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

Mark Stücklin brings us the news that Spain’s economic growth is to slow down, as the country grapples with both global economic uncertainty and long-standing structural imbalances—chief among them, the chronic dysfunction of the housing market. Bottom line: For Spain’s economy to stay on track, political will and pragmatic reform will be needed sooner rather than later.

It’s a tad surprising to read that San Sebastian is even more expensive than Madrid and Barcelona in which to buy or rent property. But it is a very fashionable resort, albeit not yet honoured by my presence. . . Though I hear the cuisine is excellent. Assuming you can afford it.

The largest western-movie cemetery in the world isn’t where you might have thought it was.

Belatedly . . . During a visit to Plasencia earlier this year I was impressed – inter alia – by the local idiom of large corner-windows. This is a medieval example:-

And this is a modern one:-

Cousas de Galiza

Well, August is with us but the house I pass 4 times every day still doesn’t have its frontage finished. So, my forecast of September or even October looks safe.

La Coruña and Santiago de Compostela already have per diem tourist taxes and now Vigo is planning to jump on this bandwagon. Low hanging fruit, of course, So easy money. I guess Pv city will join the club one day.

THE MAGA REALITY TV SHOW

This is the latest episode of Shrinking Trump: Trump’s cognitive confusion continues. Trump is caught in his own lies. Well worth a listen.

As you know, these shrinks view Trump as a malignant narcissist. This animal is described thus in ¨How Tyrants Fall¨ Like classic narcissists, malignant narcissists are grandiose, self-centered, oversensitive to criticism and unable to feel empathy for others. They cover over deep insecurities with an inflated self-image. But malignant narcissists also tend to paranoia and aggression, and share some features of the antisocial personality, including the absence of moral or ethical judgement. In an ordinary job, all this could be a massive hindrance. But to ‘succeed’ as a tyrant, it can be of help. However, there’s a limit. A certain amount of mental illness can be helpful, but it becomes dangerous to the tyrant’s rule if it becomes so extreme that the dictator loses all touch with reality. Can anyone doubt that Trump fits this bill? And is it credible that Vance and all the other senior Republicans are unaware of this?

Spanish

A luna de Valencia: To do something very early in the morning, just as the moon is rising.

English

• Scattergood: A person who spends money wastefully.
• Violoncello: A cello. Every time I hear the word, I think of the Italian lemon drink – Limoncello. 

Did you know?

There’s a town in Spain in which it’s illegal to die.

Finally . . .

I can’t believe I’m writing this but it looks like the ‘unjust’ parking fine I got down in Almansa is being repaid. I was less than optimistic that I’d get any reply at all but a rebate was totally unexpected. Of course, I have to provide stuff but that’s a small price to pay for getting back 95 euros.

Finally . . . Finally . . .

As it’s the start of the month . . .  Some readers, I hope, will know that the verse I cite at the top of my posts is the opening quatrain of Fitzgerald’s wonderful – but very ‘free’ – translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which you can read about here. Some verses are well known, of course, eg:-

The moving finger writes; and, having writ,
moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit
shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.

My favourite:-

Myself when young did eagerly frequent
doctor and saint, and heard great argument
about it and about: but evermore
came out by the same door as in I went

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.

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