Thoughts from Cologne, Germany: 27.11.18

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 German

• Here's a foto of the impressive Cologne Philharmonic Hall:-

• I was rather surprised to find that German concert-goers – or some of them at least – take the same attitude to seat allocation as passengers on the trains between Pontevedra and Vigo. Our seats were occupied – forcing us to take whatever we could get – and the people next to us admitted they weren't in their allocated seats. Which gave me a frisson of anticipation when – during the interval – the pianist from the first concerto came up and sat – resplendent in his tails – in one of their (purloined) seats. But, sadly, no fracas ensued.
• I was equally surprised that quite a few people got up and left while the obligatory 3-4 rounds of applause were taking place at the end of the second half.
• This was an extremely lively Strauss composition about heroes of one sort and another – doubtless Alfie Mittington will remind me of its name – and the orchestra for this was huge. Over 100 members, comprising (from memory) at least 30 violinists, 10 violas, 10 cellos, 8 French horns, 7 double basses, 5 timpanists, 5 trumpeters, 4 trombonists, 3 bassoons, oboists and flutists, and, penultimately, 2 harpists. I felt rather sorry for the solitary saxophonist and piccoloist.
• The other thing I noticed was that c. 15% of the musicians were Asian, leaving me wondering how long it would be before they all were . . .
• I have to confess that, at one point, I was looking around at the audience and contemplating the fact that these civilised people probably all had parents or grandparents who'd have happily sat in the place listening to a rant from Hitler or Goebbels not so terribly long ago. Quite disturbing.

Matters Spanish

• Some unhappy reading. Though I'm not clear how the opening paragraph stacks up with the tables in the text. I think the former relates only to verbal harassment. Possibly because touching considered offensive in other (less tactile) cultures might not lead to complaints in Spain. As an aside, I think know who'd get the blame for Germany's leading position on 'street harassment'. Which seems to be a different animal from 'disrespectful behaviour'.

The UK and Brexit

• Brexit is corrupting and calcifying our politics in a way that risks exacerbating the very frustrations that drove many people to vote to leave the EU. 
• So, Mrs May and Mr Corbyn might have a TV debate. Best comment yet on this appalling prospect: As others have noted, Mr Corbyn probably isn’t really for Remain and Mrs May isn’t truly for Brexit. Neither salesman believes in the product they’re pitching.
• Here's someone's reasons why a second referendum - aimed at bringing the entire Brexit shooting match to a shuddering halt – might never happen. To go alongside the numerous articles on why it should.

Finally . . .

• I did draft something under this heading but a first-time copy-and-paste error on my part lost me all of today's post and I can't be bothered to recall this bit. Maybe tomorrow . . .

© [David] Colin Davies