We’ve had so much rain in the last 2 week it’s as if the weather gods have decided to dump on us all the stuff we didn’t get in the first 9 months of the year. Naturally, the itinerant umbrella sellers have been out in force on the streets of Pontevedra. But the funny thing is, whereas these have hitherto always been gypsies, now they’re all Senegalese. I can’t imagine the former have given up this street trade and moved upmarket, so wonder whether they’ve contracted it out.

Which reminds me – I often see some of the beggars I mentioned the other day crossing the bridge towards my locality. I’m told this is because the gypsy encampment down below my house harbours one of Spain’s biggest drug supermarkets. Which is nice to know. And I thought this was a select area, even if one of the larger houses does belong to the owner of a couple of brothels in Vilagarcía. Live and let live. This is Spain and none of us are fascists these days.

Case in point – The left wing party in the current Catalunia elections has distributed condoms bearing the legend ‘Screw the Right”. Of course, this is on the packaging, not the item itself. I guess.

The number of people learning Spanish in Europe includes 453,000 students in Germany, 302,000 in Italy and 102,000 in the UK. But the champion – and way out in front – is France, with 2.1 million. I have a theory about this but would welcome the thoughts of others as to why this should be.

Quote of the Day

Ministers appear whimsically to be shifting from the multi-cultural society towards an integrated one. They are whistling in the dark if they think that will play well with the followers of Islam in our midst. Muslims are rooted in their faith and it governs the way they live. It is the only faith on Earth that persuades its followers to seek political power and impose a law — sharia — which shapes everyone's style of life. . . I say all this not in hostility to Muslims but because, unless we get a clearer understanding of their religion, we shall find peaceful co-existence with the moderate majority (which is crucial) ever harder to attain. . . .Jack Straw's brush with Islam over veils was only a tiny illustration of the gulf between us. We have come to regard blasphemy as a symbol of free speech; Islam treats offensive words about the Prophet or the Koran as a serious offence. It is vain to say: "Well, if they come here, they must conform with British society and its easy ways." Muslims will not do that. Their religion forbids it. . . What is never going to work is telling followers of Islam here: "You must conform to our ways!"
W F Deedes