Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: 22.8.18

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. Garish but informative.

Matters Spanish

Click here to read just how important tourism now is to Spain, and what it means about the quality of much of the employment here. Nice for now but can't be good longterm. Precarious.
There was an air crash at Madrid airport 10 years ago, involving Spanair. I can't say I was surprised to read yesterday that relatives of the victims don't believe the official enquiry has answered some key questions.

Worrying to read that: Measles cases have surged in Europe amid warnings that renewed opposition to vaccination has enabled the disease to make a comeback.
A pessimist's view on the future of the EU.

The USA

Here's a fascinating article on Mike Pompeo, who's seen as one of the few successes of Fart's White House. His secret is apparently an amazing ability to 'manage upwards'. Or sycophancy. Allegedly, he never argues with the president but does calm him down as necessary. That must be a full time job. Especially this week. I don't get the impression Pompeo is always successful.
As for Fart and his long-standing-but-denied-by-him Russian connections, this looks like an interesting – if not exactly surprising – read.
As of now, are Fart and his wife not talking to each other? Who'd be surprised if they weren't?
As you'd expect, in the face of yesterday's astonishing developments, Donald Trump remained defiant at a campaign rally on Tuesday night, insisting he was "winning" - just hours after two onetime members of his inner circle were labelled "guilty" of criminal charges. You almost have to admire the man. Even if you had difficulty articulating exactly why.

English

Galicia and Pontevedra

We now have 3 camino routes leaving from Pontevedra, as opposed the single one (the camino portugúes) we had until about 5 years ago. All of these, as I say, are “totally authentic”. The folk who re-discovered the Spiritual Variant – passing through Poio, Combarro, Armenteira, Cambados and Vilanova – have accused the local government of not promoting this route even as much as they do down in Portugal. The Xunta has, of course, denied this.
The wild boars are getting closer to Pontevedra city. They're now destroying corn(maize) crops in Cerpozóns, 8km from here.
August . . . My elder daughter will be here soon and I went to a notary's office yesterday to arrange a meeting next Monday for the signing of a public document. Not possible, they said.

Portugal

If you're thinking of having a holiday in North Portugal at any of the following places, be warned that they are the property of some of our drug barons and are either already 'embargoed' or soon will be:- Quinta de Sobreira; Quinta Dourado; and Quinta de Agra.

Finally . . .

A question which regularly arises as I sit outside my regular watering hole - Why do young men wear shorts down to their knees but young (and not-so-young) women wear them up beyond their bum cheeks? Just asking. Merely differing fashions, I guess. Could change next year. . .

Thoughts from Galicia, Spain