Spanish
life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
-
Christopher Howse: A
Pilgrim in Spain.
Life
in Spain:-
- Shopping in a Carrefour hypermarket recently and standing at the head of the checkout queue, I was invited by a cashier to come to her desk before a number came up. Confused, I waited until the screen told me to go to another desk. Where I found myself behind a woman with a lot of items and a determination to argue about discounts she felt she was entitled to. After more than 5 minutes of this, I went to the desk of the first cashier, who smiled at me in recognition. I asked if she really had 'summoned' me and admitted I'd been confused. She laughed and said: "Well, people don't obey the system. They just go to whatever desk they think will be the next one free". I really should have known.
- Talking of supermarkets . . . I guess there's a certain logic to this bit of parking in my local Mercadona:-
- My neighbours' teenage son had a birthday party in their garden last night. I knew, of course, because thumping techno(?) music disturbed me until midnight. When 7 youths went to sleep on the rear lawn. Or didn't. They woke me at 5.30, 6.45 and 7.15 with their non-stop, simultaneous, loud chat. And only stopped when my neighbour got up and made their breakfast. How I wish I could play very loud opera wherever each of them is sleeping it off today.
- Returning from Vigo yesterday, I had 2 unattractive options:- 1. The exorbitant AP9 toll road, or the N550 which takes you through the city streets and subjects you to the slalom created by the dozens (yes, dozens) of double-parked cars which turn 3 lanes into just one and forces you to weave in and out. I took the latter and wasn't entirely convinced I'd done the right thing.
But he's got some
competition for the Cretin of the Week prize: Here's Donald
Trump's 'spiritual adviser', Paula White-Cain,
commenting on the man: Whether people
like him or not, he’s been raised up by God because God
says that He raises up and places all people in places of
authority. It is God that raises up a king, it is God that sets
one down and so when you
fight against the plan of God, you’re fighting against the hand of
God. Good to know. Somehow, I doubt she took the same view of President Obama.
And then there's the
man himself: We’re going to have our wall. The American
people voted for immigration control!, he shouted at a rally
yesterday. Well, Mr President, as you lost the popular vote they
clearly didn't. But I guess this is a ('false') fact lost on you. In
truth, the turnout was a low 55% and Trump got 46% of this (against
Clinton's 48%) – or 25% of the population. Not much of a mandate,
some would say. Even if it's composed of those who can scream loudest.
Incidentally . . . one
British political commentated has noted this morning that: Populist
parties and administrations tend to collapse in chaos, as happened to
Ukip and as is happening to the Trump administration. The claim to be
the single voice of the people leads one populist to turn upon
another. It often makes a comic spectacle. Well, up to a point.
And we are certainly about to see Mr Bannon turn on Mr Trump. And
that could be very amusing indeed.
I've mentioned the
rapidly increasing number of camino 'pilgrims' passing through
Pontevedra on the Portuguese Way and its recent variants. Some
numbers:-
2007: 8,000
2013: 30,000
2017: 60,000 This is the revised estimate. The original was only 50,000.
2021: 100,000(est.)
See what I mean about
the profit opportunity? Anyone got any joint-venture ideas?
Finally . . . Reader Sierra has
kindly provided these on Bretoña's tourism aspirations:-
- The comment that: The fact that the Bishop of Britonia lives in Poland (and retired two years ago) is probably not helpful!
- Its map coordinates - 43 ° 20 '14.0 "N - 7 ° 19' 00.9" W, and
I do hope they
appreciate our help in their endeavour . . . .
Today's cartoon:-
Another of my all-time favourites . . .
Another of my all-time favourites . . .
 |
| This is the life, eh? |
No comments:
Post a Comment