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

A conundrum. Mark Stücklin addresses here the questions of why Spanish property taxes are high and why, nonetheless, folk keep on buying properties here.

Not only in the UK . . . Detectives Fight Back on the Level of Sickness Leave: Fraud in Spain involving sick leave is widespread, according to private detective sources. Absenteeism in Spain is the second highest in the EU, after Slovenia. That’s why it’s increasingly common for companies to turn to surveillance and investigation professionals when there’s even the slightest suspicion of cheating. But it’s not like in the movies: they can’t conduct surveillance in private spaces, like homes, but only in public spaces. “There will always be fraud, but not on the scale we’re seeing now,” says the president of the Professional Association of Private Detectives of Spain.

To say the least, the Spanish police don’t lack reasons to fine motorists. Some of these are far less justifiable than at least one of the two new ones cited here. Note the major problem identified with one of them!

Having read that Spain has layer upon layer of cascading red tape, I pursued the question Why? Below is one answer, from the AI engine I use. You might or might not get the same answer from yours. I’ve extracted this bit from mine, which sounds about right: Impact on Daily Life and Business: Routine activities like acquiring permits, residency cards, or business licenses often involve lengthy and complicated processes due to excessive paperwork and requirement for multiple approvals. Slow response times and lack of motivation among public officials further exacerbate delays and frustration for residents and businesses.

Cousas de Galiza

Hmm. Is this good news or bad news . . . Of all Spain’s regions, Galicia will experience the lowest increase in average temperatures by 2050. Good, of course, for us residents. Until we’re overwhelmed by tourists fleeing the South. But I guess that, by then, these might well have been persuaded to take their holidays in Scandinavia. If not the Arctic Circle.

There’s a church on a beach along our coast where a priest is remembered – I think – for helping women get pregnant. Something to do with 7 sea waves, as I recall. There’s an annual ceremony in honour of the Virgin Mary, who must have had something to do with this. Here’s a foto of this. I confess to finding it hard to believe but, then, I am a (very) lapsed Catholic. For whom so much became a mystery.

Bit of a shock to suddenly return to a drying time (in my garage) of 2 days, after 2 months of 2 hours out on the lawn. Especially with bedding and towels for 7 guests to get through.

Europe

This columnist is even more pessimistic about the French economy than the last one cited . . . France could be about to crash the global economy. Unsustainable debt and a lavish welfare system risk triggering a run on banks.

THE USA and THE MAGA REALITY TV SHOW

Health Secretary Kennedy is said to be taking far-ranging strategic health decisions without any input from CDC experts. In other words, a perfect Trump appointee. He knows what to do because his gut tells him. It’s where he keeps his brain, apparently..

If you want to see and hear beyond-North-Korea levels of ass-licking, go to 1:10:15 in this video. There’s another peak at 1:22:25, where a Cabinet member claims that Trump is brilliantly driving the USA’s 3rd revolution. Even the Spitting Image folk could not have parodied this level of sycophancy, though they tried it with Mrs Thatcher.

Note that one lickspittle sinks to the level of pronouncing Nobel as ‘Noble’, simply because Trump does.

Quotes of the Day

• If you don’t think Trump is well on the way to creating an undemocratic authoritarian government, you’re not paying attention.
• In sending the National Guard into California, Kristi Noem is doing exactly what she said would be a crime and a breach of the Constitution when Biden was considering it a few years ago.[I guess she’d argue that circumstances change principles. In her case, her key circumstance is her powerful well-paid job. A woman with an integrity by-pass. But hardly alone in that Cabinet room. Another perfect appointment]

To himself?? How can I make money from this nonsense?

Spanish

• De perfil: Can possibly mean ‘posturing’. Though my AI engine says not. The Opposition leader used the phrase of the PM in respect of the fires.
• Postura: Posturing, pose, attitude.
• Travieso: Mischievous, naughty.

Did you know?

There is a voice complaint called the Bogart-Bacall syndrome.

You Have to Laugh

Finally . . .

An nice oddity.

What lies behind Spain’s excessive bureaucracy?

Historical Roots

Spanish bureaucracy was heavily influenced by centuries of centralized monarchy and later reforms that aimed to formalize and regulate administration, especially after the loss of colonies and moments of national crisis in the early 20th century. The Franco regime intensified the bureaucratic structure, emphasizing formality, rigidity, and legalistic procedures, many of which persist today.

Government Structure and Decentralization

Spain’s governance is divided between the national government and 17 autonomous communities, each with its own bureaucracy, creating overlapping jurisdictions and confusion over responsibilities. This often results in more paperwork and delays, as citizens must navigate multiple authorities for the same issue.

Bureaucratic Culture and Civil Service

Civil servant jobs are highly protected, making dismissal rare and reducing productivity incentives, which can foster indifference or strict adherence to procedures over practical solutions. Cultural attitudes emphasize rule-following and caution, so officials often say “no” or demand exact documents to avoid risks and liability. [See this famous video]

Conclusion

The complexity of Spanish bureaucracy reflects deep-seated historical reforms, decentralized governance, and a protected civil service culture, making administrative processes much slower and more convoluted than in many other countries.

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.

If you enjoyed any or all of that, here’s an article on the Persian poetic tradition.

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

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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.