Thoughts from Galicia: 23.4.17

I'm off to Oporto early this morning, to start a week long camino on the Portuguese Way, up to the border with Spain. My young guest - Jack - has solved a problem for me by volunteering this summary of why he loves to come to Spain. Apart from the free accommodation that is. He used to come with my younger daughter, who was a teacher colleague a few years ago, but now has the chutzpah to come alone:-

Things I like about Spain

1. Toilets in stations are free to access
2. It's acceptable to drink wine at 11.30am and not be labelled a drunk
3. Free tapas/pinxos with drinks
4. The Guapas (Beautiful women)
5. The cleanliness
6. A little Spanish goes a long way
7. Once you're introduced it's like you have a new friend for life
8. Jamón in its many forms and qualities
9. The Spanish love of the elderly and how many elderly people join their families in the evening
10. How conversations in Spanish sound like arguments but can actually be quite polite in tone
11. The colourful shirts
12. "16-60s". (Faye Davies will know what I mean!)
13. Late opening times
14. How 10.30am is considered early morning
15. The level of noise which is considered acceptable
16. How people wear up to 3 layers of clothes even though it's 28 degrees
17. How relaxed things are
18. The scenic views
19. The quality of wine (even a cheap one tastes good)
20. Plans change; people get on with it.

Me: I don't have any problem with these, except perhaps no. 15. But it has to be said that Jack confided in me this afternoon that, although he loved to visit, he very much doubted he could work here. I sympathised.

Finally . . . Today's cartoon: