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

The Ceuta Question:-

• Did the USA and Israel just commit their first act of hybrid war, against Spain?
• Spain estimates the death toll at 88. Morocco’s number is 11.
• The Olive Press here has a go at explaining : Why 60,000 migrants came, who’s to blame, and whether some will go on to the EU?
• What it’s like in Ceuta at the moment, with several thousands of homeless illegal immigrants still there . . . Like a scene out of Northern Ireland in the Troubles

More bad news . . . Deaths caused by excessive heat in Spain this summer could reach a decade-high level, with 3,096 fatalities already recorded between May and July. More than double the 2025 total. The regions that suffered the greatest fatalities were Cataluña (676), the Basque Country (344) and Andalucía (335).

My observation was that July was not as busy as in previous years, though this all changed this week, when the hordes came up from the South. And bought all the advance tickets for our 2 bullfights next week, which hasn’t happened for several years.

Confirmation comes from the VdG that, here in Galicia, we have more tourists than ever this year but they’re spending less per person. In July, 30% less in fact. As I’ve said, obvious belt-tightening.

Some endorsement of my belief about July comes from the report that – despite 30 days of rainless sun – our chiringitos (beach bars) didn’t hacer su agosto (‘make their August’/make a killing) in July.

Portugal

Wow! The ‘cheap’ Iberian alternative is now more expensive than Spain. Finding a home under €400,000 is increasingly difficult — and sometimes impossible. The average asking price is now €430,500. At least 2 factors are shared by both countries – a shortage of specialised workers such as “bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, formwork specialists or subcontractors, and rising construction costs.

The UK

The unwritten rules of British etiquette:-

• Don’t call it England if you mean Britain
• Tipping is expected in restaurants but not in pubs
• Don’t tilt your seat back on a busy train
• Moaning is a bonding exercise, not a complaint
• Punctuality matters more than most Brits would admit
• Silence on the tube is non-negotiable
• Sorry doesn’t always mean sorry
• Talking about money is still regarded as slighmtly vulgar
• The queue is sacred, full stop/period. (93% of Londoners believe queue-jumping is one of the most serious social offences. There won’tt be any shouting. You will simply be stared at with the specific kind of cold disappointment that the British have perfected over centuries.)

The United States of Trump America

Quotes

• I won with a score of 70 and am so honored in that, unlike the rest of the field, I’m given very little time to pract [Needless to say, this was after Trump had won the latest competition at one of his own golf courses, amidst the usual allegations of cheating, His score was the totally unbelievable 2 below par. At 80!]
• Any country with wind turbines is a loser.
• I prefer the BBC to ABC. [Possibly forgetting he’s suing the former for 10 billion dollars].

Nine AI engines were asked what single word they’d give to describe Trump. They’re listed below this post. Only the last one is likely to surprise. If you’re not MAGA

Another setback for Trump, and a huge one at that . . . The Supreme Court has put a decisive end to one of Trump’s signature crusades, after he missed the deadline to seek a rehearing.When the court struck down his bid to end birthright citizenship in a 6-3 ruling at the end of June, it started a 25-day clock for him to seek a reversal of the decision, which he vowed to do.“I will be asking for a Rehearing by the United States Supreme Court, IMMEDIATELY.This miscarriage of justice will destroy America if they don’t change their absolutely insane decision.” But he didn’t. So . . .One of the biggest priorities in his second term—one he personally carried into the Supreme Court chamber, making history as the first sitting president to attend oral arguments—has reached the end of the road.

Classic Michael Wolff . . . Will Trump make Blanch pay for his humiliating U-turn?

The Way of the World

The climatic phenomenon known as El Niño — a natural and periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean — threatens to raise global temperatures in the coming months and trigger extreme weather events. According to forecasts by the World Meteorological Organisation, it was expected to arrive between June and August, with a 90% probability that it will persist until November. We must prepare for a potentially intense El Niño event that will exacerbate drought and torrential rains and increase the risk of heatwaves, warned the WMO.

Spanish

• Pérsico: Persian
• Espabilar: To wake up, snap out of it, wise up.
• Buque: Ship, vessel, warship

English

A US slang word new to me:- Schlub: A talentless, untidy, or unattractive person. Hmm. Echoes of ‘slob’?

Did you know?

The Pine Tree Riot, precursor to the Boston Tea Party.

You Have to Laugh

‘Sparkling Wit’: Edible: Adjective: Good to eat and wholesome to digest – as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm.

Finally . . .

We had a child visit us this week who has no concept of what is right or wrong to say or do. Pretty destructive and upsetting. He put me in mind of someone but I can’t quite put my finger on who it is..

Finally . . . Finally

These are the single words which 9 AI engines would use to describe Trump:

• Perplexity: Polarising
• ChatGPT: Disruptive
• Claude: Overreach.
• Copilot: Unrestrained
• Gemini: Unilateral.
• DeepSeek: Destruction.
• Mistral: Authoritarian
• Truth Social: Chaotic.
• Grok (Elon Musk): Winner [!]

Perplexity prefaced its choice with: When asked to describe Trump in one word, responses split sharply between strongly positive and strongly negative terms:

• Positive/Supportive: savior, patriotic, strong, great, awesome, leader, authentic, visionary.
• Negative/Critical:disaster, chaotic, appalling, horrible, incompetent, dangerous, narcissist, liar, bigot, fascist, polarizing.
• Neutral/Descriptive: controversial, unpredictable, populist, charismatic, complex.

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

The Usual 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. I’ve asterisked those new to me today. 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 Usual Links .

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. And this, on the annual costs of owning property here.