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

A high level of youth unemployment continues to be a feature of Spanish society.

The government’s far-left coalition partner proposes yet more interference in the property rental market, apparently oblivious to the well-documented counter-productive consequences of this over the longer term.

The EU’s new EES – entry and exit – system in now in place for Spain – at Madrid airport – for non-EU folk, and here and here are articles on it. One says that foreign residents are exempt, presumably because the state already has our biodata on file. But I wonder what line we join, as I’ve also read that we can’t join the EU one without an EU passport. So, do we have to use the machines even though not legally obliged to do so? Anyone know? [An AI engine says: Even if you are legally allowed not to use the machines, the current implementation at Madrid airport requires non-EU nationals to register biometrically on arrival. ]

The Camino . . . Over the years, I’ve seen some odd Caminoers, including:-

• A Japanese lady walking so slowly I feared it would take her months to reach Santiago
• A very old Japanese gent climbing a slope far faster than me and my colleagues
• Asian ladies swathed head to foot, to protect their skin from even a weak sun.
• A guy with a donkey
• A guy on a bike with a large trailer behind him
• Couples with dogs
• Couples with young kids
• A couple with a baby in large-wheeled stroller/buggy
• And, of course, people limping because of foot problems.

There are also the horse riders and the cyclists. Many of the latter have the irritating habit of approaching you fast and then shouting for you to get out of their way. What I haven’t seen, yet, are people doing the Camino on their knees – like real pilgrims. Or a one-legged walker. Or even someone on crutches. These days, the most commonly seen ‘pilgrims’ passing through Pv city old quarter are those glued to their phones as they walk, constantly checking they’re on the right route, I assume.

ALICE IN MAGAWORLD

The Guardian’swonderfully acerbic columnist, Marina Hyde, tells us here whom Trump most accurately resembles. One of her milder statements: It’s difficult to get past the sense that, when Trump moved on this peace deal, he did so for selfish reasons.

Far more seriously, Maria expands here, by coincidence, on the comment I made yesterday on Trump’s peace deal being essentially Biden’s. And explains how and why its implementation was delayed.

This is a report on reprehensible behaviour in a country which lectures the rest of the world on the critical importance of free speech.

If the developed world is – rapidly – losing its admiration for the the USA, imagine what’s happening in the rest of the world, helped along by Russia and China.

Quote of the Day

It’s rather more likely we’ll see the end of a war than peace in Gaza.

The Way of the World

The latest episode of the podcast on the history of Gaza, focussing on Britain’s nefarious role in the early 20th century.

Spanish

• Insumable: Unsummable. Countless?
• Gabacho: Spanish equivalent of ´frog’ for a French person.
• Franchute: Ditto
• Anegado: Flooded, water-logged, swamped, drowned.
• Low cost: Guess
• Bad Gyl: A female pop singer. Bad Girl??

Did you know?

Company employees in the US seem to be sackable without any notice period whatsoever. Think of all those sad faces above cardboard boxes in movies and news items. I asked an AI engine about this and got: In the USA, employment is generally “at-will,” meaning either the employer or employee can terminate it at any time without cause. However, ‘wrongful termination’ occurs when an employee is fired for illegal reasons, such as discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, or retaliation for reporting illegal activities or discrimination.

You Have to Worry

Extortion via an AI bot.

Finally . . .

Yesterday was the 1,059th anniversary of the death of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold Godwinson, possibly by an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings. Perhaps he should be remembered as Harold Godloseson . . .

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.