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
Noémi write here on Spain’s unique approach to Easter.
If one talks to folk who work in the hostelry industry here in Pv city, one regularly hears of employer abuses such as low social security tax payments, undeclared hours worked, late salary payments, etc. All of which make the sector less attractive to work in. Which might explain why it’s reported that many folk don’t take up employment in it even though they’ve had formal training for it. Hence the reported difficulty Pv city employers are having in finding the staff needed to meet the increasing demand resulting from more domestic tourism and of course, from the ever-rising numbers of Caminoers. Plus the folk having a day-trip to the city, having arrived on cruise ships in Vigo. One result of all this seems to be a high level of turnover of bar and restaurant staff. But, apparently, no increase in wage levels.
By the way , , , There is a ’12-8-4 rule’ in the hostelry industry relating to hours worked and obligatory breaks. This is mockingly inverted by employees to ‘4-8-12’, to signify:-
- You work 12 hours a day
- You get paid for 8, and
- The employer declares your hours as 4 and pays reduced social security taxes.
This is possibly not as widespread as one is led to believe. On the other hand . . .
Things that confuse me about Pv city . . .
- Pv city’s main public hospital is being doubled in size. This has taken twice as long as predicted and is costing 40% more than the budget for it. Which does rather raise a few questions.
- This house is on the Camino, at the other end of O Burgo bridge from the city. It’s in a perfect place for an albergue for Caminoers but it was abandoned long ago and has been been falling down for at least 25 years. It’s actually owned by the Pv city council, who don’t appear to share my opinion re its best use and seem to lack any plans for it beyond auto-demolition:-
3. This almost-finished new block of flats is just a few metres away from that house. The pink building also belongs to the city council. Until recently it housed some okupas but now lies empty. I wonder why it wasn’t sold to the developers of the flats block for the benefit of the city’s coffers:-
4. This is the property on one side of Pv city’s main square that was badly damaged by fire 7 or 8 years ago. I wonder why it’s taken this long for the council to announce plans to restore it:-
The Middle East War
The latest update from Naked Capitalism.
The United States of Trump America
Trump in again talking of taking over Cuba.
Why Trump is afraid of sacking RFK Junior Podcast Video
Trump posts a Melania bikini photo as Doctors Warn Of Health Collapse.
See below under The Usual Links for commentators I follow via podcasts or YouTube videos.
Spanish
- Amedrentar: To intimidate
- Arrasar: Fig. To sweep/wipe the floor.
- Ajustarse: To fit.
- Quebrar: To break, fail, go bankrupt, etc.
- Quebradero: Problem, pain, hassle.
- Quebradero de cabeza: Headache
Did you know?
Pine martens prey more heavily on grey squirrels than on red squirrels due to behavioral differences shaped by evolutionary history. Grey squirrels, introduced into the UK from North America, lack the innate anti-predator responses that red squirrels have developed over millennia alongside pine martens in Europe, making greys easier targets. Red squirrels detect pine marten scent cues and respond with fear behaviors like reduced feeding, heightened vigilance (e.g., standing upright with twitching tails), and avoidance of risky areas. Grey squirrels remain oblivious, often continuing or even increasing feeding activity near marten scents, leaving them vulnerable to predation. This “naivety” results in higher grey squirrel occurrence in marten diets, especially during breeding seasons when martens raid larger, more abundant grey dreys for juveniles and nursing females. Pine martens have been successfully introduced into Scotland and now England.
Finally . . . You Have to Laugh
Another uncomfortable Finn . . .
Finally . . .
Would you believe . . .?
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The US commentators I follow, all on Podbean and/or YouTube for free:-
- 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
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If you´re thinking of moving to Spain, this link shou
Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain 
Latest Jimmy Kimmel. We have TACO. We now have NACHO.
Not A Chance the Hormuz Opens.
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One result of all this seems to be a high level of turnover of bar and restaurant staff. But, apparently, no increase in wage levels.
At some stage the wages will start to increase. That is one of the few abstract economic models that actually tends to work in real life without caveats. An increase of demand, subject to constrained means of supply, leads to an increase in value of those very means of supply.
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I assumed so.
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For years supply has not been a problem. For the foreseeable future as long as there is a cheap supply of mostly South American labour, those wage increases will be very slow to come.
Also whilst turnover is high, most of the movement remains within hostelry. This mitigates the lack of supply to some extent.
Everyone is at the funfair, the same fun fair, just moving from one ride to another. Except it is not much fun.
Whilst I feel for those who have come from afar to work for low pay, compared to what they have come from, they are usually in a better place, and can send some money back to their families.
