Pharmacies are impressive in Spain. But, then, they can afford to be. They operate like a medieval guild and both the profession and its retail activities are strictly controlled by its own members. The results of this are exactly what you would expect them to be and there are many products you can get in supermarkets in other countries [aspirin being a good example] which you can only buy at a pharmacy here. On the other hand, pharmacists will provide medical advice for a wide range of non-serious ailments and, thus, save you a trip to the doctor’s. But now Brussels has issued an edict against their restrictive practices and demanded that things are liberalised. It will be interesting to see whether the baby is thrown out with the bathwater.

One factor which may, anyway, work to reduce the willingness of pharmacists to proffer medical advice is the inevitable growth in influence of insurance. A few well-publicised suits for professional negligence should do the trick. Relatedly, I read today that, thanks to the high cost of insurance premiums ,traditional maritime religious processions [romerías] will soon be a thing of the past. Which, to me, seems rather a sad reason for change in Spain.

Talking of these processions, we had several for San Benito here earlier this week. It seems that, if you take some olive oil with you and get it blessed by a facsimile of the saint, this will then cure any warts or verrucas you pour it on. Who needs doctors? Or even pharmacists? If only one could bottle it.

The Bank of Spain has said it’s very concerned that property is 24-32% overvalued and that personal debt has reached a record high. But this is not, by any means, the first time it has expressed this view and the reaction is likely to be much the same. A Spanish version of the Gallic shrug. Oh for the days when the bank could actually get the currency revalued.

If you’re thinking of emigrating to Spain’s neighbour Andorra [where your money will be much happier], you might like to know they keep out anyone who has hepatitis, diabetes, alcohol or drug problems and even anyone who’s overweight. One wonders how then can get away with this in the 21st century. I guess they don’t belong to any supranational organisation like the EU. Though, if they did, they could always take a leaf out of their neighbour’s book and ignore any rules they find inconvenient. I mean France, of course.


The line below is an experiment. Please ignore it…

Galicia. Gallego. Catalunia. Catalan. Pais Vasco. Euskadi. Euskera. ETA