Thoughts from Galicia: 16.8.17

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.

- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain. 

If you've arrived here because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, see my web page here.

Life in Spain:-

• Here's El País on Spain's bizarre horario, or daily timetable. Nice chart. Apologies if I posted this when it came out last year. It does endorse my contention that you need to take a couple of hours off Spanish events to arrive at the time they'd be taking place in other countries. Which I did last night when we had our second set of fireworks in less than a week. At midnight . . .
• Here's another El Pais article – A pretty positive take on Spain from an American woman who had her eyes opened as to what the country has to offer.
• And here's The Guardian on a lovely train option I used when doing the North Coastal Camino last year. To get beyond the outskirts of Oviedo. I wish I could get someone to sponsor my trips.
• Back to El País for a comment on the parlous state of Spain's real, micro economy. What's really galling to read is that, as the tourist sector soars higher and higher, salary rates are reducing for the already overworked and underpaid workers who provide the usually excellent service in cafés, bars, restaurants and hotels. Profiteering on grand scale.
• I sometimes wonder whether any businessperson in Spain is honest. Here's El País (in Spanish) on one of the most corrupt of the country's magnates . . . mining 'king' and outright crook – Victorino Alonso. 
• I don't have this query about Spain's politicians, of course. We know that all of these are on the take.

Over in Germany, the constitutional court has said it sees “significant reasons” to believe the European Central Bank had overstepped its mandate with its €2.3 trillion bond-buying scheme. So, it has referred the case to the European Court of Justice. Which will take its time and hand down a verdict after the scheme been stopped, as planned, early next year. I guess it makes sense to someone. Don Quijones is on holiday in Mexico with his wife so, sadly, we can't get his caustic comments on this typical EU development.

Even before his astonishingly revelatory press conference yesterday, I was wondering how Donald Trump could have more clearly demonstrated the utter insincerity of his written-for-him Monday statement on Charlottesville. Perhaps by laughing during and after it. Or giving a big wink towards his supporters when he'd finished. As it happens, he gave us all the evidence of this yesterday. I see things have finally reached the point where Republican rats are starting to leave the sinking ship. How much longer can he last? More importantly, what further damage can this batty, blustering, bullying buffoon do to the US and the world before he's gone?

Here in Galicia:-

• On tourism, I forgot yesterday to quote the foreigner who'd said that visiting the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela was now as bad as visiting the Vatican.
• Back to the corporate dishonesty issue . . . Not just one but 4 local companies are being prosecuted for taking thousands of excess passengers to the glorious but numbers-limited Atlantic Islands off our coast. In just 2 days.
• The Ribeira Sacra is another magnificent – but inland – Galician feature. And now you can see it from a hot air balloon. Or un aerostato as they're called here. Click here for info.

Finally . . .  As I was leaving my house last evening, my neighbour, Toni, told me that there's an upcoming fiesta in Vilagarcia, on our be-coved coast. "Is it a fiesta de cocaina", I asked.

Today's Cartoon:-