposed tariff rates. See below (some of) an AI summary on this.

With the drastic reduction in folk flying to the USA, the airlines there are cancelling routes and laying off staff in the tens of thousands. And business is not good for airports and all the ancillary operations in an around them. Some Trump voters won’t be happy.

I posted a foto of the crazy Marjorie Taylor Greene yesterday. This woman – said to be a key adviser to Trump – is even madder. Not even a politician of any sort.

Can Musk’s new party shake up US politics, it’s being asked. Possibly a little.

[Unrelated] Quotes of the Day

• The fragmentation of the media and the frantic turnover of the media cycle means that the legacy media are no longer able to control and even suppress issues. Ordinary people now have some say [via social media] and are not entirely dependent on the legacy media to articulate their views.
• Good people [as politicians] cannot accept they are wrong because their rightness, or righteousness, is the rock upon which they construct a life.

Spanish

• Poner a punto: To refine, hone, fine tune, overhaul
• El safety car: The safety car.
• Los safety car: The safety cars . . .

Peru

There’s been a fascinating archaeological discovery in Peru.

Finally . . .

Karoline Leavitt’s Statements on Trade Deal Contacts, Then and Now . . .

April 2025, Leavitt reported that the White House had been inundated with requests from countries eager to strike trade agreements following Trump’s announcement of a 90-day pause on new tariffs. She said that more than 75 countries had reached out to the administration, and at least 15 had submitted formal proposals for tailored trade agreements. She emphasized the volume of interest and the administration’s active engagement with nearly every country worldwide, expressing optimism that several deals would be announced soon.

Current Position: Leavitt has adopted a shift in tone. As the administration approached a self-imposed July deadline to negotiate new trade agreements or impose new tariffs, she and other officials acknowledged that not all countries had responded or reached out with proposals. The administration sent out reminders, urging countries to submit their best offers before the deadline, but also signaled that the USA might proceed to set tariffs unilaterally if not. Leavitt stated that while some negotiations were ongoing, the administration would not have time to negotiate individually with every country interested in a deal, and that the White House would begin setting tariff rates for those who had not responded.

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.
• Buying a property ‘off-plan’.
• 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.