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
Spain has taken a firm stance against US military flights over its airspace related to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The Defense Minister announced yesterday that the government will no longer permit such aircraft to use Spanish airspace for operations linked to attacks on Iranian territory. This builds on prior refusals to allow US access to US-Spanish bases in Spain.
Spain cuts the working week to just 35 hours for public sector employees – new rules to kick in from mid-April.
Think Spain offers health to newcomers with:-
Lenox Napier is in a better mood that me [see below] . . . But is wrong about showers here in Galicia. At least so far.
The Middle East War
See my earlier post.
Trump’s Iran war is holding him hostage: If there is any consistency to Trump’s policy, it is a series of frantic attempts to justify his original blunder and extricate himself from its dire consequences.
The United States of Trump USA
Just in case you haven’t figure this out . . .Trump is brazenly ignorant, impulsive and unconcerned with consequences. His basic instinct is immediate self-gratification. He has no horizon except short-term gain.
Why Trump will keep escalating.
How much money is Trump making money from this war?
Is Stephen Miller on the way down? Out, even?
Trump admits that RFK Jr. is crazy.
Russia
Increased oil income, reduced/eliminated sanctions, greater freedom to attack Ukraine – quite possibly a real winner from the Iran war.
Spanish
- Acortar la distancia: To cut/reduce the gap.
- Virgulilla: Squiggle. The tilde in mañana.
- Cuenta atras: Countdown.
English
- Humblebee/Humble bee was an old English term for bumblebees, used from the 16th century, likely from the “humming” or “drumming” sound of their wings, evolving into “bumblebee” by the 18th-19th centuries to reflect their clumsy, buzzing flight.
- Humble pie: “umble pie,” was a pie made from deer offal or other lower-status meat scraps. Over time, people connected it with “humble”. This dish was associated with servants and lower-ranking people, so it already carried a sense of inferiority. Later spelling and pronunciation shifts made “umble” look and sound like “humble”.S
Did you know?
The telephone booth – its rise and fall.
You Have to Laugh
Another unhappy Finn . . .
Finally . . .
Today I’m even less impressed by notaries than I was yesterday. Firstly, it took more than 30 minutes to get through to the office on the phone this morning. Secondly, we were then told we had to come to the office to make the appointment. Thirdly, at the office, I found that nothing had been done to revise the escritura discussed yesterday. Finally, I was told that a 2nd appointment this week would be impossible. But did actually prove possible when I said that I would move the exercise to a Madrid notary.
And all this despite me anticipating problems and doing my utmost to ensure they had time to prepare the correct document. And to provide me with a draft. Which they hadn’t. Tomorrow’s visit to the notary’s office will be my 7th. As in 2001 when I did my Spanish will. And when, in 2017, I tried to get a notary’s signature on a document in the form required by a British company. But failed!
Back in 2000 you could hardly do anything except face-to-face in Spain. Banks had 2 lines of employees available for clients to walk in and talk to – one for important clients and one for not-so-important clients. This expensive cost was eliminated when technology allowed the banks – and others – to insist on advance imports. And emails allowed correspondence a distancia. At least in theory and, in some cases, in practice. Notaries, it seems, stayed in the 20th century. If not, the 19th. I just checked and . . . Yes, Spanish notaries still read loud the contents of a property compraventa deed. This remains a legal requirement at the signing, ensuring all parties understand the terms, property details, payments, and obligations. The notary reads the full document – often 5-10 pages – verifies identities and consent, then authorizes signatures for registration at the Land Registry.
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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.
If you´re thinking of moving to Spain, this link should be useful to you.
Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain 