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

This article strikes much the same note as I’ve done a few times, on the difference between Spain’s macro and micro economic performances. And on the importance of a lot of – readily assimilated – immigrants. , , , Arguably the biggest misconception of all about Spain is that Spain’s economy, the EU’s 4th -largest, is booming” According to numerous key metrics, including productivity growth, unemployment, and (most tellingly) surveys of the country’s actual citizens, it isn’t. But that’s not what the most commonly used economic measure says.  Spain’s GDP growth is largely a direct consequence of its growing population. Soaring immigration has caused Spain’s overall population to surge in recent years, and, predictably, has also caused its total output and consumption to rise. Such factors explain why Spain’s economic “miracle” is overwhelmingly not being felt by its citizens. A recent poll revealed that 55% of Spaniards think that the economic situation is worse than before the pandemic, while 90% believe they have lost purchasing power.

The Galician inventor of the emergency light we will all need to carry in our cars from Jan 1 denies that its purpose is to allow El Tráfico to track us.

Galician news . . .

• 1. The Voz de Galicia today: The Bureaucracy Delays in Filling Vacancies; Nearly 3,000 foreign nationals applied last year from their home countries for permits to travel to Galicia to fill job vacancies that could not be filled by local workers. However, the needs of the labour market clash head-on with an overwhelmed bureaucracy that stretches processing times to the limit, in some cases exceeding a year. For this reason, the Galician government (Xunta) has formally requested the transfer of authority for processing these permits, a power already held by the governments of Catalonia and the Basque Country. They argue that this transfer would reduce waiting times for both companies and workers at a critical time due to the labour shortages.
• 2. The Diario de Pontevedra reports on a strange crib (belén) here.

Portugal

As more foreigners explore the idea of purchasing old farmhouses, abandoned villages, off-grid plots or traditional estates, there is a need for objective information and clarity on what can and cannot be done. As in Spain, you should always use a competent lawyer and not trust any estate agents. The bigger their smile and charm the more you nee to be sceptical. There are firms that have been in Portugal for decades who provide comprehensive guides to living in both Portugal and Spain. Which is a good start.

The UK

There are those on the left and right who offer only grievance: Labour is getting on with the job of economic renewal. There can’t be many in the UK who believe that statement of the PM is accurate.

The mad, bad world of MAGA

Is the man finally falling apart?

Russia

Putin wants to resurrect the Soviet empire. Instead, he’s losing his grip on Eastern Europe As Bulgaria and Serbia tread carefully between Moscow and the West, Russian oil is feeling the pressure.

Ukraine

This is an article that I cited yesterday, with the link this time . . . . The atrocities in Ukraine are rooted in a uniquely brutal mindset that can be traced back centuries.

China

China is bearing down on Taiwan – enabled by Trump’s weakness and vacillation. So, he can’t be universally unpopular.

The Way of the World

This is a decent article on the the impact of overtourism but I was amused to see a tiny English village ranked with Prague and Paris. And surprised it beat out Santiago de Compostela. BTW: I guess the target readers are in the USA, hence the explanation of which county the capital cities are in . . .

The cited English village – apparently by coincidence – appeared in 2 other articles today, Here and here.

Spanish

Rastreador: Tracer, tracking device

You Have to Laugh

Time Travel Claims: The Wildest Stories, Photos, and Legends People Still Swear Are Real.

Finally . . . Some Persian poetry . . .

As it’s the start of the month . . .  Some readers, I hope, will know that the verse I cite at the top of my posts is the opening quatrain of Fitzgerald’s wonderful – but very ‘free’ – translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which you can read about here. Some verses are well known, of course, eg:-

The moving finger writes; and, having writ,
moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit
shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.

My favourite:-

Myself when young did eagerly frequent
doctor and saint, and heard great argument
about it and about: but evermore
came out by the same door as in I went.

If you enjoyed any or all of that, here’s an article on the Persian poetic tradition.

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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.