The
2 elements of British society which have featured most in the minds
of Spaniards over the years have been the decorous royal family and
the less-than-decorous ooligans of the football terraces and
the Balearic islands. Most recently of Magaluf. And now of Barcelona,
where residents have recently protested against the renting of flats
to groups of youths bent on binge drinking their way to oblivion,
with nude supermarket shopping en route. The authorities are cracking
down on the infamous bars of Magaluf and now they say they'll act in
Barcelona. Perhaps one day drink-fuelled British youths will desist from el
balconing which results in so many of them diving onto
unforgiving poolside tiles, rather than into the pool itself.
Talking
of young people . . . One plus of having some of them stay with me is
the chance to learn new meanings for English words. Such as 'rammed',
which now means 'packed'. As in: "This bar is jammed". Come
to think of it . . . Didn't we use to say 'jam-packed'? I've also
learned that a 'beer overcoat' is the
perception/reality that a good dose of beer will keep you warm and
allow you to go out into the cold in shirt-sleeves.
Which
reminds me . . . Here's the latest offering from one of my guests,
Jack the Rotter.
Corruption:
The latest grand legume to grace the dock is a former chief of
the Andalucian Tax Office. He's been
charged with forgery, fraud and misappropriation as part of
Operation Oscar. This appears to be a subset of the vast operation in
which regional officials drained off more than €2bn (yes, 2
bilion) of EU money meant for education purposes. Little of which, I
suspect, will ever be recovered and will provide nice nest eggs for
the miscreants when they emerge from clink. Assuming they ever go
there in the first place.
Spain:
Here's someone's idea of the 10 lessons in how to approach life that
Spain gives to the world. Enjoy.
The
EU: Our Ambrose tells us that "An
array of Nobel economists have launched a blistering attack on the
eurozone's economic strategy, warning that contractionary policies
risk years of depression and a fresh eruption of the debt crisis."
More on this euro-misery here.
Finally:
I was amused to read that George Orwell's Animal Farm
was rejected by the publishers Knopf, with the comment it was a
“stupid and pointless fable in which the animals take over a farm
and run it.” They also dismissed it as “boring, obvious and damn dull.” An EMI moment, then. Fifty years on, the book
has been translated into 70 different languages and sold millions
of copies.
Erratum: It should have been gummy bears yesterday, not yummy bears.
House
for Sale in Pontevedra
My
neighbours are moving to Madrid and selling their lovely house. Lots
of pictures here. Brief description: South west orientation.
Completely renovated. In a development with swimming pool, extensive
green areas, place for parties, excellent community environment.
€395,000.
Details
4
floors
322
sq m constructed, 283 sq m usable
5
double bedrooms
3
bathrooms
Plot
of 336 sq m
Terrace
of 336 sq m plus
Garage
Completely
furnished
Excellent
condition
5
built-in wardrobes
Lumber
room
Covered
laundry room
Central
heating
Private
garden
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