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

Spain’s inflation rose to 3.6% in Spain. Reasons here.

As for our ‘poor’ region . . . Inflation soared in Galicia in July, reaching 4.1%, the highest increase recorded in the region since early 2023. This places Galicia among the regions with the highest inflation. Across Spain, the CPI rose by 3.6%. Energy costs were the primary driver, with fuel prices rising and tax breaks being phased out. Household maintenance also played a significant role (10.1%), and while food prices increased more moderately, meat and eggs saw the largest price hikes: meat by 17.7% and eggs by 13.6%.

The effects of climate change have accelerated the ripening process in many wine-producing regions. Wineries like Mar de Frades will begin harvesting grapes today for sparkling wine production, while others are starting at the end of August.

A buying opportunity? Only a year after buying it, Julio Iglesias has put his €4m mansion on the market.

I walked the Camino with 2 friends for 5 hours today. We actually started midway between Pv city and the spa town of Caldas de Reis. I was surprised that we were alone at that time. But at 9.15 we began to be passed by folk who’d left Pv city at an ungodly hour. With increasing frequency as time passed. With Caldas being somewhat smaller than Pv city, the changes brought by the revenue generated by the Camino are much more noticeable. For one thing, a favourite riverside restaurant there was already full when it opened at 13.00, traditionally an unusually early time for Spaniards to eat the main meal of the day. And menus de día at 20 were something not yet seen in Pv city. But maybe both of these reflected the fact it’s been a festival week in Caldas

On arriving at Caldas, we immersed our feet in a hot water trough at the side of the Camino, something I’ve done several times before. But today we were remonstrated with by 2 ladies of the town, who directed us to a nearby wash-house (lavadero/lavandería), where we could immerse much more of our legs. Even more enjoyably so.

Our plan had been to walk back the 11km to my car but – after a heavy lunch and siesta in the park – we decided the 31 degree heat was enough of a justification for getting a bus. Though we might not admit to doing this tonight. Or ever.

By the way . . . Despite the earlier item, no one was yet harvesting grapes near the Camino. But they weren’t of the Albariño type, which might explain this.

The Middle East War

The latest update from Naked Capitalism. Mixed signal on the resumption of kinetic action.

The United States of Trump America

The fightback . . . Another reverse for Trump. . .  A federal judge has dismissed the administration’s civil rights lawsuit against Harvard, finding that the government had failed to sufficiently establish that violations were continuing at the university.

Why everyone talks about Trump’s diapers[nappies].

Fox Hits Trump with Brutal Polling as Aides Privately Feed Him Hopium

For those who’ve missed it . . . Another chance to read the last pages of Kurt Andersen’s fascinating run through the USA’s history – Fantasyland: How America went haywire. A 500 year history.

Spanish

• Rodamientos: Ball bearings
• Soplón: Snitch, tell-tale
• Alcahuete: Go-between. Procurer.

Did you know?

Benjamin Frankin’s rules for losing a great empire.

Finally . . .You Have to Laugh

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

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.