The EU Commission – effectively the European government – has asked Spain why the Roman Catholic church doesn’t pay municipal taxes. This is an excellent question and it may be answered one day. But things don’t happen quickly in this area. A decision was taken in the late 70s to stop government transfers to the Church and to make it self-financing. Thirty years later, this has yet to happen. Though it’s true another step in this direction is being taken this year, when what one allocates via a box on one’s tax return will actually be paid to the Church, not some completely unaffected amount.

El Mundo has now added its voice to that of El Pais calling for something to be done about town hall planning corruption and the despoliation of Spain’s coast. This is timely, given that property price increases in Galicia were the highest in Spain during the first quarter of this year, thanks – it’s said - to purchases by Madrileños who’ve decided against the southern and eastern coasts. The figures were ‘only’ 7% for Spain as a whole but 12% for Galicia. Madrid was a mere 4%, which won’t please my daughter.

The English phrase ‘Ne’er cast a clout ‘til May is out’ has its Spanish equivalent in ‘Hasta el cuarenta de Mayo, no sacas el sayo’. Or ‘Don’t take off your smock until the 40th of May’. The Spanish friend who gave me this phrase said it meant don’t go to the beach until the 10^th of June. So – when the weather improves, the English start digging the garden and the Spanish lie down in the sun. To end as well as start on a religious note, we might label these the Protestant and Catholic philosophies of life. Or we might not.