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 German
- So, I did go yesterday to a small Christmas market in Cologne and the Glühwein was enjoyable. But I much preferred the sugared almonds, which I'm told are another German Xmas tradition:-
- Being a relatively light sleeper, I'm used to being woken by noisy guests in Spanish hotels, but it's a new experience for me to be dragged out of slumber by a couple somewhere nearby being exceptionally - and very loudly - nice to each other at 4.15am. Both yesterday and today. I was tempted to shout Get a room! But, of course, they already had one. Too close to mine.
Matters Spanish/Galician
- So, the Gibraltar problem was solved to Spain's satisfaction. Maybe.
- Some extraordinary Spanish hotels
- The Spanish really can get upset over very little. Especially when it comes to their food, seeing Spanish traditions as sacrosanct. Even in respect of the rather tasteless churros.
The UK/Brexit
- Commentator 1: As to the eventual outcome of this fracas, one can speculate but serious prediction is unwise. There are too many variables, too many people involved and enough sub-plots to keep a soap opera going for a decade. And once one factors in the range of responses and the reactions to them, the chances of making a correct call are slight.
- Commentator 2: If the ‘no’ vote comes [in the British Parliament in December], there is a presumption that Article 50 could be briefly extended, until July at the latest, but only to enable the British to elect a new prime minister, hold a general election, a second referendum, a Norway/EFTA negotiation - or whatever else emerges. Even this is not guaranteed.
- Commentator 3: So, will Europe miss the UK when it’s gone? Probably not. Full article here. It ends, by the way, with a comment of one EU politician: All the big issues: fisheries, Gibraltar, will come back with a vengeance, with the backstop hanging over us. It’s not over yet. Dear god.
- The Guardian editorial view: The intense inwards focus in Westminster on last minute Brexit dramas has tended to obscure the dire impact on Europe itself of Britain’s decision to leave the EU. It is a poignant moment. Across a continent beset by mounting internal and external problems, Britain’s departure will be interpreted by many as a stinging vote of no confidence in Europe’s collective future. With the summit in Brussels to seal the Brexit withdrawal agreements now expected to go ahead as planned, the remaining 27 member states have reached a portentous turning point that none of them ever really wanted. . . . The scale of Europe’s loss is exceeded only by our own. Full article here.
The EU
- If you haven't already done so, read the Guardian's editorial view of Brexit for an outline of the EU's major challenges post Brexit, and the options open to it,
© [David] Colin Davies
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