Nine of President Zapatero’s 17-strong, new cabinet are female. One of these is a 35 year old lawyer who’s been moved from the Ministry of Housing to become the Defence Secretary. This must have gone down really well with the armed forces. Though I guess it does send out the right message about Spanish/EU attitudes to matters military. Which is, basically, Let’s let the Americans pay for everything and then bitch about what the money’s spent on.

It’s emerged, in a new book by a Spanish author, that Franco’s regime cooperated with the Nazis around attempts to prove the Aryan race originated in the Canary Islands, then seen as part of the lost continent of Atlantis. I’m not sure how this fits with the belief that everyone in the world is descended from Iberio-Celts but suspect they are compatible nonsenses. Just a question of timing.

My printer calvario continues to throw up illustrations of the Spanish approach to customer service. At the Canon shop downtown, I was treated with great civility but, when I told them I wanted a simple black & white laser machine, I was immediately offered a colour inkjet model. When I gave them the reference number of the printer I had in mind, they said it wasn’t in stock but it might be in Vigo. They would check and call me at home. The next day[sic], I was advised Vigo didn’t have one but they could offer me one in the same range - at twice the price. I declined this and ordered the one I’d originally asked about. This, they said, would take a week to arrive. ‘Or possibly two’. These are words which strike despondency into the heart of all consumers used to better things. But, as I say, everything has been done very pleasantly. And, if I die today, I will take to Heaven the view that a good two-word description of Spanish service is ‘smilingly inefficient’. Except in El Corte Inglés. Where they never smile but are sometimes efficient.

Inevitably, when talking of customer service, the subject must turn to Telefónica. These fine folk have just announced they’re going to charge for the previously free service of call recognition. This is the latest in a long line of such revisions dating back to at least when I got my line in late 2000. At that time, one’s [complex] bill comprised a number of such ‘free’ items, including a €6 discount. Even back then it was glaringly obvious what their strategy was. Anyway, the discount soon [quietly] disappeared and this latest withdrawal will net them pure profit of €12 million a year. If there were any evidence the company planned to fulfil its obligations to rural [would-be] customers, I guess few would complain. But there ain’t. Maximising income in South America is a far-higher priority than meeting needs back home. And any government pressure on Telefónica to change its ways is conspicuous by its absence.

I’ve received notification that my driving licence is up for renewal. I don’t know whether this is age related – it appears not – but I first have to go to a Centre of Driver Recognition to get a Certificate of Psycho-physical Aptitude. However, Spanish friends tell me that, so long as I don’t turn up both blind drunk and waving a white stick, this shouldn’t present too many difficulties. We will see.