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.

Note: This will be another shorter post than usual, as I left early for my 6 hour drive to the northern outskirts of Madrid, where I left my car and took a local train and the metro to Malasaña. Where I was immediately put on grandfather duties, as my daughter went out to celebrate her birthday . . .

Cosas de España/Galiza

María writes here on the very changed perspective of the Spanish on the USA.

Last time I drove down to Madrid, the A6 was in very poor condition. Much of its surface has since been repaired but at the price of lots of works where it hasn’t been. So, Heaven and Hell.

Talking of driving . . .  These observations should be useful to those new to Spanish roads:-

• Don’t assume cars entering an autovia or autopista will obey the Yield sign on the slip road. I have never seen anyone do so. It explains why Spanish drivers move to the lane left of them as they approach a slip road.
• There are autovia exits which also service as entries. Be extra careful turning off here.
• Don’t assume the driver in front of you is obeying whatever the speed limit might be. They often aren’t doing so.  When there’s a radar warning sign, the machine is often not far beyond it.

The UK

The obesity situation there is now so big that coffins can be too big for the crematorium oven. I imagine these are very much bigger than in the UK and elsewhere.

The mad, bad world of MAGA

Time for the 25th Amendment?

Spanish

• Estar/ir a rastra: To drag along. To be dragged along.
• Asunto de torillos/toretes: A serious or difficult matter, an important issue.
• Lanzarse en tromba: To rush in like a whirlwind. To fall upon violently

English

To stan: To be an extremely enthusiastic and dedicated fan of a celebrity or public figure, often expressing this admiration on social media. The term originated from a song by Eminem about an obsessed fan, combining “stalker” and “fan.”

Did you know?

How they pour cider in Asturias.

You Have to Laugh

On my first visit to an Asturian cider bar with an old friend, we took the bottles from the barman and poured them ourselves, on top of the little bit he’d put in the glasses. But, after we’d got our second bottles, the old chap next us felt obliged to tell us we were supposed to wait for the barman to do his stuff. How we laughed.

Finally . . .

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.