In modern Spain, it’s hard to remain unaware of the aspirations of the three ‘nationalist’ regions of Catalunia, Pais Vasco and Galicia. Especially if, like me, you live in one. I’ve been thinking about this and have decided that the example is worth following. So, if you click on the link on the right entitled The Kingdom of Danelaw, this will take you to some breaking news of international importance. Or just click here.

The UK is famous for implementing EU regulations in full, even if this leads to nonsensical situations such as the treatment of clean soil as ‘waste’. Today, I read this legalistic practice is called ‘gold-plating’. I wonder what the Spanish practice is called. ‘Lead-plating’? ‘Tin foil plating’?

Spain grants nationality on an accelerated basis to a select group of people. These are citizens of ex-colonies in South America, Guineans, Filipinos, Andorrans, the Portuguese and – most surprising of all – Sephardic Jews. The rest to us have to wait 10 years. This rather upsets the Moroccans, who see themselves both as people of an ex-colony and as members of a group also expelled from the country in the 15th century. Or, as one aggrieved Moroccan undiplomatically put it, “Why does it take me 10 years when a Jew can do it in 2”.

The soft porn soap opera I cited the other day is called ‘Rebeldes’ and comes from Mexico, I read today.

Fire News

Today’s Voz de Galicia reports that the Galician governmen [the Xunta] has prepared a Bill which provides for charging landowners for the extinction of fires on their property. The minute you pick up the phone, they say, you will become liable for the cost of whatever services are provided. Or 3,000 euros for 100 hectares. On the face of it, this seems an excellent way to ensure future fires spread quickly.

Some 700,000 Galicians in 3,000 communities are said to own 650,000 hectares of forested land. According to the University of Santiago, only a quarter of these manage their land properly and don’t leave it in an abandoned state. A poor cost/benefit ratio is said to be the main reason.

Paradoxically, the better managed communities are said to have been worst hit by the recent fires. And, since these are areas where income is high enough to bear the cost of maintenance, the losses from the fires will be higher than if the damage had been further inland.

Finally, here are the promised pictures of some 5 year old oaks and eucalyptus trees of a similar vintage. They are taken from the same distance away, to give perspective. As you can see - No contest!

These are the oaks, about 1.5 metres tall in the foreground, on the edge of the track . .
















And these are the eucalyptus trees, about 10 metres tall . .