Spanish
(non)Government: Here and here are timely articles from The Spectator
and The Financial Times on the current Alice-in-Wonderland situation.
From the former:- What of the supposed new breed of Spanish
politician represented by Albert Rivera, the leader of Ciudadanos
(‘Citizens’) and Pablo Iglesias, leader of Podemos (‘We Can’)?
They were meant to have ushered in a ‘new political era’ but the
farcical, self-centred nature of the post-election negotiations have
shown these two young men to be not so different, in some
respects, from the old guard they vilify.
The Spanish Health
System: Someone wrote the other day that some things works very well
here and some, well, don't. On the face of it, the repeat
prescription service here in Galicia is one of the former. The doctor
taps into into a computer in front of you; this connects to the network
of the pharmacies; and, hey ho, your stuff is available when you
leave, once you've shown your health card. But things go wrong,
firstly, when you leave Galicia for any other part of Spain and,
secondly, when for some reason – e. g. you're doing a camino in
next-door Asturias – you go past the final date for picking up your
medication. The first problem arises because Spain's health service
is not national but regional, as health is a 'competence' of the the
country's 17 'Autonomous Communities'. So it is, as some readers might
recall, I've had my card laughed at in Madrid. The second problem
results in you being refused your medication in the pharmacy and
being told to talk to your doctor. This is when things become very
inefficient. First, you have to call or visit your health centre make
an appointment with said medic and this might not be available for
several days. Though, if you're lucky, he or she will call you the
next day. All this instead of a simple form – as in the UK – that
you can leave with the receptionist, asking for a repeat
prescription. Anyway, let's see what happens today.
Institutionalised
Theft: Certain Spanish banks were recently judicially ordered to repay investors
who'd been misled into making duff investments. So, the banks lost
and the innocent investors duly gained. Or did they? For the Spanish
Tax Office will relieve them of at least 20% of the repayments. The
net result, of course, that only the Spanish state benefits from this
crime. I guess it makes sense to someone in the government.
Gibraltar: Click here
for an amusing and accurate comment on the deliberately-created
brouhaha around Spanish intrusions in British waters. Amazingly, it
manages to report that both the British and the Spanish governments
would like to see sovereignty to Spain, something I've been saying
for a decade. The barriers are 1. The Gibraltarians; 2. Stupid
right-wing Spanish governments who alienate these for short-term
election purposes; and 3. The scabrous British tabloid media who love to seize
on the latter and play the nationalist card against the evil Dagos. The previous left-wing
administration here in Spain did some good work in lowering these barriers but the
last PP government undid all this, in the (in)capable hands of
Motormouth Margallo. So, the show will run and run.
Finally . . . Exciting
Galician News: If you live in or near Lugo, you'll be interested to
know that a foreign lady - I guess - is planning to give
belly-dancing lessons. Her name is Camille Motion. I kid you not.
Circular, I assume.
Some odd fotos I found
on my computer very early this morning when struggling with what I
suspect are withdrawal symptoms arising from the non-availability of
my anti-depressive.
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| A statue in Barcelona |
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| A bar in Ponters. Possibly for redheads. Or one, anyway. |
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| Another bar. Though possibly not in Ponters. |
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