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
After Spanish airports were hit by long queues over May bank holiday weekend, Ryanair has ‘demanded’ that Spain follow Greece and suspend the EES until September. Since Brussels has just prevented Portugal from doing this, my guess is it won’t happen.
An article in the VdG included an aerial foto of Oporto airport, whose passenger numbers have risen more than 5 fold since 2004. A sharp contrast with Galicia’s 3 airports. The foto show a vast hinterland of businesses that didn’t exist back in 1999, when I first flew into what was close to a 3rd world facility.
Given my own experience, I was less than surprised to read that Galician motorists shelled out €43m in fines last year.
Which reminds me . . . Yesterday, in the space of 3 minutes I was twice almost hit by another car. On roundabouts, of course. The first was when I was well into turning left and a driver drove in front of me as if I weren’t there. Fortunately, I could brake quickly enough to avoid a crash. And then got the traditional wave of the hand. And an instruction to drive on . . . The second was when the driver in front of me had turned off the roundabout to the right, then changed his mind and turned back. This one was easier to avoid as I had more time to do so. I’m not one to say driving in Spain is particularly bad but there certainly are moments of craziness. In my neck of the woods, it’s always possible that illegal substances are a factor. As with the latest kamikaze driver, who caused accidents by driving down the A9 the wrong way.
The notary’s office didn’t call me today . . .
The Middle East War
The latest update from Naked Capitalism. Trump ever more unglued.
The United States of Trump America
Quotes
- Trump to Xi: I always say the truth. [Is there anyone in the world dumb enough to believe that?].
- Me: Isn’t it truly amazing, the number of Republicans who who haven’t heard a Trump contentious comment or are ‘not aware of the context in which he made it, so can’t comment on it’. Did they ever say this about Biden?
- Me 2: The Iranians are a mature, well educated, and highly intelligent people. Trump isn’t and he doesn’t listen to advisers who are. Guess who did the better planning for Trump’s war.
- Me 3: And guess who will never again trust the US and who now have a huge incentive to build a nuclear bomb and to lie about not doing so.
Trump’s war delusion and Patel’s Congress hearing. Podcast or Video
See below under The Usual Links for commentators I follow via podcasts or YouTube videos.
Quote of the Day
Writing an autobiography has been likened to marrying a nymphomaniac. Wonderful for the first couple of months; thereafter, exhausting. [I’ve been doing mine – for my grandkids – for more than 25 years. Starting long before I had any. If I’d ever known a nymphomaniac, I might agree, Actually, I do even without that experience.]
Spanish
- Salvapatria: Nation saviour
- Baipás: Bypass
- Tajazo: Slice
- Hacer la tijera: To scissor (as in articulated truck)
English/Did you know?
- Pocket book: I believe this is US English for wallet or purse.
- Purse: I think this is US English for handbag
You Have to Laugh
Another uncomfortable Finn . . .
Finally . . .
If you happen to be near, you might want to attend some or all of a 3 day event centred on the theories of the birthplace of Columbus(Colón). Which is Poio, of course.
Finally . . . Finally . . .
A follow up on the singers called Tamara . . . . By pure coincidence, there was an article on the false Tamara – now known as Yurena – in the DdP yesterday, as she’d taken part in a promotion in Pv city for the Feroz awards do later this year. This is her, promoting her autobiography. And possibly looking nothing like she did 20 years ago. Or maybe exactly the same.
My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts.
The Usual Links . . .
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
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 X at Thoughts from Galicia. I no longer post 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.
Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain 
Ah, well I am one who openly says Spanish drivers on the whole are a nightmare. And my Spanish friends know how I feel, and very much agree. Possibly because one of my best pals has a correduria.
I have had many accidents. These include being rear ended at least 4 times. Side swiped when parallel parking. A car cut across me on my motorbike (the bike a write off, and a year for me to fully recover). A car reversed in to me in a carpark, the lady claiming the accelerator was stuck to the floor.
Overall. A lack of understanding of roundabouts. Hardly any use of turning signals. Drivers at 15km looking for a parking spot with a queue snaking back hundreds of metres. Corner cutting on bends. Running red lights. Undertaking on highways. Sitting 1 metre from your back bumper at 80km per hour. Overtaking on roundabouts. Blocking the portal to the car garage ………. . I could go on.
The one that really stands out are the number of people driving and using their phone. This is especially obvious, when I go out on my motorbike, as I am much higher. I regularly see people splitting their focus between reading messages and driving. The worst I saw recently was a lady watching something on her mobile, with the occasional glance at the road.
Just like the UK, or maybe the world, white van drivers are just about the worst of the lot.
Someone said I should record them, but even I wouldnt do that. There is a guy in the UK who records and reports. I believe he has a YT channel too. Hundreds of drivers have been hit with penalties from videos he has sent to the police. I imagine he is not especially popular in certain circles.
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i was tempted to mention your contrary opinion. . . 🙂
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