Naturally, there were acres of newsprint devoted to the royal birth today. One major issue is the perceived need to change the Constitution so the new princess isn’t shoved down the succession line by a future brother. The consensus seems to be that there’ll be a referendum on this – and other changes – in 2008. So, plenty of time for the lawyers to get the drafting right so as to ensure one of the palace dogs doesn’t inherit the throne.

In a demonstration of the puerilism that nationalism can so quickly descend into, the Catalan President sent a congratulatory message which spelled the princess’s name in the Catalan way. This contrasts with his insistence that his own surname is spelled according to local norms.

So, the UK mobile phone company, O2, has agreed to sell itself to my Spanish bugbear, Telefonica. Will this mean rapacious pricing in the UK and Germany or greater consumer orientation in Spain? Given the hefty debt incurred to finance the purchase, my bet is on the former. One thing is certain – there’s going to be a massive culture shock for both companies. All in all, I’m not too surprised Telefonica’s shares immediately fell 3%. And I won’t exactly be astonished to find my own line-rental cost rising for about the 15th time in 5 years.

Quote of the Day

Speed, which is a virtue, engenders a vice, which is haste.
Gregorio Marañón. Spanish writer, being ironic, I guess

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