Galicians are famed in Spain for their ‘closeness’ and their tendency to be obscure. Hence this serpentine comment from the ex Franco minister/ex Xunta president, 85 year-old Manuel Fraga, about the would-be PP leader Esperanza Aguirre – “She should just shut up”. One wonders what he can mean.

Official forecasts for Spain’s economic growth this year now range from a high of 2.5% to a low of 1.8%. The Finance Minister here has just reduced his from 3.1% but I’ll leave you to guess which of these it is.

Toying with the thought of which person or act would best represent today’s popular culture in the UK, I came up with the ubiquitous and repulsive Piers Morgan. Thinking about Galicia, I alighted on the [allegedly] comic duo known as Los Tonechos. When it comes to Spain, I’m even less in the picture than I am with Galicia. So I’m really at a loss for anyone other than Chikilicuatre. Suggestions welcome.

Talking of British culture, I happened across this acronym this week – Tufty. Too ugly for television. That’s why you see bloody Piers Morgan all over your screen instead of, say, me.

I also heard this week of an epidemic of laughter somewhere in Africa in the 1960s. The Journal of Humor Research [yes, it really exists] confirms that this broke out in Tanganyika. Though its extent and duration have been exaggerated a little by those desperate for a laugh.

Which reminds me – A group of Islamic teologists and scientists has suggested that Mecca is a more logical site for the zero meridian long accorded to Greenwich. First an alternative calendar and now an alternative clock. I would have thought Islam already had enough to differentiate itself from the rest of the heathen world.

The Voz de Galicia this morning labels Manchester United’s performance against Barcelona last night ‘cowardly’. Boring, too, in my opinion. Allowing me to be distracted into various theories for the little beer mug icon which kept switching from one corner of the screen to the other. Possibly some form of subliminal advertising of the sponsor’s product. Anyone know?

For Spanish speakers, here’s a fine little performance by María Álvarez which is said to be one of the most viewed items on YouTube.

Galicia Facts

In the interests of balance, I should report that the sun came out yesterday midday and is still with us today. Thank God. I can now reduce the height of the grass in my garden from its current 30cm.

I should also report that the lovely wife of no-longer-nice-and -still-noisy Tony, Amparo, has immediately complied with my plea that she doesn’t put her high heels on when she gets up to go doctoring at 7 in the morning. So she didn’t wake me up – earplugs notwithstanding – early today. But my accursed brain did.

In contrast, I was not happy with the lady in my regular café-bar yesterday who had all 5 newspapers piled up in front of her so she could go through them one by one. But I’ve learned to be Spanish about these things. So took the one I wanted and embarrassed her into putting three aside. Some days are diamonds.