Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain
Spain- What Spaniards miss when they venture abroad. I'm relieved - but not surprised - to see it includes shouting in Spanish to/at compatriots. 'Whispering' unnerves them. As, I imagine, does the absence of 1 to 3 loud TVs everywhere they go.
- Praise for Benidorm. I went there once. Can't recall why. Perhaps because, back then, it had an Indonesian restaurant. Which turned out to be mostly Chinese.
- I imagine Spain is not alone in having this problem.
- Galicia is reported to be going in for all sorts of exotic new agricultural products. Possibly because of AGW. For a full list, see Words of the Day below.
- [For young Spanish reader(s)] . . . Liverpool is the best place to be a young graduate, thanks to affordable housing costs, decent employment opportunities and a youthful population. Not to mention the best people in the country.
- A Malaysian band was declared champion at the World (Bag)Pipe Band Championship in Scotland last Saturday. Albeit in Group 4B, whatever that is. Maybe 'Bands from Malaysia'. There was at least one band from Spain but I can't find out whether it was Galician, Asturian, Cantabrian, Catalan or even Valencian.
- France 1: Crisis in the Foreign Legion. Only about 16% of existing members are French speakers and, worse, only 11% of the newest intake can speak it.
- Italy: Bigger Crisis. The governing coalition is said to be at an end. Whatever next in the wonderful world of Italian politics? A re-re-rejuvenated Berlusconi?
- France 2: Oh, dear. Police are hunting for a man who shot dead a waiter in a suburban Paris restaurant after complaining about its slow service. I guess it had to happen one day.
- In the Anglosphere at least . . . The challenge in British and American politics now is to steer through a tide of disinformation and to land at the truth.
- Is he really in our world? . . . President Trump last night confirmed that he had asked officials to look into a deal for Greenland. Trump said he is considering “a really large real estate deal” to buy the island, as it is a huge financial burden on its current owners, Denmark.
- Or does he just have have the early Alzheimers' some folks suggest he has?
- And, despite either answer, could he yet win a second term?
- Meanwhile . . . Demand for lavish 'doomsday' bunkers in which to wait out the apocalypse is booming as never before.
- Words of the Day:-
Maracuyá: Passion fruit
Arándano: Blueberry, cranberry, bilberry . . .
Frambuesa: Raspberry
Guayaba: Guava
Té: Tea
Pistacho: Pistachio
Lúpolo: Hops
Manzana: Apple (for cider)
Olivo: Olive
Finally . . .
- This is someone's view of the 'most overrated film of all time'. Needless to say, the reviews range from 10 down to 1. From one of the former: How can one film be so perfect in so many ways? And from one of the latter: This film is that rare find: something perfectly bad with zero redeeming qualities.
- Talking of different opinions . . . I leave you today with the alleged 10 best gags from the recent Edinburgh Fringe festival, accompanied by the names of the guilty:-
Someone stole my antidepressants. Whoever they are, I hope they’re happy. Richard Stott
What’s driving Brexit? From here it looks like it’s probably the Duke of Edinburgh. Milton Jones
A cowboy asked me if I could help him round up 18 cows. I said, “Yes, of course. That’s 20 cows.” Jake Lambert
A thesaurus is great. There’s no other word for it. Ross Smith
Sleep is my favourite thing in the world. It’s the reason I get up in the morning. Ross Smith
I accidentally booked myself on to an escapology course. I’m really struggling to get out of it. Adele Cliff
After learning six hours of basic semaphore, I was flagging. Richard Pulsford
To be or not to be a horse rider, that is equestrian. Mark Simmons
I’ve got an Eton-themed Advent calendar, where all the doors are opened for me by my dad’s contacts. Ivo Graham
* Appropriately enough, this specialist in vegetable jokes is a Swede . . . Nominative determinism??
Personally, I think this joke of mine beats all the others . . .
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