In the latest attempt to differentiate itself from Spain, Catalunia has said that it will be seeking the .cat designation for email addresses and web pages. What next, as I keep asking.

There is a large building project taking final shape down near the river that separates us from Pontevedra. I’d imagined it was luxury apartments but have learned that it’s the new local HQ of the national police, the Guardia Civil. One of the reasons it’s so large is that it will include residential quarters. I doubt that this even gets noticed in Spain but I confess to finding it a little eerie that the police have barracks. It smacks of an era when it was policy to bring in recruits from other parts of Spain so that they could be relied on to be tougher than the local boys.

Walking past a line of stationery cars today, I was assailed by the music from the car of a local marulo [chav], more accurately by the heavy bass. What intrigued me was that, even after I could no longer hear the music, I could still feel the regular vibrations on my ear drums. I thought of the punishment his were taking, and smiled.

Prompted by some recent enquiries – if you’re reading this because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, try my web site – colindavies.net