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

Moving to Spain?

• Living costs vary significantly depending on location, lifestyle, and household size. (Who’d have guessed?)
• How much money will you need?
• The cheapest cities to live in.
• “Here’s what you need to know about our experience”.
• The recent rise in household insurance premiums.

Portugal

The most outdated advice about visiting the country.

The UK

The quintessential 7 personalities you’ll find in a British pub, allegedly.

The USA

You might not have seen this – the full text of a Trump’s post in which he makes nonsensical, evidence-free statements about the past and the present, imposes tariffs on several European allies and threatens to increase these come June. In his self-appointed role as the ‘King of Tariffs’.:-

Well, there you have it, folks. Make your own mind – an evil genius or an insane megalomaniac, drunk on his delusion of unlimited power? Who sees his as his enemies long-time allies of the US and as his friends as Putin, Xi and Kim Jon Ung. What a player! Do voters really get the leader they deserve?

I’m taking the optimistic view that impeachment is a couple of days closer. Well, it would be optimistic, if Miller and Vance aren’t to be left in place. I hope a few sane people in the White House are planning on keeping these away from power, aprés le deluge.

Quotes of the Day

• Trump’s tariff threat is an attempt to divide Europe and quash opposition over Greenland -a wrecking ball to the carefully stitched deals he concluded with those countries last summer.
• Trump’s outrageous Greenland tariff threats will permanently damage the Atlantic alliance.
• The Greenland grab is Trump’s worst move yet. And that’s saying something.
• We have no ill will for our friends in Greenland: The (Republican) Speaker of the House. Which must come as a huge relief to them. We just want to rule you. Benevolently, of course.
• Trump thinks he owns Latin America. Is Panama next?

The Way of the World/Social Media

Far from being a sounding box for a new, creative world, where new ideas and thinking are embraced, X is the death rattle of a society that has completely lost its way. Which is why I stay off it. It’s what happens when you give the world’s idiots and bigots a bullhorn.

Spanish

• Rutas BTT (Bicicleta Todo Terreno): Off-road routes for mountain bikes.
• Atragar: To choke
• Gajo: Segment.
• Estornudo: Sneeze

English

These are said here to be 11 quaint British insults which are falling into disuse – or ‘desuetude’, to give it its proper name. Descriptions here:

• Plonker
• Pillock
• Prat
• Git
• Cad
• Blighter
• Lummox
• Ninny
• Numpty
• Scallywag
• Tosspot

To these, I’d add dipstick. (Originally a graduated rod used to measure liquid levels, especially engine oil in vehicle. By the mid-20th century, it had evolved into slang for a foolish or stupid person, likely as a milder substitute for “dipshit,” which stemmed from 1920s slang “dip” for an idiot.)

And tosser. Though this one might still be popular with Gen Z.

Did you know?

Talking about how thing used to be in Britain . . . At some point, British society looked at the problem of being robbed and decided the true issue was not theft itself, but who was doing the robbing, where they were doing it, and whether they were doing it in a manner befitting a gentleman. Crime, like everything else, required classification. Ideally with tiers.

You Have to Laugh

On Thursday last, Trump truncated government business to go and unveil a road named after him near Mar-a-Lago. Without a scintilla of self-awareness, he announced that people who looked at the sign would be ‘filled with pride. Just pride. Not in me. Pride in our country. Pride in this state. Because our nation will be stronger, richer and more successful. Which is what it is right now’. Yea, right.

Finally . . .

What Trump’s foreign policy might mean for the imminent World Cup. Which he might win, of course. Even more likely if no other team turns up.

Finally . . . Finally . . .

The robin has at last returned to my garden but is seen off by the greedy bloody greenfinches. As are the poor sparrows. I must find a remedy for this, possibly born of the fact that robins are ground feeders.

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 there.

For those thinking of moving to Spain, this link should be useful to you.