The
Spanish president, Sr Rajoy, keeps on telling us that Spain is well
over the worst and is soaring towards the bright uplands, the envy of
Europe. But I'm not so sure. It seems I can't turn round in
Pontevedra without finding another shop or café closed. Even
healthfood places. One curious feature is that, in the centre,
every closing shop seems to be immediately replaced by a flashy new
high-street dental surgery. I confirmed this with my own dentist last
week, who told me the number of practitioners here had more than
doubled in recent years. Since all these are financed by private
payments or health insurance schemes, it does rather suggest that
some people are still doing OK. But ain't that always the way?
A
propos this claim of Rajoy's, I saw a nice cartoon in a local paper
yesterday: He is pictured saying there's light at the end of the
tunnel and then receiving an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Lovely.
I'm
very aware of the Spanish need for bread. If you invite Spanish
friends round for, say, a curry, they get twitchy if there's no bread
on the table. Even if they're never going to eat it. So I wan't too
surprised to see yesterday that the word bollo (bread roll) can mean
'gorgeous' or 'fit'. English, of course, uses 'crusty', though not
with the same meaning. Or affection.
If
you're looking to be happy - and who isn't - here are definitions of
this state from 40 famous authors. After reading them, you'll be
halfway there.
Enrique
Iglesias has a new song out, inevitably promoted via a video
featuring him and a host of scantily-dressed women. It's of
particular interest to us up here in Galicia as the Xunta paid him
€300,000 to use the video to promote the region. This he does for
all of 40-50 seconds at the start, leaving many Galicians feeling
they got poor value for their taxes. Anyway, here it is. And here's a
parody. By the way - 35 seconds into the real one you can see (briefly) our humungus white elephant - the City of Culture outside Santiago. Which was an
even bigger waste of money. By a long, long way.
As I was tucking into
my Sunday lunch in a regular bar, a friend came up to me, smartphone
in hand. "Seize!" he said. And when I looked nonplussed, he
said it again. It turned out he'd put the phrase Que aproveche into
his translation app and, instead of giving him 'Bon Appetit!', the
phone had offered 'Seize'. This being one of the several
translations of the verb aprovechar. As in Carpe diem, Seize the day.
At least, that's my guess.
I suppose it's logical
but, apart from the sardine, the chicken and the parrot, the other
creature to be immolated along this coast at the end of the first
week of lent is the mussel. This might be the case in Vigo, which you can't
approach without seeing the mussel rafts (bateas) which adorn (and
take advantage of) the plankton-rich waters of the harbour and,
particularly, of the Rande straits.
Finally . . . In the
last few weeks, I've been buying the Sunday edition of the Voz de
Galica so I could avail myself of their offer of mugs displaying
Galician traits. The kiosk lady has been absolutely charming,
recognising me each Sunday - I must look like a guiri - and selling
me extra mugs that I'd asked about the first Sunday. I really only
wanted 2 for my daughters but now I've got 12. So, does anyone want a
Galician mug? Altogether too bloody charming!
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