The Spanish press says the British government has tabled proposals for the imminent EU budget summit that don’t even mention contentious issues such as the British rebate, 'the Spanish problem’ or Chirac’s threat to veto any change whatsoever to the CAP. But, then, Mr Blair possibly has other things on his mind at the moment. Like his survival, for one thing. ‘The Spanish problem’, by the way, is the call to rescind an earlier agreement that their grants/subventions would start reducing from 2006.

Conversation in a newsagent's this morning:-
Me: The book with the Voz de Galicia today, is it in Spanish or Galician? I can’t tell because it has a cellophane wrapper around it.
Shopkeeper: It’s in Galician.
Me: Are you sure, as the title [Galicia vista por un inglés] seems to be Spanish?
Shopkeeper: That’s because it’s the same in both languages.
Me: But isn’t the Gallego for Galicia ‘Galiza’?
Shopkeeper: Good God, no. Only the nationalists use that word. You’ll have to learn Gallego.
Me: Give me a break. It’s tough enough learning Spanish right now.
Other customer: Yes, and even we locals don’t understand half of ‘Academic’ Gallego.

I took this to be a reference to the Royal Academy for the Galician language. The members of this august establishment would seem to talk to each other in a tongue which is much of a mystery to the rest of the populace. From time to time they emerge from their ivory tower to issue edicts [such as “‘Gracias’ will henceforth be ‘Grazas’”] which are then ignored by all and sundry. It’s like Latin professors conversing with each other - except, in place of a dead language, they have one which is at least partially stillborn.

By the way, I bought the paper and the book. And it did turn out to be in Galician. Fortunately, it’s a lot easier to read than to understand aurally.

I came across a small wooden box during my walk with my dog in the woods this morning. It was in two pieces and the lid was lying nearby. On this was a metal plate bearing the name and the legend ‘Fall. 21.5.03’. If I’m right and ‘Fall.’ is short for Fallecido [or ‘deceased'], then the box must have contained someone’s ashes. I do stumble on some odd things [and people] in the forest but this was a first. And hopefully a last.

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