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

We’ve been warned a few times about new entry rules into the EU but this time they have more relevance, as the Spanish authorities are said to be getting stricter. And that they refused entry to some Brits last Easter..

The oldest of Spain: A tour through centuries of history – including theatres, bullrings and delicious age-old recipes.

Spain’s young are said to be shunning alcohol en masse. I hope to live to enjoy the day they – by which I mean mostly young women – give up tobacco. Specifically on terrazas in summer.

One of the oddities of Spain is how pharmacists cut a bit off the box of items prescribed under the public health service – a ‘tamper-evident coupon’ – and then sellotape it to one of the boxes on an A4-sized form. This has always struck me as rather 19th century-ish. So, I was interested to read that the Health Ministry is introducing digitised medication verification and ‘eliminating the box cutter from pharmacies’.

I went into the agricultural store last evening to buy bird seeds. To my surprise, for once there were no customers in front of me. Even more surprising, there was no one at the counter. Suddenly, there was an eerie, disembodied voice saying something about chickens. As I looked around, trying to identify the source of it, the shopkeeper emerged from behind the chicken cages down one side of the shop. And then the biggest surprises of all . . . the barcode reader worked and the storekeeper didn’t have to walk the length of the store to get the price. It took me 15 minutes to get over this series of shocks, by which time I’d arrived at one of my watering holes and could imbibe a restorative.

Iran

This podcast gives excellent insights into this amazing country, in which I was lucky enough to live for a few years as a young man – before the Islamic Revolution.

If you can’t listen to all of it, then at least go to minute 50 and listen to the account of the astonishing city of Yazd and its impressive bad-girs (wind-towers) and qanats (water channels). Not to mention its ‘towers of silence’. You can find fotos of the city on the net, of course, but below is one I took from inside the mosque, with several bad-girs visible in the distance:-

I drove to Yazd through one of the deserts described in the podcast – a rather hair-raising experience, especially when I lost control of the car after a wheel hit a sand pile in what passed for the road. Which was usefully marked-out by the occasional pile of stones at the side of it. Probably wouldn’t do that now.

If you continue to listen, you’ll arrive – at 1min49s – at mention of the truly glorious Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan. Again, you can find fotos on the internet but here is mine. Its beautiful dome changes colour as the sun sets:-

Two small examples of a civilisation that Trump has threatened to destroy more than once.

The Middle East War

The latest update from Naked Capitalism.

The United States of Trump America

Perhaps it would be a good idea to strap Trump, Hegseth, Rubio et al to chairs and force them to listen to that podcast on Iran,. On the other hand, it might not make a jot of difference to anything.

It’s reported that – to avoid booing – Trump is trying to ban chanting at World Cup football matches. But this turns out to be one of the numerous false viral items that we could do without. Though who would put it past him?

Spanish

• Cúter: Cutter, Utility knife [Stanley knife]
• Cupón precinto: Tamper-evident coupon
• Allegado: Relative, loved-one

Did you know about?

La Salle: Who found the Mississippi, lost the Mississippi and then lost everyone’s patience.

Finally . . .You Have to Laugh

Another name for Trump’s little excursion into Iran – Operation Epic Blunder.

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts.

The Usual Links . . .

USA links

Each of these US commentators issues at least one podcast a week, usually 2, sometimes 3. All available on Podbean and most on YouTube for free. So, take your pick. You should get the latest episode when you click on the link, though YouTube videos seem to come out a bit earlier:-

• The Daily Beast    Podcast or Video 
• Inside Trump’s Head Podcast or  Video 
•  The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent Podcast 
• The Rest is Politics US Podcast or  Video 
• The DSR Network Podcast 
• The Politics Girl  Video. Amusing 

There are also the excellent late-night shows, of course. And SNL.

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. And on Substack here. 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.