The hardest part is moving up the ladder in a country such as Spain. It is hard enough for Spaniards to get mortgages, loans, go self employed or start a business. Even harder for immigrants.
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For the foreseeable future as long as there is a cheap supply of mostly South American labour, those wage increases will be very slow to come.
Yes, what I was planning to say today . . .
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You write a lot about houses owned by the city council not been renewed ie refurbished. I have no idea why. Sometimes, it is because, I guess, the cc lacks the financial means to do something quickly, or there are some legal wranglings which usually take long to entangle. I guess if you were so inclined, I guess you are not, you could write a letter to the council and ask. I know of one fascinating (or rather depressing) case, because I have acquantainces who live there, which is tthat of the Palace of the Canto del Pico in Torrelodones, near Madrid. Built in 1920 it has an interesting story. It remains abandoned and crumbling at the top of a hill overseeing the valley and almost the whole of Madrid province below, the victim of a long judicial battle, which seems to have no end in sight.
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Letters to the council don’t get responded toe- eg re flashing warning lights for roundabouts
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Another example, perhaps the most famous in Spa . .
The unfinished “Hotel El Algarrobico” is a notorious abandoned structure on the beach of the same name near Carboneras in Almería province, southeastern Spain. Construction began in 2003 by developer Azata del Sol but halted in 2006 after court orders declared it illegal due to its location on protected land in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park.
This 21-story, 411-room complex sits on a rocky hillside just 50 meters from the sea, overlooking one of Spain’s most pristine beaches in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s become a symbol of coastal overdevelopment and environmental activism, with groups like Greenpeace protesting for years.
The stark white skeleton with cranes still in place dominates the scenic coastline, contrasting sharply with the pebbly beach and clear Mediterranean waters below.
Built despite warnings, the Supreme Court ruled in 2016-2018 that the land is non-urbanizable and protected, voiding permits. As of February 2026—marking 20 years since works stopped—the hotel remains standing amid ongoing expropriation by the Spanish government and stalled local license revocation. Demolition promises continue, but judicial delays and costs (potentially millions) persist, with no firm timeline.
In early 2026, the structure is derelict, with peeling paint and no operations, drawing urban explorers despite risks. The central government initiated public interest declaration for demolition in February 2025, but processes like expropiation and waste management coordination with Andalusia are incomplete. Activists criticize delays, fearing political maneuvering to avoid payouts to owners.
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Letters to the council get answered. I know people whose letters do. But they are Spanish. Probably not if you are a bloody (I dont mean this literally) foreigner.
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I write to the mayor, who knows me. In gallego
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Colin,
I saw the pine marten video a couple of days ago. Intriguing.
Returning to the archaeology story yesterday, here are my thoughts:
Cabeza del Buey is close to 300 miles of harsh territory from the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Were the miners the same people who arranged the shipping of the lead, copper & silver to Scandinavia by boat or were there Iberian travelling salesmen who met face to face with their customers in Malmö? It’s all very well for archaeologists to state that “Previous studies using lead isotope and chemical analysis of Scandinavian Bronze Age artifacts have suggested that much of their metal originated in southwestern Spain”, without considering the logistics, or even the methods of advertising of their wares to Proto-Vikings, by the Badajoz hole diggers.
Was it by good fortune that an early northern metallurgist, 1,800 miles from home, just happened to be wandering by CdB some 3,000 years ago & in spite of the language difficulties, managed to negotiate a deal? No reading nor writing of contracts; just ass whipping to travel to the coast, then felling trees & lashing together a couple of dugout canoes to build a cargo carrying catamaran & setting off towards the Pole Star. Confía en mí, esto funcionará.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugout_canoe
Sceptically,
Perry
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Another assertion about ancient trade routes, where we are told trade was carried out over thousands of miles of open ocean, without giving a thought to the boats. The Indus Valley civilisations lasted from 3300 BC to 1300 BC & in their mature forms from 2600 BC to 1900 BC.
Ancient seafarers deserve more recognition. https://www.britannica.com/place/Phoenicia
Bailing frantically,
Perry
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ZLo de trabajar má horas de las que pagan y cotizar menos a la SS, es un mal hábito español.
Mi padre siempre dice, en España si se puede pagar menos, se hace, algo que no ocurre en otros países.
Que Trump quiere echar a Bob Kennedy junior ? Vaya con lo bien que lleva la sanidad…
Saca fotos de su mujer en bikini mientras no es capaz de solucionar el gran problema que causó al mundo atacando Irán, sin ninguna estrategia, ni previsión.
Que desgracia nos cayó con este tipo. Y los que le apoyan.
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