Another boring bull-run in Pamplona this morning, with the toros not-so-very-bravos showing no inclination whatsoever to gore anyone. Not even the guy who got himself cornered on a 90 degree bend where death - or at least serious injury - seemed inevitable. But, no. Nothing. Nada. Not even a scratch. Even so, the TV station was so desperate for interesting footage, it gave us this clip over and over again. At least until I switched off. By which time my thoughts had wandered to the question of whether the same cows are used each year to lead the bulls from pen to bullring as fast as they can run through the ever-larger throng of heroic idiots. Or whether there are training days for new cows during the year. Hemingway would be proud of me, I’m sure.

All of this talk about the history of Pontevedra – and particularly the air of mystery which still hangs over General Homobod – motivated me to do something today I’ve been planning to do for years – pay a visit to the city’s archives. Except that I didn’t. I went down to the lovely new building next to the ugly new museum, to find this was the provincial archives. The municipal archives are still where they always were – up in Avenida de Crístobal Colón. Maybe tomorrow.

For years now, I’ve been telling visitors that the church of Santo Domingo next to the Alameda in Pontevedra had been reduced to ruins by Francis Drake when he sacked the city during one of his periodic visits. But this seems to be fanciful as there’s no evidence of this either on the web or on the placards outside the ruins. Actually, I'm not sure he actually ever hit Pontevedra itself. Rather, he seems to have concentrated on the Atlantic Islands off Vigo, plus the town of Bayona a little further south. And La Coruña further north. But there is a connection between Pontevedra and the infamous pirate/British hero. We have in one of our churches here the statue of Our Lady of Pastoriza (Shepherds?), which is said to have been damaged by Drake’s men during one of his raids on La Coruña and then brought here for safekeeping. Where it miraculously repaired itself. Anyway, more anon.

All of which reminds me . . . I got the English version of the city brochure from the Turismo today and was surprised to find no reference in it to ‘bloodthirsty incursions’ by English corsairs. Perhaps it will mirror the Spanish version when it’s revised.

I was enjoying a glass of wine and a tapas meal with two Spanish lady friends last night when my eyes began to itch rather badly They naturally asked me why and I said I suspected it was the smoke. They sympathised. And then each lit up another cigarette. I suppose their logic was that the place was so smoky their desisting would make no difference. But I’m only guessing here. And I’m sure they would have stopped if I’d asked them to.

Finally, a British columnist has taken issue with the government for its plans to reduce university fees for students who live at home during their course. The writer feels that, if this were universal, it would mean the end of the human race within a few generations. Her logic is that most middle-class teenagers have no understanding of the world and need to be kicked out of the house to learn to become mature and competent adults. But this can’t possibly be true. For, if it were, Spain simply wouldn’t function. Anyway, you can read more here.