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

HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for this article on Montfalcó Murallat, a Catalan village that lives inside a castle. This tiny village, on a plateau in the La Sagarra region of Lérida, boasts of being the best example of a walled settlement in Cataluña.

For the 3rd time in 10 days, there was no lamb on the menu at Pv city’s Morocco restaurant today. Here’s an AI rationale: Supplies are tight and this has driven prices notably higher. This reflects challenges in the sheep sector after several years of reductions in sheep numbers and farm closures, exacerbated by structural issues in production and adverse climatic conditions. Perhaps restaurant owners are unwilling to absorb the increases

The mad, bad world of MAGA

It’s possible you haven’t believed Trump’s statements about inflation, prices and the reduced cost of a Walmart Thanksgiving dinner. This should bolter your scepticism.

Query: If foreign countries – not US customers – pay the tariffs, why is Trump talking/lying about giving the latter a ‘rebate’. Technically impossible. Just like his 1500% reduction in drug prices.

Quote of the Day

The most powerful tyrants on earth are condemned to live their life in fear. They can make their enemies disappear with a snap of their fingers. They, their families and their acolytes may control entire countries from the luxury of their palace, but they also have to spend their every waking hour plagued by the fear of losing everything. No matter how powerful they become, they cannot pay for or order that fear to disappear. If such tyrants make one wrong move, they will fall. And when tyrants fall, they often land up in exile, in a jail cell, or under the ground. 

The Way of the World

The new politics of autism.

Spanish

• Ojiplático: astonished surprised goggle-eyed bug-eyed.
• Sobrenombre: Nickname.
• Maderero: Logger, lumberjack

English

Bogosity: 1. The state of being bogus, 2. The relative degree to which something is bogus.

Did you know?/You Have to Laugh

Facts about US First Ladies.

Finally . . .

I regularly get beautiful young ladies – all with over-large lips – writing to my X page, saying they like my post. I ignore them, of course. Even when they write guff like this, which they all do: I am a warm, generous, and lively girl. I hope my enthusiasm can add more color to your lives and make them more vibrant. Even if the whole world refuses to save you, I will not abandon you. So, will you follow me? Takes some believing, as they say.

Note: Ignoring this para . . . . This post was (a bit) shorter than usual, as I have run into time-consuming problems around both visiting my daughter and grandson in Madrid tomorrow and picking up my friend at the airport on Tuesday. This is because of low emission zones (ZBDs) both in all of Madrid and in municipalities outside it. The bureaucracy is as you’d expect and – after more than 2 hours of researching this – I know I have no chance of getting the right sticker – either in person at Correos tomorrow morning or on line. And without the C sticker on my windscreen I’d be facing a fine – twice – if I did what I used to do. And this is despite there being a moratorium until Jan 1 on the need to also have an official certificate approving my entry into Madrid from the M50 perimeter. Absent this, the fine will be €200 from January 1. Be warned that you need at least 5 to 20 days to get this, in person at Correos or on line, respectively.

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 and on X.

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.