The newspaper ads for the country’s leading cosmetic surgery have never left much to the imagination. The latest features a long-legged beauty in her underwear, standing [incongruously] in front of a marble fireplace. Below her – in a gallery of smaller pictures – we are offered nude breasts and buttocks. It can’t be long now before we’re treated to the fully Monty. And possibly to photos which wouldn’t look out of place in a gynaecology text book.

In Spain it helps to have a thick skin if you enter public life. Even the judiciary. A member of one of the Catalan parties – unhappy with mere ‘liar’ – has labelled the President of the Supreme Court ‘A clown, a fascist, and an uneducated illiterate’.

Ravachol Section

Ahead of the effigy burning and internment tonight, here’s another picture of our favourite parrot, set against the backcloth of the Church of the Wandering Virgin.




















Roundabouts/Circles Section

Just up from the accident-waiting-to-happen is a junction which used to comprise no less than 6 streets, none of which had a right of way. This dictated caution and I never saw an accident there in over 4 years. But the council decided [possibly under a EU law which it was in their interests to comply with] that a roundabout would improve things. Especially if combined with semi-pedestrianisation. This has been a long time coming but, as you can see, there is now light at the end of the road.

One thing, at least, is clear - the traffic will only be allowed to come one way down each of the component streets. But, as of now, no one is at all sure which way. Perhaps the council isn’t either. Against that, it certainly is clear that once they arrive at the roundabout – and regardless of whether they’re going where they really want to go – the granite blocks will act as a deterrent to anyone who thinks of changing direction. There is an awful lot of granite in Galicia so some use has to be found for it and I suppose this is as good as any. But, once again, I am confident of an increase in the accident rate.

A book about the paranormal called People Who Don't Know They're Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It, has been voted the oddest book title of 2005 by readers of The Bookseller magazine.