As
for British responses to Rajoy's inane balloon-flying in respect of
The Rock, here's a nice one from The Mirror, entitled Naff
off, Juan. Gibraltar is better British. HT to Lenox for this.
To
add a bit of balance - again with a HT to Lenox - here's the web page
of someone who chronicles life in London from a Spanish perspective.
And here's his recent post on the atrocities committed there in the
name of Spanish food. I'd just add that here in Spain the same sort
of things are done to Chinese food (no ginger) and Indian cuisine (no
cayenne pepper) to align them with Spanish tastes. Here in Galicia at
least.
But
back to Gib . . . Spanish ecologists have denounced Sr Rajoy as a
hypocrite for criticising the artificial reef that's the casus
belli on environmental grounds, pointing out the same thing's
been done in 25 places along the Andalucian coast so as to create
protective lagoons for sea-life. And the single Spanish fisherman
affected - yes, there's only one - has said he wants dialogue and
peaceful resolution and that he resents the government making use of
his predicament. But this won't happen until after August, at the
earliest. As is his wont, Rajoy won't say anything this month, unless
he's asked about the quality of his cigar at next weekend's
bullfights here in Pontevedra. Meanwhile, there's been a report that
Rajoy was recorded telling one his ministers that, as his marriage
was on the rocks and his government mired in the doo-doo, he had no
option to resort to the 'Malvinas option'. Personally, I have the
gravest doubts this is true, even if it's an accurate refection of
reality. Which is what makes it so plausible, of course.
Talking
about credit/discredit . . . Here's the recent ratings among
Spanish politicians:-
President
Rajoy - 25%
Leader
of the Opposition, Rubalcaba - 31%
Rosa
Diez, leader of UPyD party - 41%
Says it all, really.
But
to be more positive . . . Interesting to read that the consortium
chosen to build a new bridge over the river Mersey is led by the
Spanish company, FCC. This, by the way, is described as a "Citizen
Services Group", which foxes me. Perhaps it reads/sounds better
in Spanish.
Here
in Spain the construction industry is said to be 'still in
free-fall'. Except just below my house, of course. Where the only
house being built in Pontevedra now looks like this.
Which
reminds me, I confirmed yesterday that one of the houses behind mine has finally been occupied. All
the other 20 look like this.
Not quite the urban wastelands of Madrid and elsewhere but just as depressing for me, especially as they took 6 years of noise, dust and inconvenience to build. And cost us new contenadores. But that's another story.
Finally
. . . A prediction: Within the next year or so, we'll see Un
fracking enter the Spanish language, to go with Un lifting, Un
parking, Un footing, Un spinning, etc. It will mean the place
where fracking is being carried out.
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