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
The PM offers 14 anti-corruption measures for consideration, hopefully not written on the back of an envelope over the last few days.
The rain in Spain continues to fall on the head of the PM. He’s now accused of living off the profits of his father-in-law’s gay brothels.
A groundbreaking legal ruling in respect of tourist flats.
Another problem Madrid is having with Brussels.
Cousas de Galicia
There were firecrackers at 6.50 this morning, signalling a festival somewhere nearby. Which was confirmed not very long after by loud music. I figured it was for the feast days of San Benito/San Benitiño* on my side of the river, in Lérez and Poio, where – ironically – I had planned to visit the DIY store for one of my two annual visits. So, not surprised to find it closed. But no problem, I thought, it’s a Poio/Lerez feastday, so, the Pv city shops won’t be closed. Wrong. Waste of time going down earlier than usual. Worse . . My favourite café was closed. Life in Spain.
*Sao Bento down in Oporto, where there’s a glorious blue-tiled station named in his honour. And a Metro station . . .
As if they hadn’t suffered enough from several nights of techno music and then the J Lo show, the residents of PV city’s Tafisa barrio down by the river, now face 3 nights of Bigsound/Big Sound concerts that will keep them awake until at least 2.30am. The wise ones have left for a few days elsewhere.
Reader Perry has kindly advised me of this site, from which I was pleasantly surprised the manufacture takes place here in Galicia.
MAGALand
Trump:
- We have more than 200 countries to deal with. [There are 197 recognised countries in the world.]
- A letter is a deal.
- Letters are better than deals. More powerful. [I.e bullying].
Today Trump proved there is no way he can fake sounding smart about anything.
Trump’s assault on American greatness.
Kirsti Noem thanks god for not killing more people. . . .
Quotes of the Day
- There is every likelihood that King Charles will have to go through with being polite to one of the most obnoxious men on the planet.
- Perhaps the Basques, who have fought for their region for decades, who stood up to Franco, whose towns and villages are painted with political slogans about the downtrodden and about justice . . . perhaps they could see a bit of themselves in the story of Tottenham Hotspur football club.
- Meghan Markle: I think it speaks to this chapter many of us find ourselves in where none of us are one note but I believe all the notes I am playing are part of the same song.
The Way of the World
Sometimes, progress means turning back. Carmakers once championed touchscreen dashboards as the sleek future of driving. But now they are reinstating physical buttons, for usability reasons.
Spanish
- Burrada: Nonsense.
- Cateto: Redneck, bumpkin, yokel, etc.
- Envergadura: Size, wingspan, scale, magnitude, etc.
- Ortografía: Spelling
Why Spanish is not exactly phonetic . . . A message I received from a Spanish-speaking friend about the J Lo concert: Ojalá pudiera aver ido. [It should be . . . haber ido.]
Finally . . .
Just as war has been described as too important to be left to generals, so government is far too important to be left to billionaires, even if they believe – as Donald Trump and Elon Musk unsurprisingly do – that they know best and what works in business works for everybody. The all-too-predictable Trump/Musk divorce exemplifies the history of what happens when entrepreneurs and politics collide. Government is not about moving fast and breaking things. The financial and political cost is too high. The single-minded drive of billionaire business founders such as Musk rarely translates into political success. Inflated entrepreneurial egos are unsuited to being number two and not getting their way. For them, business is a binary world. Trump comes from the zero sum real estate game of winners or losers. Politics tends to require compromise. Not in their playbook. Also, most businesses are specific whereas politics is mainly about the general. Most self-made billionaires (that excludes Trump) like Musk or dictators not democrats, both inside and outside their companies.
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 or on Substack.
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.
- A warning re social security and VAT(IVA) payments for those who plane to be sel-employed
- Finally, from a tax lawyer: Everything you need to know about taxes and healthcare when retiring to Spain.
Cosas de España
The PM offers 14 anti-corruption measures for consideration, hopefully not written on the back of an envelope over the last few days.
The rain in Spain continues to fall on the head of the PM. He’s now accused of living off the profits of his father-in-law’s gay brothels.
A groundbreaking legal ruling in respect of tourist flats.
Another problem Madrid is having with Brussels
Cousas de Galicia
There were firecrackers at 6.50 this morning, signalling a festival somewhere nearby. Which was confirmed not very long after by loud music. I figured it was for the feast days of San Benito/San Benitiño* on my side of the river, in Lérez and Poio, where – ironically – I had planned to visit the DIY store for one of my two annual visits. So, not surprised to find it closed. But no problem, I thought, it’s a Poio/Lerez feastday, so, the Pv city shops won’t be closed. Wrong. Waste of time going down earlier than usual. Worse . . My favourite café was closed. Life in Spain.
