Moving on from Galicia, El País has now covered both Asturias and Cantabria in its exposure of the ‘savage urban development’ now taking place on Spain’s northern coastlines. As many as 500 illegal houses have been condemned to demolition, it says, while adding that not a single sentence has been carried out. In rather stark contrast, today’s Daily Telegraph in the UK tells us that A British couple have become the first expatriates to see their home demolished in a move that threatens thousands of properties built on the Costas. The paper adds that Local corruption and the flaunting of planning laws have allowed swathes of the Spanish coastline to be developed during the last decade. Countless Britons have been duped by unscrupulous estate agents, lawyers or property developers into purchasing homes built on green belt land or without proper permission. Which should do wonders for the reputation of Spain’s business ethics. But I’m a bit lost as to why local politicians have been left out of this roll-call of rogues and scoundrels. Perhaps they’ll be given this well-deserved honour in later editions.

You have to give the Galician Xunta credit for trying to stop this. They’ve told the council of Sanxenxo [‘the Marbella of Galicia’] that it can’t proceed with the licensing of a couple of hundred houses on the coast in the absence of environmental impact studies. But the council has effectively put up two fingers. Or just one, if you’re not British. One is left wondering how on earth this can happen. In the viciously greedy world of property development, Madrid apparently has no sway over the regional governments, which in turn have no control over the municipal councils. Are property laws just a joke here? At least before the money is made. And will we be seeing the Galician equivalent of wholesale home demolitions in about 10 years time? Once the money has been safely pocketed.

On a wider front . . . Roberto Blanco Valdés, writing in the Voz de Galicia this week has made the apposite comment that if, Cataluña’s Constitution is copied for each of the country’s other 17 Autonomous Regions, then Spain will be not only rank as the most plural state in the world but will also be among the least cohesive and efficient. Perhaps. But the real question is whether Spain will still be a state as we know it, Jim? Relatedly, a French businessman was quoted this week – during some takeover battle – as saying it’s still as true as it was when first noted a couple of hundred years ago that ‘Spain is ungovernable from Madrid’. And he wasn’t talking just about property development. Plus ça change.

Back to the parochial – Asked what would be the best way of reducing water consumption after the driest year in history, readers of the Voz de Galicia plumped 78% in favour of Better Infrastructure and only 22% in favour of Less domestic use. Nowt to do with me, Guv. . . I’m trying hard not to see this as evidence of Spanish/Galician ‘individualism’. But not really succeeding.

The English language is constantly changing but I had no idea the word ‘envy’ now included the connotation of ‘laughing stock’, as in this quotation from a British Minister for Health - "The National Health Service is the envy of the world”. The most depressing thought is that she might actually believe this claptrap.

I see that Sarkozy’s ex-wife has labelled him a ‘stingy philanderer’. So not all bad, then.

Finally, our ultra right-wing Spaniard was at it again yesterday, twice checking on who was saying anything like Do spaniards have arab blood so that he could write to put them straight.