Dawn

Dawn

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Ponters Pensées: 16.6.16

Spanish (non)Government: The centre-left and centre-right parties continue to refuse to do a deal with the acting PP goverment, on the basis of a long screed on the latter's proposed legislative measures. Just a re-hash of old PP policies, they say. And so the stalemate continues and the prospect of a 3rd round of elections looms. Seriously. Only in Spain?

Replacing London: Here's Don Quijones on this challenge for the EU: In true beggar-thy-neighbor fashion, many of Europe’s most prominent capitals are bending over backwards to provide global banks with the perfect enticements to lure them away from The City. As the New York Times puts it, “The race is on to be the new London.” If the City of London does fall from grace, the biggest beneficiary is likely to be Frankfurt. Click here for the full article.

Talking of Brit cities . . .

Liverpool: Astonishingly, this magnificent city isn't twinned with any city in Spain. Here are its current mates:-
  • Birmingham, Alabama, United States 
  • Cologne, Germany
  • Dublin, Ireland
  • Shanghai, China 
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
  • Medan, Indonesia
  • Penang, Malaysia
It also has 'friendship links' with these:-
  • Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée, France
  • Halifax, Canada
  • Havana, Cuba
  • La Plata, Argentina
  • Memphis, US
  • Minamitane, Japan
  • Naples, Italy
  • New Orleans, US [Good news, Rick]
  • Odessa, Ukraine
  • Ponsacco, Italy
  • Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania
  • Valparaíso, Chile
So, an opportunity for Ponters. I will have to talk to the mayor . . .

The Caminos de Santiago: As I've noted, there are a lot more foreigners in Ponters this summer. From unfamilar beggars, through almost penniless pilgrims, to far-from-penniless groups of Americans, Germans and even Poles. Even badly-dressed Brits. (Though, on this score, nothing beats the also-new octogenarian Americans from the cruise ships moored in Vigo). Rather belatedly, I've realised why the pilgrims are numerous way beyond expectations - we have not just one but two more Caminos now. The first goes along the river Miño from Tui and comes up our coast. Passing through all the key drug smuggling places. This is the Camino de Padre Sarmiento. The second actually branches off from the old Portuguese Camino and heads north west, through the O Salnés wine country, to Cambados on the coast and thence up to Padrón. Because it passes 2 monasteries, it's labelled The Spiritual Route, rather than The Albariño Wine Tippling Route. Details of it here, with a HT to Rebekah. I think I know which of these 2 attractions modern pilgrims will favour. If you're coming, for either of these Ways, get in touch for a (free) tour of our gem of an old quarter. But not all at once. I make a lot of friends this way. It seems it's too soon to expect info in English on the Sarmiento Way, so here's a Spanish link.

Pokemon Go: If, like me, you've no idea WTF this is, here's Wiki on the phenomenon. It seems to have not just millions but billions to the share value of Nintendo. Easy money?

Finally . . . More laughter:-
  1. A new civil war in Europe?: Here's a conspiracy nutter called Alex Jones on Info Wars reflecting on developments in Turkey. We're still waiting for his predicted second civil war in the USA, by the way. 
  2. VP candidate Newt Gingrich: A couple of Stateside views: 1. He shares some things with Donald Trump, including an unflagging and perhaps inflated sense of his own intellect, a propensity to say outlandish things, and three marriages. 2. Both men will do anything to pander to the Religious Right. The difference is Gingrich actually seems to believe his own bullshit.
  3. The Bible and breast implants. Sorry, theist readers, assuming there are any left.
Great wine news from Galicia, on the best Ribeiro white wine:-

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