In the last week or so I've read two books set in Galicia. In Vigo and Panxón to be precise. Now comes news of another set along our coast. It's reminded me, as it did the reviewer, that our regional president is accused of consorting with a well-known narcotrafico. The national president, Señor Rajoy, has also been accused of misdeeds in the last month or so - in his case receiving regular salary top-ups from a slush fund financed by - surprise, surprise - developers and construction companies. In each case, the reaction has been a denial and a shrug of the shoulders. As far as I can see, that's it. Life goes on. Is it any wonder that Politics had the lowest rating in the confidence table I cited yesterday? Incidentally, the slush fund case (El caso Bárcenas), like that of Princess Cristina, also gets curiouser and curiouser by the week, with regular revelations that the eponymous Sr Bárcenas had yet another Swiss account with 10, 20, 50 million euros in it, unbeknownst to the Inland Revenue. Some of this he's been kind enough to pass on to PP politicians but the rest has stuck to his fingers. Notwithstanding all this, there's not much expectation he'll end up in gaol. They never do. Anyway, read the book and find out what life in Vilagarcia is like. Though I expect it's called something else by Sr Rivas.

Does anyone know the mellifluously named Anneka Tanaka-Svenska, who was snapped with a large hat on at Ascot on Tuesday? I ask because she was tagged 'the well-known presenter and conservationist' in the foto I saw. Perhaps in Sweden they mean.

Who would have thought that the EU crisis would make lawyers even richer by providing endless excuses for challenging things at both macro and micro judicial levels. Well, everyone with any nous, I guess. What a world. Here's some info on the all-important German one.

Which reminds me . . . Do you think the imminent trade negotiations between the USA and the EU will be successful - assuming the French let them get off the ground? Well, if so, click here for a bucketful of cold water from someone who doesn't agree. With good reason, it seems to me.

In fairness, it has to be reported that it's now said that it was a clerical error which suggested Princess Cristina had laundered funds by pretending to sell properties she didn't own. It wasn't her ID number, it's claimed. But this doesn't explain why the properties are recorded as having been sold when the existing owners say they weren't. Will we ever get the full truth? I doubt it. By the way, it seems this is the second time that an ID error has led to a princess facing accusations of crimes. Odd that. Does anyone else get off on this excuse, I wonder.

Those of you with a burning interest in what George Borrow got up to in Portugal when flogging (Protestant) bibles in the 1830s should click here.

Finally . . . I was listening today to a program about religion in US politics. Which meant, of course, Christianity. The 3 participants were asked at the end whether they thought an atheist could ever be voted president. The first two thought not and the third said "I certainly hope not. But, if that were to happen, God would have every right to withdraw his blessing on this country." What blessing would that be? I thought. And would it be different from Jehovah's blessing on Israel or Allah's blessing on, say, Syria? And does God really have rights and, therefore, obligations? And couldn't he have foreseen the withdrawal of his blessing when he first gave it, making it merely temporary and perhaps pointless in the great scheme of things? This, I find, is the most endearing quality of God/Jehovah/ Allah/etc. - His/Her capacity for obfuscation. The great Cosmic Jokester. It's a good job there's going to be a Day of Reckoning, when all these things will be clarified. After all, it would rather un-Christian to send anyone to Hell - or even Heaven - not knowing what it had all been about. And which God had been the right one.