I occasionally write about prostitution, something which it’s hard to avoid being aware of in modern Spain. Just in case there’s any doubt, I don’t share the attitude of those of my Spanish friends who think it’s an integral part of a ‘fun’ life. And this is an article with a viewpoint I share.

Is Mr Zapatero a president or a prime minister? I ask because he’s regularly referred to as both of these, though not at the same time.

Crime News: The policemen arrested down on the Costa del Sol have been accused of various offences – stretching back over years – including those of stealing confiscated property and extorting bribes from criminals. It must be like Chicago in the 1920s down there. At a national level, there’s concern about yet more domestic murders. However, as someone has pointed out, one reason these have such a high profile is that murder generally is nowhere near as common in Spain as it is in other countries.

If you really want to, you can see Spain’s controversial Eurovision entry here. You have to scroll down the page to get to it. At least this latest version seems to centre a little less on the female rear end than the original. As I say, it could very well win.

I’ve just heard the French word ballet pronounced balette on Spain’s classical music station. Fair enough; most foreign words are Hispanicised here. John Wayne, for example, is Juan By-nay. But then I checked the Spanish spelling and found it to be ballet, in which case it should be pronounced bayette. Or, if you’re a really old Castilian, balyette. It all brought to mind the variable pronunciation of another French word chalet. This means not much more than a shack in British English but refers to a semi-detached [duplex] or terraced house [condo] here. It’s pronounced both cha-lay and chalette but is also written both chalé and chalet. Which seems a little more consistent. I won’t bore you with ticket.

Galicia Facts

In various of the regular Our Community v. Your Community reports we get in our local press, I’ve read these facts this week about our region:-
1. It’s the 5^th autonomous community when it comes to exports.
2. It’s seen the highest increase in productivity in the last 20 years.
3. It rates worst for the state of health of its inhabitants, thanks to smoking and obesity.

My comments:-
1. I thought the main exports might be fish and wine but they turn out to be cars, ‘fashion’ and boats.
2. The increase in productivity may be an artefact born of a declining population. I read in a national paper yesterday that Galicia’s competitiveness had reduced over the years.
3. Smoking and obesity tend not to go together with at least Pontevedra’s young, stick-thin women.

Good news. Ponters is going international. Again. We have a new Indian restaurant down in Vegetables Square, which I shall be trying tonight. En passant, there’s a vegetarian restaurant in this square too. But, in a struggle to survive, it’s added meat dishes to its menu. Very pragmatically Spanish.

Finally, for those who are kind enough to tune in regularly - Just in case you missed it, yesterday’s post was rather late in the day. And . . . If you could all just get 20 or 30 friends – or even 10 – to read this blog today, I will be able to leave for the UK tomorrow on the back of 100,000 hits. Go on. You can do it . . . See, I haven’t written anything about the bloody printer.