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

Tomorrow’s eclipse . . . The Guardian reports that: Spain is steeling itself for an influx of tourists, as one of the best places on the European continent to view the total solar eclipse More than 450,000 overseas tourists are expected to visit specifically to see it. The rate for a room in La Coruña was up 135% compared with last year, to $451 on average, against only 34% (at $448) in Santiago de Compostela. Possibly reflecting reports of possible cloud cover.

The Voz de Galicia: Like Spain as a whole, Galicia is experiencing one of the best periods in its labour market, with unprecedented employment figures. However, behind these record numbers lies a paradox: while employment is growing, thousands of jobs remain unfilled. The latest data shows 10,557 job vacancies in Galicia, 1,826 of which have been open for at least 3 months, 82% more than the previous year and one of the largest increases recorded in Spain. Allegedely, these hard-to-fill vacancies represent “the most visible expression” of the mismatch between companies’ needs and available skills. As I’ve said, the quality of service in Pv city certainly seems to have reduced in the hostelry sector, which might be a reflection of this problem.

How they survive the heat down South, showing the way for us up here in the North.

I’ve wondered in the past if Aglo-Spanish marriages suffer from greater than average breakdown. But one that hasn’t is that of the ex leader of the UK Liberal Democrats party – Nick Clegg – and Miriam González Durántez, who 2 months ago registered a new Spanish centrist political party under the name of Democracia 21. Its aims are admirable, so it’s to be hoped it fares much better than the now moribund/defunct Ciudadanos centrist party.

The UK

This is an article on the town I know well, having biked to it every week to meetings of my scout troupe and, in later years, visited friends living there. And having performed in scout Gang Shows in its Floral Pavilion theatre. The place has gone somewhat upmarket since those days, when it had a tower to match Blackpool’s. Where, in its ballroom, I saw The Kinks perform. Though not the Beatles in 1963,

Heswall is mentioned in a footnote, where I used to work as a barman and waiter in the since-demolished Hotel Victoria, a rather grand place at one time.

Ireland

Ireland’s defence expenditure is approximately 0.25% of GDP. This is one tenth of Spain’s and one twentieth of what Trump has demanded of Spain, a country which he regularly excoriates. But, in contrast, when Ireland’s leader visited Trump in early 2025, the issue wasn’t raised. Odd that, isn’t it?

The United States of Trump America

Trump: FIFA removing Infantino would be a terrible mistake. The World Cup would never be as a successful or profitable again.

That great businessman, Donald Trump, chalked up yet another failure in June – the parent company of Truth Social reported a $23m loss for the 2nd quarter, more than 10 times that of 2025.

What Mrs Trump really does

Who will be the ailing Trump’s shadow [ie puppeteer]? Are people behind the scenes – not Trump – already effectively making the decisions?

Kurt Andersen’s fascinating run through USA history – Fantasyland: How America went haywire. A 500 year history.

Russia

Reported to be taking advantage of Ireland’s low defence expenditure to move warships into the Atlantic.

Spanish

• Precuela: Prequel
• Táper: Tupperware. Lunch box.
• Parvada: Flock. Murder (of crows)

Finally . . . You Have to Laugh

Spot the differences competition. The original foto of the shyster and the modified one posted on Truth Social. Missing only a halo. Or is it?

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.