Up in Ourense, the guy who heads the Provincial government has put forward a proposal to lay off 32 civil servants, the first such development in Galicia. The irony is is that many of the bureaucrats will have been taken on by his infamous father, who was revered as a political baron. If I recall correctly he had as many as 27 of his relatives on the books.

Cerebrally speaking, I'd have to say that pigeons seem to have, well, a bird brain. Or at least one of them anyway. The one I hit on the head today with a laminated menu and came back for more. Twice. I almost gave it something out of admiration for its persistence.

Alerted by the protest banners hanging from several balconies, I've discovered there are plans to build a crematorium on the edge of Pontevedra's old quarter. Pretty close to the Parador. Which looks like a masterpiece of planning to me. Still, as it'll be built on the riverfront, I'll be able to see it from my eyrie on the hillside. And I thought it was a smokeless zone.

Which reminds me, a total of 7 Paradors are being shut down nationwide, 2 of them in Galicia – Ferrol and Verín.

In Dickens' Bleak House, there's a legal case – Jarndyce v. Jarndyce – which has been going on for years when the book opens and is still grinding on when it closes. It was based on the real case of Jennens v. Jennens, which had already been going on for 55 years when the book was published and, incredibly, continued for another 63 years. It only stopped when the estate's moneys were exhausted. And I talk about the lethargic pace of the Spanish justice system.

Sometimes coincidences are hard to credit. In the British media over the last two days there's been criticism of the non-caring attitudes of nurses in the National Health System. At the same time, a friend has written to tell me that, during her stay in Pontevedra's main hospital, the staff were wonderful, competent, and CARING. I have so much praise for them all, including cleaning ladies, nurses, helpers, doctors, consultants the whole bloody lot. Hard to imagine a better testimonial.

Finally . . . The medicine parcels I sent to my daughter in the UK - The first one (not registered/certified) did actually arrive. But weeks after the second (certified) one. So, no one stole it. Just chucked it in a corner for 5 or 6 weeks. Odd.