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 national rail carrier, Renfe, has given up on negotiations on allowing it to operate in France. Instead it will now concentrate on a line between Madrid and Lisbon. Renfe originally wanted to deliver a high speed connection with France for the Paris Olympic Games 2024. Since then, technical obstacles, bureaucratic requirements and delays have caused an outright spat between Spain and France. More details here.

• Good Renfe news: As of September, the number of trains operating along our coast will increase by 24%, involving the Talgo S-121 model.
• Bad Renfe news: Like the notorious Talgo Avril S-106, the S-121 suffers from vibration. But not as frequently, it’s said, as it doesn’t reach high speeds. [Other complaints about the disastrous Avril S-106 are a high level of noise; hard, narrow seats; and little table space. Clearly designed by an accountant.]

Scaremongering? If and when Reform is elected to government in the UK, its plans to ban EU nationals from accessing benefits in Britain could prompt Brussels to adopt tit-for-tat measures across the EU. This would mean UK nationals living in the EU also being stripped of access to welfare, including a Spanish pension. More here.

It had to happen . . . With Camino ‘pilgrims’ getting richer and richer, the most popular souvenir might well cease to be a dirt-cheap scallop shell . . . You can now fork out €135 for a posh version of this.

The Middle East War

The latest update from Naked Capitalism. More ineffective sanctions.

The United States of Trump America

Allegedly,

• Emperor Don wants to acquire these 8 locations – The Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island, the Panama Canal, Greenland, Venezuela, Cuba, Canada, and the Gaza Strip. Doesn’t suffer from a poverty of ambition, then.
• And he’s discussed promoting his constant companion, Natalie Harp, to be his next press secretary,

From what I’ve read and heard, I think we can safely say that Trump and Ms Harp share at least these 4 things:

• Juvenile besottedness
• A lack of concern about how they are seen, even by MAGA disciples who adore Melania,
• A lack of concern about what Trump has done and continues to do to the USA and the world
• Far-right and racist views.

And one of them might be a real Christian, of a sort.

• Harp’s astonishing love letters to her idol and father substitute.
• Did Trump just have his worst night in politics?

Relevant Books

• To be published in October. Can be pre-ordered now: Wtf America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy.
• The final pages of Kurt Andersen’s fascinating run through the USA’s history – Fantasyland: How America went haywire. A 500 year history.

Spanish

• Al fina y al cabo: After all . . . At the end of the day . . .
• Plata vermeil: Silver covered with a ‘thick’ layer of gold, of a better quality than
• Plata chapada en oro: Gold plated silver

Did you know?

A granite substrate can contribute to tree decline or death, usually indirectly rather than by “poisoning” trees outright. The main issues are soil chemistry and physical root conditions that granite tends to create. I asked Perplexity about this after a 3rd tree had died at the bottom of my garden. The (long) answer included the relevant comment that a tree is more likely to die if the granite is near the surface and if there’s a draught. This is why forests on thin soils over granite (e.g., parts of Scandinavia, northeastern US, some mountain areas) are prone to decline under additional stress.

You Have to Laugh

Finally . . .

Has anyone had an unauthorised bank charge from a German company called Get Your Guide? I have, 30 euros for a guide to Berlin, never ordered by me. And, of course. never delivered. Strangely enough, the company’s email doesn’t work. Anyway, my bank has been set in motion and my card has been cancelled. I hope to get my money reimbursed. [P. S. The company replied quickly to a repeat message to their government-mandated official email and told me that my card had been used to buy a place on a tour of Berlin. I’ve asked them exactly what details of my card they got and whether they confirmed purchase of a ticket to the buyer? Not too optimistic.]

Finally . . . Finally . . .

After disposing of 12 or 13 of them, the mice are back in my kitchen. Tally ho!

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.