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

House prices in Spain are rising twice as much as the EU average. The Madrid market has led this surge with a jaw-dropping 23% price explosion, representing the steepest annual increase ever recorded and far outstripping even the property boom years of the mid-2000s. The explanation for this is here. Ourense in Galicia is one of only 7 provinces which bucked the trend, recording the sole significant decline at -5.4%. Around Monforte de Lemos is popular with foreigners, so there might have been an increase there.

The Voz de Galicia today . . . Hospitality, the Main Job Niche: The latest report on our labor market has a title: “Spain is a country of waiters and laborers.” Of the more than 15 million contracts signed last year, one in 3 corresponded to unskilled occupations, with the hospitality industry as the main driver: bars and restaurants generated more than 1.5 million jobs, mostly held by women. Among men, agricultural and manufacturing laborers stand out, along with transport workers and bricklayers. Women, in addition to the hospitality industry, are concentrated in cleaning and sales. However, the preferences of the unemployed are not the same: both genders prioritize finding jobs in cleaning, manufacturing, sales, or administration over bars and restaurants. I wonder if the fact that, as far as I can tell, most hospitality sector posts are held by South American, this accounts for the high level of unemployment among Spain’s young folk.

Spain’s top 5 ‘breathtaking monuments’. No disagreement from me. But be prepared to have them spoilt by idiots taking selfies.

This writer asserts that the Camino de Santiago is great for lone females. Maybe, but I can recall places where I felt I wouldn’t be totally secure as a woman.

This is a disturbing report on ‘severe material and social deprivation’ in Spain. I confess I’ve seen little of this in Pontevedra, Vigo or Santiago de Compostela, apart from the 2 permanent gypsy encampments near me. But this market research example of one might not be significant, of course. Surprising to read that Portugal has a lower rate of such deprivation.

THE USA and THE MAGA REALITY TV SHOW

Trump’s fawning cabinet and the threat to US democracy. . . The insistence on absurd and public flattery for the leader is a hallmark of strongman authoritarianism. Which thrives on it.

But is this really true of a clown who would be a dictator?* One answer from that article: Vengeful, vain, headstrong — and surrounded by ambitious mediocrities — Trump is increasingly out of control. Narcissistic strongman leaders have inflicted terrible damage on other countries. There is no reason to think America will be any different. We await the learned analysis of how much social media and the gullibility of the masses helped this come to pass. Think of Goebbels and the new-fangled radio in the 1930s.

*There’s a title for a film there, involving Michael Cain but not Sean Connery, of course.

Trump has escalated his rhetoric on U.S. elections, vowing sweeping changes to voting procedures even though the Constitution gives him no authority to impose them unilaterally. In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, Trump repeated false claims about mail-in ballots and voting machines, while promising an executive order to “help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm elections.” His remarks continue a pattern of misinformation rooted in the debunked theories he used to challenge his 2020 election loss.

The noisome Robert Kennedy is fact-checked here.

The Way of the World

Why the vegans lost- Main reason? . . . The decline in idealism.

Spanish

• Ajuar: Trousseau, hope chest.
• Golosinas: Sweets/candies
• Caramelos: Ditto
• Chuches: Ditto
• Repostería: Desserts, sweets

Did you know?

Why Napoleon got the bum’s rush at Waterloo . .

Finally . . .

One for the maths buffs . . . Leonard J. Gordon discovered this remarkable cryptarithm in 1990 — each letter corresponds to a digit:

NINE × FOUR + FIVE = FORTYONE

9895 × 3074 + 3865 = 30421095

Welcome to the 2 new subscribers here on WordPress and to the new followers on X. And, as ever, 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.