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

Outrage at the US, close ties with Venezuela and mounting domestic challenges have prompted the PM to take a stand against Trump. . . . As with its handling of Gaza and Ukraine, the government is often better at words and gestures than meaningful actions, and too often tends to think about international crises in terms of domestic political gain.

Victims of sexual abuse by the Spanish clergy can finally apply for compensation, after the Catholic Church relented and struck a deal with the government. Compensation will be decided by an ombudsman.

An expat shares some pretty basic advice on beating the crowds and experiencing major cities like a local.

I’d go along with this choice of the most beautiful plaza mayor in Spain. I once saw an eclipse of the sun there. Albeit with my soon-to-be ex-wife. Of not-so-fond memory.

Portugal

A (ex?)secret place I’ve known about for a long time. Where the language is one of the easiest in the world to learn. Provided you speak Gallego. Or, possibly, Spanish. Otherwise . . .

Also first visited with said ex-wife.

The UK

The current blood alcohol limit for drivers in England and Wales is 80mg/100ml, the highest in Europe. The government is considering reducing this to 50mg, which is currently Spain’s level, though Madrid plans to lower ours to 20mg. Or less than half of the UK reduced level. And a small glass of wine, I believe.

Iran

Possibly the best current overview. For that it’s worth, I’ve always expected another revolution and the overthrow of the Islamist regime. But never had any idea how long it would take.

Venezuela

Trump – the ‘honest’ imbecile – says the quiet part out loud.

The USA: The good ship ‘Trump’ . . .

US government strategy, domestic and international . . . Trump has declared that only one thing can restrain his power. And it’s not the Constitution, nor Congress, nor international law. It’s just My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me. We’d probably already guessed this. A megalomaniac, if ever there were one.

This is the NY Times article on a shocking(?) interview with him.

• On the ICE homicide.
• Strategy towards Venezuela.

More comments:-

• Donald Trump to the world: You’ll do it my way, or else.
• The aggressive ambitions of Trump’s Donroe Doctrine. Trump’s rhetoric in 2026 seems to hover between fuzzily belligerent and crudely provocative.
• Revolution in the air? María notes here that The body count has begun.

From the horse’s mouth . . . All about him . . . During a January 6 speech at a House GOP retreat, Trump stated: “You got to win the midterms, because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be — I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached.”

Spanish

• Aparatoso: Spectacular, dramatic.
• Pump track: Pump track.
• Galopante: Rampant, galloping, soaring, etc.

English

A ‘pump track’ is a specialized, looped track designed for bicycles, BMX bikes, skateboards, scooters, or similar wheeled vehicles, featuring a series of rollers and banked turns (berms) that riders navigate without pedaling. Riders maintain and build speed through a technique called “pumping,” which involves rhythmic up-and-down body movements to generate momentum from the track’s undulations.

Did You Know?

‘Lefties’ ‘is a popular affordable fashion retail chain in Spain, specializing in trendy clothing, footwear, and accessories for women, men, children, and babies at low prices. Almost inevitably, it belongs to Inditex, the parent company of Zara. Which is based in Galicia. God knows why it’s called Lefties.

Finally . . .

In case you missed it, I published a special post earlier today – on the ICE homicide in Minneapolis.

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.

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.