Today is the day for some ‘house-cleaning’, in response to recent posts:-

1. I’m not American, as far as I am aware.

2. The wine I’m drinking in my picture is white and I don’t think Reservas and Gran Reservas come in this colour. But my friend Andrew will put us right on this, if necessary.

3. No, I didn’t move to Banco Santander. But I often amuse myself by wondering whether it’s the Abbey National or the Banco Santander which is now reeling under the impact of culture shock. And whether Spanish practices are being introduced into Britain or British practices into Spain. I suspect neither.

4. I do have a Galician ladyfriend, Jesus. And her impact on my mood is invariably positive. Usually.

5. I think the following comment was meant to be a compliment [especially as it came with love] but I’m not entirely sure ….. “I doubt if any of the important decisions you have made have ever been hampered by friends or relatives”. Anyway, I plead Not Guilty. But if you are a miffed friend or relative, please cite chapter and verse. Ex wives don’t count.

To get more serious….

6. Alexsu has confirmed his long-standing [and deeply-felt] view on the constitution of the Basque country, though he’s not yet answered my question as to whether he lives there or [as I suspect] in the USA he purports to despise. Incidentally, I don’t want to lose a reader but my impression is that Alexsu’s concept of nationality is so strong he would have been with Hitler on the question of the Sudetenland Germans. But perhaps I do him a disservice. Doubtless he will let me know. If you are going to respond, Alexsu, please also tell me why we shouldn’t return to the 11th century Kingdom of Leon, the 6th century Visigoth Iberian kingdom or the even earlier Roman empire. I suppose it would be because the Basques weren’t any more independent under any of these than they are now as a ‘Castilian colony’.

7. To the anonymous reader who says everyone in Navarra walks and talks like a Basque so must be a Basque, I can only say I didn’t see much evidence of this when I visited Vitoria [Gasteiz] and Pamplona [Iruña ], especially the former. And would attending a Basque festival really make me a Basque? Finally, would the Basque nationalists accord to parts of Euskadi the same right to opt out that they demand of Spain? I suspect not but would be happy to be disabused of any misconception.

Well, this is not the post I intended but other thoughts can wait until tomorrow.

My sincerest thanks once again to all those who wrote. Even Alexsu. He brightens my day. Though I’m not sure this is what he intends.