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

Fifteen U.S. aircraft have left the 2 US military bases in Spain since the USA and Israel launched attacks on Iran. The Foreign Minister said Spain would not allow these to be used for attacks on Iran, which Spain – breaking EU ranks – has condemned.

Lenox Napier write here about Sr. Abascal, the leader of Spain’s growing far-right party – Vox. Which, says Lenox, has a simple enough party program: old school nationalism, tradition, Catholic, anti-immigrant, unimpressed by women’s issues and global warming, and in favour of lower taxes.

The combination of a lot of wet weather and now higher than usual temperature has brought a threat from a particular breed of mosquito. Especially down south, I think.

Talking of the weather . . . We’re about to be hit by yet another store – Regina. Which will bring heavy rain, strong winds, rough seas and muddy showers caused by calima dust from Africa. Strong winds up to 70 km/h and high waves are triggering yellow alerts in coastal zones including Galicia.

There was, however, no rain on Sunday last, when the Pv city flea market (rastrillo) was bigger than it’s been for 2 months. It’s now more than ever dominated by (illegal) gypsy traders selling the contents of emptied houses, including worn clothes The piles of these are so abundant, the market has the air of a very downmarket jumble sale.

The USA

See my earlier post on the delusional, bellicose president.

Trump has had many corporate losses over his career in business The latest is for the Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, which reported a net loss of $712.3m in 2025. Up from $400.9m in 2024.

Looking ahead . . . It can now be plainly said: Trump is planning a November coup d’ètat. During the campaign, it was hard to picture the specifics of how he might pull such a thing off. Alas, it’s getting less hypothetical by the week.

Quote of the Day

Said of Trump even before the attack on Iran: Trump has lost the ability to entertain. Unfortunately, he hasn’t lost the ability to offend. Witness his comments about the soldiers dying in his latest war of distraction.

The Way of the World/Social Media

How X’s algorithm shifts political attitudes.

Spanish

• Acuñar: To mint
• Querellarse: To complain. To file a complaint: To take legal action
• Casero/a: Landlord/lady
• Casera: Housekeeper

Did you know?

As I’ve said, at the end of the Bronze Age – more than 3,000 years ago – there were 10 or more empires in the Eastern Mediterranean, all trading with each other. When they weren’t fighting each other. The rulers of most of these sent regular begging letters to the pharaoh of Egypt suggesting that, ‘as gold is like dust in your country’, he might send some their way as a gesture of friendship. Showing that there’s little new under the sun, one such letter added: ‘And don’t send me what I got last time – gold debased with silver’.

Finally . . . You Have to Laugh

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.

If you´re thinking of moving to Spain, this link should be useful to you.