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

Boomers are said here to be more concerned about Spain’s housing crisis than Gen Z members, despite sitting pretty themselves as regards property ownership. Expert Mark Stücklin counts himself among the pessimists.

Renting . . . A government plan that might work. Mark is again pessimistic, for one reason and another.

Completing a hat-trick, Mark is none too impressed by the – possibly counter-productive – central registry for tourist rentals. It certainly looks messy.

But at least some progress has been made with Airbnb.

Surprised this morning to see that the Spanish team hadn’t beaten England in last night’s final of the Women’s European Cup final, losing on penalties. Perhaps these are the most accurate comments: England have not played the prettiest football at this tournament but they have displayed a desire to win more than team any other team. England had to ride their luck, like they have done for much of this tournament. But the best teams also make their own luck. Most, if not all, Spaniards – and some others – will surely feel that the best team lost. But that’s football, as someone once said. See below this post for other memorable quotes. Which will surely dumbfound most North American readers.

Vital advice for some . . . How to retire to Spain – and stop the taxman raiding your wealth.

Cousas de Galiza

It was a holiday weekend, so nothing noteworthy happened in Galicia. Except it didn’t rain . . .

THE MAGA REALITY TV SHOW

Having watched much of Trump’s stupefyingly bizarre press conference ramblings last night, I wasn’t surprised to read the comments in this article. Classic Trump, yes, but somehow worse than ever, given the location and context. His confidence in the veracity of his (repeated) inanities defies belief.

Trumpisms

Just too many to cite from that insane press conference. One of the best: Last week every NATO chief told me we had the hottest country in the world. One despairs . . .

The Way of the World

We live in a world where this actress confirms her position as Woman With Her Finger on the Zeitgeist about once a month.

BTW . . . I stood next to her once and didn’t recognise her. But, then, she showed no sign of recognising me either . . .

Spanish

• Majadería: Silliness, absurdity, stupidity.
• Como sin vez de: As if instead of . .
• Parque de: Literally ‘Park of’ but used to mean a number of cars(i.e. fleet), houses, people, businesses, etc .

You Have to Laugh

HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for this . . .

But not this . . .

Finally . . .

I made a very wrong decision last night– to try to sort out the fotos taken over 15 years and stored on at least 3 computers plus – with much duplication – on an external hard disk. After at least 8 hours(sic), I wished I’d bought one of those much-advertised USBs which does all that in a flash. Or so they claim.

Football Quotes . . . An AI answer . . .

Many famous people—players, managers, writers, and even musicians—have spoken about football, capturing both its emotional and universal appeal. Here are some of the most well-known and widely cited quotes about football. These, from diverse personalities, reflect football’s role as a source of joy, unity, art, and sometimes heartbreak, transcending mere sport to become a universal language and passion worldwide:

• Gary Lineker: “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans always win.”
• Bill Shankly: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.”
• Carlo Ancelotti: “Football is the most important of the less important things in the world.”
• Ronaldinho: “Football is not just a game; it’s an art form. You have to be creative, think outside the box, and always be one step ahead of your opponent.” [Possibly the best exponent of football as an art form]
• Diego Maradona: “The game of football is like a canvas, and it’s up to the players to paint the most beautiful picture.”
• Andres Iniesta: “To me, football is the simplest and most complex game. Simple because it’s played with a ball, and complex because there are so many ways to play it.”
• Dmitri Shostakovich (composer): “Football is the ballet of the masses.”
• Zinedine Zidane: “Football is the only thing that can bring together an entire country, regardless of political or religious differences.”
• Yaya Touré: “I think football is more than a game; it is a passion. It is something that comes from inside and touches people’s hearts.”
• George Weah: “Football is a universal language. It brings people together, irrespective of their nationalities, cultures or beliefs.”
• Sepp Herberger: “The ball is round, the game lasts ninety minutes, and everything else is just theory.”
• Terry Pratchett (author): “The important thing about football is that it is not just about football!”
• Didier Drogba: “Football is more than just a game. It can bring hope and joy to people’s lives.”
• Arsene Wenger: “Football is an art, like dancing is an art – but only when it’s well done does it become an art.”

You might have noticed that no one calls it ‘soccer’ – a 19th century term. From ‘associated football’ to distinguish it from ‘rugby football’.

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

The Usual Links . . .

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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.

If you´re thinking of moving to Spain, this link should be useful to you.