Street names; Misogny? Holiday prep; Summer blight; Summer events; & Violent videos.

Except, of course, for France and Napoleon, you might expect a free country to want to expunge all memories of a previous dictator. But, 40 years on, this hasn't been done in many places in Spain. In Madrid, for example, there are still more than 150 streets, squares and public spaces bearing the names of those who rebelled against the government and sparked the Civil War. There's even an Avenida Comandante Franco in the north of the city. But the new, left-of-centre mayoress of the city has vowed to get rid of them under an existing law that, clearly, has never been fully applied. Even handedly, she's also said she'll rename a square dedicated by the last government to Margaret Thatcher.

Down south, another politician has made a comment that the twitter mob will latch onto. Addressing a mixed group of high performing students, he suggested they come to the imminent end-of-year dance in informal clothes, specifically shirt and trousers. So far, so good. But he foolishly added that men get more elegant the more they wear and women get more elegant the less they wear. Now, you could take this as meaning he didn't think women should dress to the nines for the dance but this isn't the way the mob is taking it. As to whether he'll be sacked like the poor professor of UCL in the UK, we'll have to wait and see. I guess it depends on how long and how far the twitterstorm(new word) rages.

A survey tells us that the Galicians are the most assiduous in preparing for their holidays. Well, they do their packing a day in advance, at least. To no great surprise, it emerges that hardly any other Spaniards do.

The first bloody accordionist of the summer has arrived in Pontevedra. And, judging by the vacant look on the face of his wife when I said I didn't have any change - and by her attire - I'd say he's Rumanian. Possibly related to compatriots who are gradually taking over the Sunday flea market.

In various parts of Galicia during the summer, there are rapas das bestias - roundups of semi-wild horses which then have their mains and tails sheared, rather violently. The mares, at least; I think they leave the stallions alone. Here's an article, with video, of the biggest of these, which is a big tourist event. At the others, you're unlikely to see any foreigners. Unless you're lucky enough to bump into me.

Finally . . . If you want to see just how depraved pop videos have become, go to Youtube and search Rihanna BBHMM. But you may not be able to stomach much of what comes up. Apparently, no one has complained much about the violence, the nudity and the language. I'm pretty liberal myself but, even so, I found myself wondering where things will go next in the quest for headlines. A live rape scene?