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/Galicia

Spain’s (allegedly) successful approach to wealth taxes.

Nice to know . . . Flights to Galicia are now 6 times higher than before the fires disrupted road and rail traffic.

Talking of which . . . The locations of some heart-breaking stories . . .

Given the history of this coast, it’s not terribly surprising that several annual fiestas feature dastardly Brits. In various degrees of costume accuracy. In nearby Marín yesterday. . .

Talking of British invaders . . . Even here in Galicia British octopuses are wriggling onto the menu. There’s a shortage here of the basic requirement for our ‘signature dish’. So, needs must.

Europe

As ever, struggling to influence Trump. Specifically around Ukraine. How they must despise him. And resent the power he’s able to use. For good or bad.

THE USA and THE MAGA REALITY TV SHOW

Trumpisms

• I had a great and very successful day. [Well, somebody did. And it certainly wasn’t anyone in Ukraine].
• It was a ten. [Again, quite possibly. But for whom?]

Quotes of the Day

• The best thing you can say about the summit is that it could have been worse. But, if it wasn’t a disaster, it was definitely a defeat.
• It was a win, win win for Putin. A great photo op. No concessions. No penalties.
• The world now has no idea what Donald Trump wants. And apparently, neither does he.

Trump gave Putin the spotlight and left us all guessing. The president was unusually quiet in Alaska — what happened?  Was this a new, more mature Trump who wanted to keep his cards close to his chest until he had spoken to President Zelensky and others? [Seems rather unlikely].

A question arising . . . Has Putin – a mass murderer – got so much on Trump that he was able to order Trump to give him a red carpet and to literally applaud his arrival? Rather than arresting him.

Another . . . Will anything at all knock the faith the crazy MAGA base has in Trump? If not, why not just sit back and let the economy implode?

The Way of the World

ChatGPT is driving people mad. AI software is fuelling paranoid episodes in users – some of which have ended in tragedy . . . Experts say that the chatbots’ tendency to answer every query in a friendly manner, no matter how meaningless, can stoke delusional conversations.

Spanish

• Rotulación: Signage, lettering, labelling.
• Tunear: To tune, customise.
• Lontananza: Horizon, offing, background.
• No es un verano más: It´s not just another summer.
• Afanarse: To strive, toil

Did you know?

A siglil is a type of symbol used in magic. The term usually refers to a pictorial signature of a spirit (such as an angel, demon or deity). In modern usage, a sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner’s desired outcome. [See the Chatbot article]

You Have to Laugh . . .

Finally . . .

Last night, I was astonished to come across a report that FIFA had cancelled all the US matches for the 2026 World Cup and moved them to Canada and Mexico. I then watched a sleek video featuring the sort of phoney scenarios common in corporate offerings. Doubting its validity, I checked and found that it’s an internet-driven viral untruth. I was left wondering who could have spent so much time and money producing a video about US incompetence and wondered if a bit of Russian on one of the ‘US’ half-built stadiums was a clue. Anyone know?

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.

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.