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

In the critical area of education of kids, the bad news is that Spain has been falling behind in key areas, with implications for the future of the economy.

Things can move rather slowly in Spain but you might think that, if the government had a chance to spend a pile of cash from Brussels, they’d get on with it expeditiously. After all, Francis Bacon once said: Money is like muck, no good unless you spread it. But they haven’t and time is running out. Perhaps it’s down to bureaucracy. Or maybe to measures to deal with a (justifiable) fear of leakage.

I cited Nazi ‘maniacal gigantism¡’ yesterday. If you want to see something similar in Spain, hi yourself to The Valley of the Fallen outside Madrid, where the mausoleum will give you a good idea of what Hitler and Speer planned for Germany.

Talking of large things, reader David In La Coruña kindly sent me this foto of an ‘ultra-luxury’ cruise line docking there.

David points out that the folk who pour off it “don’t spend much, as the ships dock right in the city centre. They go to Zara, maybe a stroll, then back to the onboard buffets that they’ve already paid for”. Thank God they can’t get near to Pv city, as the entrance to our river has long since silted up.

And this is the moment the cruise liner Silver Dawn manoeuvres into Vigo port loaded up with thousands of well-heeled British visitors, a day or 2 ago. It’s referred to as an ‘ultra-luxury cruise ship’ – with an eye-watering starting cost of €6,000 per person. Plus tips, I suspect.

In case you missed it . . . This is the scene from Eva Longoria’s episode on Galicia, showing the Dukela restaurant on the right:-

I can’t tell you how many times, sitting outside, I’ve asked Spaniards about to sit down or enter if they realise it’s a Moroccan place – and then seen them flee in horror from its threshold.

Europe: France

Macron’s legacy lies in tatters as he prepares to abandon his flagship reform. The French president faces his worst domestic political crisis after his 7th prime minister resigns. It’s all about France’s extremely generous and ‘unaffordable’ – pensions. I think.

ALICE IN MAGAWORLD

After her refusal to answer questions about Trump’s connection to Epstein, the Democrat governor of California – Gavin Newsom – has honoured Pam Bondi by bestowing on her the nickname paedophile-protector Pam. It might stick.

Lawrence O’Donnell goes to town here on Trump’s hapless/useless attorney chosen by him to prosecute Comey, in what is described as “Trump’s legal clown-show”. Aptly, it seems. Poor (well-rewarded) woman.

Just a thought . . . After a (choose-an-adjective) reality TV star as president, how long before a social media influencer is elected to this office? Thereby bringing about the worst fears of the 19th century politicians about universal suffrage. (Assuming this hasn’t happened already).

Quotes of the Day

Bondi’s ‘sneering contempt’ for Senate proves Trump administration is now in ‘mask-off phase’. And then there’s Stephen Miller’s reference to Trump’s ‘plenary powers’. They surely know they can’t afford to lose power in 2028.

The Way of the World/Social Media

• Vulgar theatrics, fuelled by a fan base on social media, no longer seem to be the order of the day. At least in the restaurant business.
• Research suggests that 50% of young Spanish men think it’s OK to check their girlfriend’s phone. And 60% fear being accused of sexual aggression. What an age they’re living through.

Spanish

• Pecuaria: Livestock
• Gomoso: Rubbery, chewy, gummy. (Think of percebes . . )
• Quedada: Meet-up. Hangout.

Did you know?

Fascinating Spain tells us here we can now explore Spain through transhumance, which isn’t what Trump would think it is. Videos here of the Caminos de la Merina – the ancient merino sheep trails.

You Have to Laugh. Or Cry.

Whenever [North] America decides to give a British TV hit a stateside makeover, the results are a real mixed bag. Some shows are cleverly reimagined, growing into cultural landmarks of their own – The Office being the obvious example. But more often, the spark that made the original so distinctive gets lost along the way. Some of the worst are cited here.

Finally . . .

To help those as ignorant as me . . . I wrote a follow-up WhatsApp message to a friend, whose reply indicated she didn’t know what I was talking about. I then recalled that the original message had had a little red circle attached to it, not the usual one of one or two ticks. An AI answer: This indicates there was a problem delivering or encrypting the message, usually due to a network connection issue or end-to-end encryption failure. You should resend it when you have an internet connection.

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.