I took my visitors to Oporto’s spanking new airport last night and was reminded of the comments I wrote last December about the consequences of Spanish localism and its associated infighting. In a nutshell, north Portugal has an impressive modern facility with an array of international flights, while we've got three little places playing at the challenge. And failing. Here’s one comparison – you can get to Oporto airport by the metro, whereas there’s not even a bus service from Pontevedra to nearby Vigo airport. Never mind Santiago and La Coruña. Hey ho. At least Oporto is only one and a half hours away from here. Via a door-to-door motorway.

Driving back to Pontevedra, I had the chance to listen to a favourite DVD – a selection of songs by a young Andalucian lady, Tamara, who delivers them with great passion and gusto. God knows why I like them but I do. Perhaps it’s because it’s all so OTT. Just what Anglos would expect from a sultry Andalucian. Here’s the words of one song. They’re repeated three times, in a crescendo which ends with images of a beautiful gypsy girl wielding a huge knife. Or something like that . . .

You know, if I should go,
you’ll have nights of insomnia and loneliness.
Should I leave you, you know
you’ll miss my love and will suffer.

You’ll see that, in this life,
It’s not the same to cry as to make someone cry
And, then, when you lose me,
You’re going to look for me.
But you will never, never, ever find me!!!

The funny thing is – I only had one [by mistake, non-alcoholic] beer at the airport. I must be going native.

Talking of women with strange notions – Among the things my elder daughter gave me for Christmas was a poster for the Marin photos exhibition we saw in Madrid in December. Knowing what she knows – and sharing my sentiments - how can she ever have imagined I would put on any wall a poster bearing the name Telefonica prominently in one corner? Women.

Would you believe it - as I typed this, someone from Telefonica called me to suggest I shift my broadband service to them. Don't they read this blog?