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.

Cousas deGaliza

Spanish localism . . . I’ve mentioned more than once that Galicia is poorly served by its 3 small airports, who even together provide a much inferior international service to that of nearby Oporto’s single facility. So, I wasn’t surprised to read these comments in the Diaro de Pontevedra today:-

• The growing supply of tourist accommodation clashes with poor airport connections.
• What’s hurting us the most is the issue of flights. There are no connections to Galicia, and conferences are being cancelled because there’s no way to get here.
• We need more flights, especially international ones, and more connections. We’re lucky to have Porto nearby, but it’s rather unfortunate [not to say ludicrous] to have 3 airports in Galicia with no flight options. .
• There is a lack of coordination between [Provincial] administrations and no collaboration. They need to stop being so self-absorbed.
• There needs to be a willingness to solve problems and some[all?] politicians lack this. They all blame each other and harm the sector.
• We must move beyond localism. [I first noted this 25 years ago . . .]

Really bad local news – the arrival of tiger mosquitoes. I know these vicious creatures from my years in Indonesia. Unlike many common mosquitoes that mainly bite at night, tiger mosquitoes bite in daylight, especially early morning and late afternoon. They fly low, biting ankles and lower legs, and are persistent, returning to bite several times if disturbed. It is a vector of several viruses, notably dengue fever, which raises public‑health concern when it appears.

More local news . . . It’s a hundred years since one of the young Fátima girls saw more celestial visions, this time here in Pontevedra, where she’d moved to after she’d become a nun. She lived in a small convent – situated, ironically, where the synagogue used to be, in a street now calledCalle de las Apariciones/Rúa das Aparicións. In the city’s old Jewish quarter, of course. Which features The Street of Bitterness/Grief. The article doesn’t mention this fact. And very few Pontevedrans will be aware of it.

I was astonished by 2 things when when I got back to Pv city last night. Firstly, there was none of the predicted rain. And secondly – in absolute contrast with a normal Sunday evening – the streets were as packed as on a Friday or Saturday night. Then someone told me it was the eve of a public holiday – viz. the Immaculate Conception. And, as Saturday had been another public holiday – the Day of the Constitution – this has created a 4-day break for many. Presumably because Friday had been taken off. These puentes always come as a surprise to me.

The UK

The anti-Semitism we have allowed to flourish not only pollutes us at the source, it has made us cruder, more vulgar,- a culture where the most basic civilities have once and for all been dispensed with in favour of “Fuck Israel” graffiti and harpies screaming for the destruction of “fucking Zionism” and yelling the Holocaustal chant “From the river to the sea” or “From the water to the water, Palestine is Arab.”

[One wonders if Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland would have withdrawn from The World Cup, if Israel had won through to the finals. If not, why not?]

The USA

Gosh, who’d have guessed? . . . Trump appears not to know the difference between making a deal and making peace. Does the man actually know anything at all, other than how to line his pockets? His latest Gallup poll results might help you make up your mind on this.

I wonder how many folk are currently drafting a book trying to explain why US voters put this appalling man in power, not just once but twice. And how many (North)) Americans will claim to their children and grandchildren that they never supported him. Many millions, is my guess.

Quote of the Day

In men, desire begets love, and in women, love begets desire: Jonathan Swift, A Journal to Stella, 1712. But not always or lastingly, of course.

The Way of the World

I recently cited the evil of dynamic pricing. Bang on cue comes this article on Amazon’s questionable – abusive? – use of it.

An ominous headline . . . Thailand bombs Cambodia despite Trump ‘ending’ the war between them.

Spanish

• Avistamiento: Sighting, viewing.
• Mosquitera; Mosquito net.
• Paje: Page boy.
• Palanganero: Washstand.
• Caballo de batalla: Challenge

You Have to Laugh

I cited this phrase yesterday, with various English equivalents – Me ha pasado el arroz. I tried it last night, to convey to a friend why I was tired after a 6 hour drive from Madrid. She laughed and said it didn’t mean ‘I’m not as young as I used to be’ but ‘I’m on the shelf and can’t now have any kids’ . . . . Maybe not everywhere in the Hispanic world. David? (Either one of you will do.)

Did you know?

Tarzan – Myth vs Reality.

Finally . . .

It beggars belief that Jaguar bosses thought this car would do for the brand what the amazing E-type did back in 1961. . .

The there was the bizarre – woke? – ad . . .

It’s reported that the head designer of more than 20 years has now been sacked . . .

Finally, Finally . . .

On my first night back in Pv city, I was again nearly mowed down on the zebra crossing at the city end of O Burgo bridge. This time by a [blind?] motorcyclist who just kept coming and coming and, then, brushed past me, muttering Perdón, perdón. A woman coming the other way smiled at me and said ‘Casi, casi!’ Or ‘Very nearly!’. I must remember to take my flashing orange light every night until spring.

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.