Under the anti-smoking law introduced in January, all cafés, bars, and restaurants with an area of more 100 square metres have to close off a separate area for smokers. Today’s Voz de Galicia reports that, here in Galicia, not a single one of these has complied with the provisions. In fact, in the Pontevedra province only one place has even bothered to apply for planning permission. As the period of grace ends in three days’ time, things are rather unlikely to change. The Galician government insists it will fine everyone, starting Thursday, but we'll see. It’s called a meeting today with representatives of affected [disaffected?] owners and this is seen by some as a sign it’s willing to negotiate a compromise. En passant, given this disregard for laws coming from Madrid, it’s pretty easy to guess at the response to those emanating from Brussels. Though the huge subventions coming in this direction are always given a hearty welcome.

Following the recent fatal crash of a train en route from Vigo to France, Galicia’s network has come under a good deal of scrutiny from the local press. And it doesn’t make great reading. Generally, trains lose 20% of their speed once they get here. Specifically, it still takes the same time it took to get to Madrid 25 years ago and the train from Vigo to Oporto down the west coast takes more than 3 hours to cover about 100km. No wonder Galicians feel hard done by, given the improvements made in other parts of the country.

But it’s not all bad news for Galicia today – it has apparently slipped down to number 3 in the list of the main routes of cocaine into Europe. And sales of our Albariño wine in Spain rose 32% in the last year.

On wider front, they tell us the summer in Spain has grown by 23 days – 14 in spring and 9 in autumn. Down on the south coast, things are certainly getting tougher for those Brits living in illegally authorised buildings. If the bulldozers don’t get you, the heat will.

I was apparently wrong to assume it’s compulsory to wear a crash helmet on a quad bike in Spain. It’s not. Sadly, I learned this from a report of yet another 2 deaths and 2 serious injuries this week.