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

With most European leaders talking tougher about immigration amid a rise in far-right populism, the [socialist] Spanish PM stands apart. This, of course, reflects the easier challenge faced by Spain in assimilating its (very-necessary-for-growth) immigrants from South America.

Bit of a surprise to read that Spain’s commitment to renewables might be in doubt.

Here’s Lenox Napier on shopping in his pueblo back in the day.

The USA

Obama delivers a powerful tribute after Rob Reiner’s murder, as Trump spits on his grave – and Americans are stunned by the contrast. Why on earth are they stunned? Have they all been living in cave and, so, are unaware of the nature of the beast? Surely Trump lost the capacity to shock aeons ago. And has long been known to be a power-mad malignant narcissist who makes absolutely everything about his greatness and why his critics deserve death.

Presumably these folk will also be surprised that tourist receipts from Canadians have plummeted, leaving border towns in a state of collapse.

Quote of the Day

In these truly decadent days – not decadent as in seedily sexy, but decadent as in decaying – emoting passes for emotion, and emotion passes for reason. But there’s a good reason why children are encouraged out of crying by the time they’re teenagers. It’s because a life in which the emotions rule the intellect, as opposed to the other way around, is not a good thing – whether individually or collectively.

Spanish
– Embelesar: To enthral, enchant, entrance, mesmerise, captivate. But also To ravish.
– Pico: Beak, peak, spike.
– Raudo: Swift

English

An important distinction . . .

• Misinformation: Incorrect or distorted information which neither the originator nor the recipients realise is incorrect.
• Disinformation: Information which the originator knows is incorrect and is deliberately intended to mislead and confuse its recipients.

The Welsh language descends from that spoken in Britain before the western invasion of Germanic tribes from across the North Sea. So, it’s a tad ironic that English owes more words to Haitian than to Welsh. Something to do with English taking on Haitian names of plants new to the Brits. Not the case with Welsh plants.

Did you know?

A famous national cuisine is subjected here to an amusing bit of myth-busting, by a native.

You Have to Laugh. Maybe . . .

Crackers are odd things pulled by Brit couples at the Xmas dinner table. They’re supposed to produce a mild bang. Hence the name. Tradition has it that they contain a paper hat, a tiny plastic toy and a joke. Usually a pretty bad one. Now forewarned, you won’t be surprised to read that these are considered the funniest of this year’s crop. I confess I didn’t even smile, never mind laugh. And that I don’t understand some of them:-

This year’s top 10 jokes:

1. Why is Prince Andrew not writing any Christmas books? He hasn’t got any titles.

2. Why don’t Noel and Liam Gallagher want to open their presents early on Christmas morning? They need a little time to wake up.

3. Which pop star carves her own wooden nativity scene? Sabrina Carpenter.

4. What do Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and a snowman have in common? They’re both out in the cold.

5. What is a French burglar’s favourite Christmas film? Louvre, Actually.

6. Could Lily Allen and David Harbour get back together for Christmas? Stranger Things have happened.

7. Why won’t Angela Rayner get any Christmas presents this year? Santa can’t decide which address to deliver to.

8. What is Claudia Winkleman’s favourite part of Christmas dinner? The Taters.

9. Does Celia Imrie beat her family at Christmas party games? Yes, she trumps them all.

10. Where has Santa been more than Nigel Farage? His house in Clacton.

Finally . . .

I came across a reference to ‘dirty blues’ of the 1920s and 1930s and sought some out on YouTube. Unless you’re broad-minded, I counsel against this . . .

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.