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/Galiza

The fires latest.

Lenox Napier advises that: Público says that ‘Workers at the Galician public television are demanding the dismissal of news directors for their coverage of the fires. They accuse them of “deliberate inaction” to conceal the seriousness of the situation caused by the fire and demand that they be replaced by “newsroom professionals capable of leading” the coverage of the disaster’. 

And that: Figures reveal that the Xunta de Galicia has hidden 447 fires so far this month, since it has only released information on 45 during. For which it is being widely criticised in the local media, which accuses the Xunta of complete mismanagement of the blazes.

I get the impression that when, as here in Galicia, the regional government is from the Opposition party, a question often asked by the local president is: Shall I do what the national government has told me to do – eg invest in fire prevention – or shall I ignore my duties and blame Madrid for what happens by way of deaths and property destruction, if and when they occur?¨Think of last year’s floods down in Valencia as another case in point.

Not good news . . 22 Spanish cities have seen their mean temperatures rise by more than 2°C since 2020. A recent report analyses the evolution of temperatures at hundreds of Spanish weather-stations over recent decades. Girona is the most serious, followed by Barcelona. Almería, Pontevedra.

This is a spoof poster re our summer of fun, possibly an example of the Galician sense of humour, retranca. . .

Google will possibly help you with guiris and fodechincho, neither of which is complementary to foreigners and Madrileños, respectively.

Coincidentally, I was going to touch today on one of the negatives cited – a reduction in the level of service. Last night at 7.40, I sat down in one our squares to read for an hour over a shandy(clara).I was brusquely told, firstly, that they weren’t open yet and, then, that they only served diners. So I left to go to one of my regular haunts. Less than a minute away but another world, off the tourist beaten track. With prices 20% lower. 

Summers never used to be like this. I blame the guiris and the fodechinchos . . 

THE USA and THE MAGA REALITY TV SHOW

Trumpisms

Netanyahu is a war hero and I guess I am too. I sent those planes. [As mad as the proverbial Hatter]

More Presidential language . . .

And an email he’s sent repeatedly to MAGA mugs . . . Always followed up by a demand for money . . .

Trump’s Epstein problem is back with a vengeance.

The umpire who picked a side: John Roberts and the death of rule of law in America. The chief justice has painted himself as a modern institutionalist over the past 20 years. Experts say he’s emboldening Trump’s drive toward authoritarianism.

With nice symmetry, Canada takes the orange cretin’s orange juice off the imports menu . . .

Quote of the Day

Trump is unconscious for part of the day and will collapse before the end of the year: Alex Jones, the MAGA nutcase and shock-jock.

AI

Chatbots are causing psychosis. AI psychosis is not an accepted clinical term. However, it is increasingly being used to describe a phenomenon where people interacting with AI chatbots become detached from reality. They may believe the AI has real intentions, emotions, or incredible powers.

Spanish

• Raso: Level, flat.
• Fondoso: Usually just ‘leafy’ or ‘leafy tree’ but . . In botanical language, the term ‘fondosos’ (“leafy trees) is often used to refer to angiosperms or broad-leaved plants, distinguishing them from conifers with needle-like leaves (such as pines). Examples include oak, walnut, chestnut, birch, and beech.
• Postizo: Hairpiece. Weave.

Finally . . .

This is a possibly a rather cruel take on the manager of the Spanish women’s football team. Especially as she was sacked last week.

I happened to see a foto of her taken after the defeat. Truth to tell, she did look rather scary in that. But it was perhaps anger mixed with sadness.

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 . . .

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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.