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

Correction: If it’s not to late . . . The clocks went forwards last night, not back . .  

Good news: Spain is said to be weathering the oil price increases better than other countries.

Bad news: There will be airport chaos over Easter. A tradition, I think.

Driving instructors have joined construction workers and waiting staff as people in high demand but short supply, at least here in Galicia. Perhaps they’ve all fled to parts of Spain where wages are higher.

Electric scooter riders are a menace in Pv city’s old quarter and often illegally ridden. But rarely as blatantly as this one.

I can’t say I’ve ever been impressed by the efficiency of notaries, Spain’s demi-gods who earn a fortune. My daughter is here from Madrid to receive part of her inheritance as cash, via a legal deed. I did my utmost last week to get a draft of the escritura in advance of our appointment this morning, to avoid having to waste time this week and possibly having to return for a second appointment. Needless to say, I failed and we have to return tomorrow.

A warning . . . Tax provisions differ between regions, raising complications when a donor lives in one and the donee in another. Always get financial advice before giving money away, especially as the tax situation might well have changed since the last time you did this. As we were told this morning it had, necessitating a different form of official grant this time round, to avoid massively increased tax for my daughter.

The Middle East War

See my earlier post.

The United States of Trump USA

Trump makes an insane post about dying.

A few observations on US society . . .

• Reality TV is ‘real‑life’ footage turned into a narrative‑driven, dramatic show. This describes Trump to a T. His presidency is essentially a continuation of The Apprentice, with dire consequences for the entire world. As possibly was the case with insane Roman emperors, albeit to a lesser extent.
• The principle of ‘the rule of law’ entered Anglo politics in the 13th century, primarily through Magna Carta in 1215, which established that the king was subject to the “law of the land”. It is, of course, the very basis of numerous written and unwritten constitutions around the world. As a would-be absolute ruler – unconstrained, thanks to the Supreme Court, by the issue of illegality – Trump totally rejects this principle. You’d have thought this would be a better reason to impeach him than his obvious mental defects. As the saga of Boris Johnson showed, he wouldn’t last long as PM under the ‘inferior’ unwritten British Constitution.
• Oblivious to the saying about god and mammon, many – if not most – US folk appear to be more willing to worship both god and money. And to admire people who make an awful lot of the latter, regardless of how they did it. Ultimately, this makes for a very sick society, in which someone like Trump can achieve unbridled power. I mean, is the ‘Financial Bible’ sold in any other country?

It’s a good time to expose some myths about the first Anglo settlers in North America.

Quotes of the Day

• In 14 months, Trump has turned America into a country that people hate. I guess this is what happens when you put an utterly stupid, cruel, corrupt, lawless, dishonest madman in the White House.
• Trump is waging war but it’s really against more than half of America’s population.

Spanish

• Alabarse: To boast
• Desnortado: Rudderless
• Vertiente: Strand, strip. Coast?

English

• To dispeople: To depopulate. Another 18th century usage. cf. To diss people.
• Kinetic conflict/warfare: Armed conflict in which belligerents use direct, physical force—such as bullets, bombs, missiles, artillery, or other conventional weapons—to destroy people or infrastructure. It contrasts with “non‑kinetic” or “soft” forms of conflict, like cyberattacks, sanctions, diplomacy, or information operations, which do not rely on explosive or high‑velocity physical force.

Did you know?

A brogue is a type of shoe, the word coming the Gaelic word bróg for ‘shoe’. It’s traditionally linked to Scotland and Ireland. It’s made of leather, with decorative perforations and serrated edges. That’s the modern description but here’s how Samuel Johnson described back in 1753, on the island of Sky:- Brogues are a kind of artless shoes, stitched with thongs so loosely, that though they defend the foot from stones, they do not exclude water. Brogues were formerly made of raw hides, with the hair inwards, and such are perhaps still used in rude and remote parts; but they are said not to last above 2 days. Where life is somewhat improved, they are now made of leather tanned with oak or birch or with roots of tormentil. Back to a modern comment: It began as a practical outdoor shoe in Scotland and Ireland, where the holes helped water drain more quickly, and later became a classic dress shoe.

* A small perennial herb in the rose family, scientifically known as Potentilla erecta/tormentilla)

You Have to Laugh

My 6 year old grandson – having heard me say last night that prices had risen Thanks to Trump – asked me why this should merit gratitude. I explained that this was a form of irony. This morning, I bought him a magazine and commented that it was more expensive than last time. “Thanks, to Trump”, he said.

Finally . . .

A stunning photo of a lynx playing with its prey beat out 60,6

Finally . . . Finally . . .

TRUMP’S AWFUL BALLROOM

Design and scale

• The Times’ architecture writers and critics have described the proposed 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom as “a huge, dumb box,” emphasizing its sheer size and visual awkwardness rather than any refined architectural merit.
• Commentators argue that the ballroom resembles a luxury‑hotel convention space more than a dignified presidential venue, comparing it to a “Mar‑a‑Lago on the Potomac” and questioning why a social‑event space larger than the White House itself is needed.

Cost and money‑flow

• The paper has highlighted the eye‑watering price tag—roughly 300–400 million dollars—and raised concerns about how the project is being privately funded through opaque donations arranged by Trump’s campaign finance team, with weak transparency safeguards.
• Reporters have pointed out that major corporations are listed among donors, prompting questions about potential influence‑peddling and the use of a “trust” mechanism that sidesteps stricter disclosure rules.

Process and legality

• The Times has criticized Trump’s “demolish first, ask questions later” approach, noting that he tore down the historic East Wing without first submitting demolition plans to the National Capital Planning Commission or consulting Congress, despite the site’s historic status.
• The paper underscores that he bypassed normal review procedures for federal and historic buildings, using an exemption in the National Preservation Act plus a reshuffled commission leadership to fast‑track the project.

Symbolism and civic values

• Opinion columns have treated the ballroom as a symbol of Trump’s broader determination to reshape Washington in his own image, likening the ambition to Mussolini’s interventions in Rome and framing it as an “imperial” vanity project rather than a functional upgrade.
• The Times has also published pro‑public‑art and pro‑public‑space letters arguing that the White House belongs to the people and should not be treated as a personal stage for large‑scale, gaudy events.

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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 there.