Colin Davies

26 August 2026

Awake, for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight.
And, lo, 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

Far from easing, Spain’s housing problem is getting worse. There’s now a shortage of 750,000 homes, as Policies fail to boost supply.

British (and other non-EU) residents in Spain are left baffled by the new EES border system and are unsure which gates to use. The answer lies here.

Robotaxis are coming to Madrid. But never to Pv city, where the mayor is bent on getting rid of every vehicle except ambulances. And, I guess, the car in which he’s brought from his home some way outside the city. That said, I applaud what he’s done to make the centre of Pv very largely pedestrian.

This is a foto of the Pontevedra FC establishment entrusting themselves to the good offices of the Virgin Mary – in one of her many manifestations – for the imminent season:-

Cynic that I am, I wonder, firstly, how many of those attending are still practising Catholics and, secondly, how long it will be before this annual event ceases to take place.

I did a short Camino walk early this morning and met two young women from Cádiz en route. I almost understood everything they said in Andaluz. But didn’t manage to get them to say Colin instead of Coleen. A frequent problem with speakers of Spanish, which only has 5 vowel sounds. To them, both Colin and Coleen sound the same. A cross I bear with good humour.

The Middle East War

The latest update from Naked Capitalism. Iran and Oman strike the deal opposed by the poser, Trump.

The United States of Trump America

Relevant Books

Spanish

  • Desaconsejar: To discourage. To advise/recommend/counsel against
  • Báculo. Post. Lamppost.
  • Encomiendarse: To entrust oneself to

Did you know?

Margaret Knight – the inventor of the paper bag. (I suppose that once upon a time, as a callow youth, I might have written the insulting word inventress).

You Have to Laugh

My thanks to reader Perry, who sent me this today:-

Finally . . .

After pulling out of trade talks, the Canadian PM said of the USA: They asked too much and offered too little. I guess it’s possible he was knowingly echoing this bit of doggerel from the British Foreign Secretary in 1805:-

In matters of commerce the fault of the Dutch

Is offering too little and asking too much.

The French are with equal advantage content,

So we clap on Dutch bottoms* just twenty per cent.

*Of ships

Finally . . . Finally . . .

A strange week, last week. Apparently two thirds of my readers went on holiday all at the same time. Though I assume not together. Which was a tad dispiriting. Mostly back now, though.

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.

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