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
British tourists are swapping Spain’s costas for its quiet, rugged north. There was a 47% rise in British visitors to Galicia in 2025 over 2024, with 108,000 making the trip. This reflects the growing popularity of walking the Camino de Santiago route or enjoying the white sands of the Cíes Islands. Damn and blast.
More bad news . . . Galicia is, of course, one of Spain’s up-and-coming regions.
Portugal
The country is between stability and pressure in an uncertain world, it says here. But, then, who isn’t.
Time to remind ourselves that massive interconnectivity led to the collapse of several great civilisations at the end of the Late Bronze Age, around 1170 BC
The UK
Reader Perry has kindly told me of this bizarre railway line out of London.
Europe
If you don’t know what the AMOC is and you live in any of the countries cited below, maybe you need to bone up on it . . . Climate scientists fear that the weakening or potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which includes the Gulf Stream, could disrupt heat transport to Europe, leading to severe winter cold snaps amid global warming. Freshwater influx from melting Greenland ice reduces ocean salinity, slowing this current and allowing Arctic sea ice to expand southward, amplifying cooling effects. A weakened AMOC could cause extreme winter temperature drop. Other impacts include more frequent storms, reduced precipitation leading to droughts across Europe, and heightened weather volatility from north-south temperature contrasts. Northwestern Europe faces the greatest cold risks due to proximity to the North Atlantic. Projected winter impacts:-
- Netherlands: -20°C extremes; sea ice at coast; 5°C average drop.
- UK/Scotland: -30°C lows; half-year sub-freezing minimums in Edinburgh
- Norway/Scandinavia: Below -40°C on west coast; transformed mild climate
- Ireland, Iceland: Strong north-south cooling gradient.
Southern Europe will see milder effects but increased storms and dryness.
The Middle East War
The US yesterday fired on an Iranian ship. If the intention had been to provoke the Iranian authorities, and close down what lingering hopes there were of a negotiated solution, it seems to have succeeded . . . Tehran has ‘no plans to participate’ in new talks, state media reports, as it accuses US of violating the ceasefire. This reported response comes hours after Trump announced a delegation to Islamabad, having earlier threatened to raze Iran’s infrastructure.
The latest update from Naked Capitalism.
The United States of Trump USA
Guess who: I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had. And why not? The country is winning everywhere.
Yet another mass slaughter of kids for Republicans to play down – this time in Louisiana.
The ‘Mad-King’ caricature seems truer than ever. Podcast Video
‘Trump is doing what he does best, insulting women’ . . .
JD Vance is rumoured to be considering resignation. Possibly because he can’t worship both God – Trump – and Mammon at the same time. Or possibly because he thinks this improves his chances of becoming president in 200
Relevant podcasts/YouTube videos
- The Daily Beast Podcast/Video
- Inside Trump’s Head Podcast/Video
- The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent Podcast
- The Rest is Politics US Podcast/Video
- The DSR Network Podcast
- The Politics Girl Video. Amusing
- The Daily Show Video. Very amusing
Spanish
- Adivina: Fortune-teller
- Abajo: Below
- Debajo de: Below/under something
English
In British English
- Garden: Usually means the whole outdoor area immediately around a house, especially at the back or front, often including grass, flower beds, and sometimes vegetables or shrubs. It’s typically private, bounded by fences or hedges, and is used for sitting, relaxing, or growing plants.
- Yard: tends to be a more utilitarian, often hard‑surfaced area behind or beside a building, without much vegetation (paving, concrete, or gravel).Often associated with trade or storage (a builder’s yard, a yard behind a shop, or a “yard” at the back of a house where bins or tools are kept), rather than with flowers or a lawn.
In American English
- Yard is used for the whole grassy area around the house
- Garden is just the cultivated patch within it.
Did you know about?
You Have to Laugh
Another uncomfortable Finn . . .
Finally . . .
A little bit of 16th century England in the USA . . Tangier Island’s dialect is a distinctive variety of Southern American English preserved due to the island’s geographic isolation. It features elongated vowels (like “house” as “hoose” or “time” as “toime”), rolled “r” sounds, and dropped consonants that give it a lilting, rhythmic quality reminiscent of waves. Unique words include “ort” (ought), “yorn” (yours), “sot” (sat), and “iggy” (going to). The speech traces to 17th and 18th-century settlers from Cornwall and southern England, evolving independently on the island without much mainland influence. Linguists describe it as a unique creation, not purely Elizabethan or British, but a blend shaped by isolation and local life. It’s similar to but distinct from Smith Island, Maryland’s dialect and the “Hoi Toide” (high tide) brogue of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Modern media introduces changes, but locals take pride in maintaining it.
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The Usual Links . . .
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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 