*Sao Bento down in Oporto, where there’s a glorious blue-tiled station named in his honour. And a Metro station . . .
As if they hadn’t suffered enough from several nights of techno music and then the J Lo show, the residents of PV city’s Tafisa barrio down by the river, now face 3 nights of Bigsound/Big Sound concerts that will keep them awake until at least 2.30am. The wise ones have left for a few days elsewhere.
Reader Perry has kindly advised me of this site, from which I was pleasantly surprised the manufacture takes place here in Galicia.
MAGALand
Trump:
We have more than 200 countries to deal with. [There are 197 recognised countries in the world.]
A letter is a deal.
Letters are better than deals. More powerful. [I.e bullying].
Today Trump proved there is no way he can fake sounding smart about anything.
Trump’s assault on American greatness
Kirsti Noem thanks god for not killing more people. . . .
Quotes of the Day
There is every likelihood that King Charles will have to go through with the polite to one of the most obnoxious men on the planet.
Perhaps the Basques, who have fought for their region for decades, who stood up to Franco, whose towns and villages are painted with political slogans about the downtrodden and about justice . . . perhaps they could see a bit of themselves in the story of Tottenham Hotspur football club.
Meghan Markle: I think it speaks to this chapter many of us find ourselves in where none of us are one note but I believe all the notes I am playing are part of the same song.
The Way of the World
Sometimes, progress means turning back. Carmakers once championed touchscreen dashboards as the sleek future of driving. But now they are reinstating physical buttons, for usability reasons.
Spanish
Burrada: Nonsense
Cateto: Redneck, bumpkin, yokel, etc.
Envergadura: Sizem wingspan, scale, magnitude, etc.
Ortografía: Spelling
Why Spanish is not exactly phonetic . . . A message I received from a Spanish-speaking friend about the J Lo concert: Ojalá pudiera aver ido. [It should be . . . haber ido.]
Finally . . .
Just as war has been described as too important to be left to generals, so government is far too important to be left to billionaires, even if they believe – as Donald Trump and Elon Musk unsurprisingly do – that they know best and what works in business works for everybody. The all-too-predictable Trump/Musk divorce exemplifies the history of what happens when entrepreneurs and politics collide. Government is not about moving fast and breaking things. The financial and political cost is too high. The single-minded drive of billionaire business founders such as Musk rarely translates into political success. Inflated entrepreneurial egos are unsuited to being number two and not getting their way. For them, business is a binary world. Trump comes from the zero sum real estate game of winners or losers. Politics tends to require compromise. Not in their playbook. Also, most businesses are specific whereas politics is mainly about the general. Most self-made billionaires (that excludes Trump) like Musk or dictators not democrats, both inside and outside their companies.
Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain 
No es un buen momento para El Primer Ministro de España, el tema del suegro ( fallecido ) resulta que él siempre ha trabajado, en La ONU, en banca en El Consejo de administración y como profesor de Universidad. Cuando se casó lo hizo en régimen de bienes separados para que no le salpicara los negocios de su suegro, que se hizo rico con saunas, no sé lo que podía pasar allí porque eso no es un negocio desde mi punto de vista muy ético, si es como dicen. Sánchez es hijo de un economista del Estado que fue el que lo educó. De todos modos tiene problemas al no tener presupuestos aún así, la economía va bien siempre mejorable.
Trump y Musk son un auténtico peligro pero como El Presidente es Trump lo que está haciendo con los inmigrantes es una barbaridad, ya humanamente y también legalmente, hace dos días la policía fueron a detener a un señor que trabaja en un Centro de Salud, pedía por favor que no lo detuvieran, sus compañeros apoyándolo y después de llevarlo, no se sabía donde estaba.
Por otra parte, todo lo que ha dicho Trump con respecto a todo lo que iba a hacer, en general, no lo hace, busca un enemigo externo. Quiere ser el gobernador del mundo y no gobierna , ni su casa. Ataca al débil. Es repugnante. El centro penitenciario de Florida con los caimanes, etc…es vergonzoso y él bromea con eso. Ni lis jueces pueden con él. Desplegando al ejército en California…es la locura. Es grave lo que está pasando. Si el rey Carlos de Inglaterra tiene que recibirlo, ya no sé que decir. USA es una nación de inmigrantes, su madre fue una inmigrante escocesa sin papeles, su mujer,…el.nivel de hipocresía es muy alto, la táctica de terror, en fin…
San Benito se hizo festivo local hace unos años, antes no lo era.
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