France & Greece; Greece & the EU; Gallego; Welsh; Selfie stix; & A nice tale.

So, France is rather more supportive of Greece than Germany. Could this be because France is a serial (but unpunished) offender in respect of one of the EU's fundamental rules - the one about a maximum deficit of 3%? Or is it simply because Hollande sees an opportunity to grab back a bit of La Gloire?

Of the many comments I've read on this Greek tragedy, this is one summarises it best: It is as though the Greeks are being taught some sick lesson, by the deluded people who defend the idiotic construct – the Euro – that got the EU into this mess. And here's an ex-British minister on how inevitable it all was and what it really means for the future. A sampler: The responsibility for this crisis lies with their own former leaders and those around the EU who gave them euro membership when they were not remotely suited to it, a triumph of political desire over dispassionate economic analysis for which ordinary people are now paying the price. And a warning: There is a clear risk that the economic performance of the south will diverge from, not converge with, the north. Unless this is averted in the coming years, it will bring problems to Europe for which Greece has only been a minor rehearsal. I like to think there isn't a shred of gloating here.

When talking about Gallego(Galician) to visitors, I always draw an analogy between Gallego and Castellano(Spanish), on the one hand, and Welsh and English, on the other. But only as regards the 'music' of the respective languages. As with the Welsh, Galicians have more of a lilt to their pronunciation that their neighbours, both in Gallego and in Castellano. Which I'm told I share.

Which reminds me . . . In 1865, a group of Welsh speakers upped sticks, left the UK and settled in Patagonia, where there is still a Welsh-speaking community. But, for one reason and another, they speak 'Bible Welsh'. I'm guessing that modern Welsh speakers find this rather quaint. As with the French and Canadian French.

Selfie stix: Love 'em or hate 'em, you need to know that someone died last week in the UK when one acted as a lightening rod. Being a curmudgeon, I hate them and the narcissism they betoken.

Finally . . . A heart-warming story, about 'the British Schindler'.