Thoughts from Galicia: 20.8.17

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 an article - via Eye on Spain - about the heating up on the South of Spain. Ten years ago it was forecast that around now Galicia would be as hot as Andalucia and that the latter would be the new North Africa. Well, not yet.
• In the last few days, readers Eamon and Maria have posted informative and amusing Comments on energy bills and prices. Essentially no one has the faintest idea how the bills are arrived at, but Maria is pleasantly surprised that something has happened to bring her monthly bill down. Of course, she doesn't expect to get any previous overpayments returned to her. Or even explained. Wise woman.

The Japanese are said to have become much taller via the consumption of more red meat. I mention this because I read yesterday that the Dutch are the tallest people in at least Europe because land reclamation led to high-quality grass, expanded dairy farming and a much increased consumption of milk and cheese. I guess it could be true.

As tourism and terrorism increasingly grow hand-in-hand, here's the list of last year's most-visited cities. You might want to consider avoiding them in future.

1. Bangkok

2. London

3. Paris

4. Dubai

5. New York

6. Singapore

7. Kuala Lumpur

8. Istanbul

9. Tokyo

10. Seoul

11. Hong Kong

12. Barcelona

13. Amsterdam

14. Milan

15. Taipei

16. Rome

17. Osaka

18. Vienna

19. Shanghai

20. Prague

Nutter Bryan Fischer: On the upcoming eclipse: The sun will be perfectly blotted out, by the ruler of the night, plunging all of America in its path into virtual total darkness. This is a metaphor, or a sign, of the work of the Prince of Darkness in obscuring the light of God’s truth. Satan, and those who unwittingly serve as his accomplices by resisting the public acknowledgement of God and seeking to repress the expression of Christian faith in our land, are bringing on us a dark night of the national soul. A Trump supporter, of course.

Here's another sponsored article on Galicia, from The Guardian. Seems like a nice place, though I don't know any of the recommended hotels and restaurants. Except the Parador in Pontevedra. The last foto in the article is this one, showing the entrance and the garden terrace where I'm regularly ignored. Not that I let that get to me:-

The roundabout at the start of A Barca bridge into town featured twice in our local news this week. Firstly, some joker (called a gamberro: 'vandal/hooligan/lout' by the Diaro de Pontevedra) placed a sign at the start of it saying it was closed. Which, in true Spanish fashion, I ignored. Secondly, someone was finally hit and killed on one of the 2 zebra crossings which have often featured in this blog. Essentially each time I was almost hit. Occasionally twice by the same driver doing a U-turn at the roundabout. It had to happen.

Finally . . . Another bike-rider observation:-

• When you come up behind a group of Spaniards walking in the dedicated bike lane, there's no way of knowing in which sideways direction they'll move when the eventually become aware of your presence. It pays to wait.