Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain
Spain- Spain has not reacted well to the demand from the Mexican president that it apologises for what it did in and brought to South America back in the 15th and 16th centuries. Which is odd because, as I've said, the Spanish have a gift for apologising. Specifically when some self-regarding action has (justifiably) annoyed someone else. Me, for instance.
- Here's El País, in English, on reactions to this development.
- On a more recent visit to South America, the Spanish monarchs had to sit on the Argentinean tarmac for 50 minutes, while a staircase was found that would fit the door of their plane. Still, this was not as bad as the experience of one dignitary, who had to climb down a domestic stepladder there:-
- Just reverting to that demand for an apology . . . Someone has written: Spain has shown little contrition about its colonial past. Last November, the leader of the rightwing Popular party, commented that: “We didn’t colonise, what we did was to make Spain larger.” Spain does, though, bang on and on about the 'last colony in Europe', viz. Gibraltar. For obvious reasons, this phrase is preferred to, say, 'the last colony of a European state', or something similar.
- Reader Eamon has confirmed my suspicion that the article cited yesterday was wrong when it said the EHIC cards for Brits are issued in the EU state in which they reside. In fact, they're issued in the UK, which pays Spain, for example, a per capita sum for each Brit resident here.
- Here's a bit of worrying news, if you live in the south of Spain. Not so bad if you live in the cooler, wetter - for now - north.
- A fascinating article on Civil War Madrid.
- The flat we're in is fine but my son-in-law has suffered from the fact that a series of 3 alarms starts at 5.45 in the adjacent flat and continues until 7.15. We've tried a a number of things to get this stopped but without success. So, 2 mornings ago - having heard how, years ago, I got a neighbour to get rid of a cockerel that crowed at 5 every morning - he went and banged on the flat door at 6. Gratifyingly, there were no alarms yesterday morning. But, alas, they returned today. . .
- Execution, they say, concentrates the mind. And so we suddenly have a number of prominent Brexiteers saying they'll now back Mrs May's deal because, if not, the way will be open to either a 'softer' deal or no Brexit at all. This, of course, is a point which some people have been making for weeks, if not months. As to why it's taken Messrs Reees Mogg, Johnson, et al so long is anyone's guess. Perhaps they really did believe Brussels would cave in at the last moment and accede to their demands for a modification of the Withdrawal Agreement. And/or they realise that their continued opposition is likely to trigger a snap general election and hand over government to the Labour Party. Which would immediately seek at least a softer Brexit. Anyway, as of this morning, there now seems to be the possibility that the May deal will get enough support in parliament before the end of this week, though the Northern Irish DUP faction remains averse. Much, it seems, will depend on whether Teresa May this evening offers to defenestrate herself in the near future. If so, this will have more to do with emotion than logic.
- It's reported that 7% of the British public believe the government has handled the Brexit negotiations well. These, I guess, would be the folk with an IQ of 80 or less.
- A nice, new-to-me monicker for Fart - The Mango Mussolini.
- Word of the Day: Aduanas.
- Am I being doggist to suggest that this poor creature must be happier dead?
Fancy doing a camino?
- Anyone interested in joining a small group doing a camino of 7-10 days in May should write to me at doncolin@gmail.com We are now 4. Only a couple of places remaining . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment