The children of Spanish football referees are being taunted in schools after questionable [or at least questioned] decisions by their fathers. Probably not what the Bible meant when it spoke of sins of the parents being visited on the children.

The effort required to get approval for their new Constitution appears to have been too much for the several coalition parties in Catalunia. Even before their proposal has been considered by the Spanish parliament, they’ve taken to ferocious squabbling about the plans of the president of the local government to change his cabinet. Even his own party has disowned him and he now faces calls for at least a vote of censure and, at worst, his resignation. Difficult people, these Catalans. Probably comes from being close to France.

The ferocious rains of the last week, especially in the north east, have brought a modicum of relief to at least part of a country suffering from a severe draught. But at a price. Floods in Catalunia have caused severe damage and at least four deaths.

Average inflation in the EU reached 2.6%pa at the end of September. The most you can get on your money in Euroland is 1.6% which is OK if you live in Finland or Sweden [1.1%] but less than enticing in Spain [close to 4%] and a bad joke of you live in Latvia [7.4%]. ‘Structural irregularities’ – e.g. an overheated property market – are the inevitable result of this attempt to make one size fit all.

You just can’t keep the Catalans out of the news at the moment. They’re about to bring in a law making it illegal to be involved in prostitution in public places. This will penalise both service providers and customers, it seems. Which seems very fair.

Quote of the Day

The difference between a rat and a hamster is PR.

Roman Abramovich, The Russian oligarch who owns Chelsea FC

For new readers – If you’ve arrived here because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, you might find my non-commercial guides interesting – at colindavies.net