Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain
Spanish Politics
- It's surprising - or, rather it no longer is - just how many Spanish politicians get off corruption charges with a mild slap on the wrist. Usually, it seems to me, because the statute of limitations means time has run out on the ability to punish them. Which you might think would be taken into account before starting the process. But it could all be - ignoring corruption and the possibility of a politicised judiciary - because Spain uses the system 'inherited' from Napoleonic French folk that's based on lengthy judicial - not police - investigations before the trial commences. Followed by a very long and slow court process. The latest example of this is the doyen of the 'ruling' Pujol family, which is believed to have taken at least €290m over several decades from the Catalan coffers. There was an angry editorial about this in El Mundo yesterday but I'm waiting on something in El País in English before posting the basic details. Meanwhile, here's something in Spanish. By the way, it's generally reckoned that Jordi Pujol knows where some festering bodies lie. Might just be a factor in this saga.
- I mentioned yesterday that the nepotism and croneyism cited by John Haycraft were still very much with us 60 years after he wrote his book but I forgot to mention politico-commercial corruption, because he hardly touches on it. I stress again that no one in daily life here has to pay bribes but, against that, the corruption among Spain's grandes legumes could be the highest in Europe. It's said that the public no longer shrugs its collective shoulders at this - and it's true that revulsion towards widespread corruption helped bring down the the last PP government - but only time will tell if this evil is being eradicated from Spanish society. It could take some time, having a legacy of several hundred years.
The Spanish Economy
- The low birth rate is slowing growth, says El País here.
Spanish Life
- A propos . . . If you set off on a Spanish judicial journey, bear this in mind.
- After the storms of last week, much of Spain has had an Xmas heatwave. I can vouch for the fact that there was the eeriest of calms in my garden on Sunday, contrasting with the gale-force winds of the previous day/week.
- Spain's Xmas lottery is unbelievably large, shelling out more than €3bn in prize money, much of which - unlike in the UK - is taxable. I read last week that, in Pontevedra, there was an average per capita spend of around €70 or 80 on this. A friend asked me to get her a ticket with 3 specific numbers in it. I finally managed this but told her she'd was throwing her money away, as she had more chance of being hit by lightening. She won €120.
- A tad late, perhaps, here's advice from the Guardia Civil on avoiding being mugged this Xmas. Whether this is any different from the standard advice included in my Guide to Pontevedra City, I'm not sure.
- Something else I can vouch for is that - unlike in John Haycraft's day - Spanish kids no longer just get presents on the January 6 feast of the Epiphany - Los Reyes - but also get an equal number on Xmas Day. Quite ridiculous. And I guess that, if - like my father - you were born on 25 December you get a 3rd huge pile.
- An old chestnut - Spain's 10 worst driving and parking offences, as committed by the thoughtless/thought-less.
Galician Life
- Here's an article on those Vigo Xmas lights. Not everyone is happy with the expense of them, of course.
- You'll notice that the city's mayor, at 73, is one of many Spanish men of his age and above who have nary a grey hair, let alone a white one. Must be all that praying for miracles every Sunday at Mass.
- Still on Vigo, here's a foto of that paving stone which cost the Vigo city council €18,000, plus legal fees I guess.
The UK
The Way of the World
- I learned earlier this week of a pricing trick in supermarkets - the 'decoy effect' - which 'nudges' you to lay out more than you intended. Despite knowing about it, I might well have fallen into the trap yesterday morning when I bought 3 bottles of a Gran Reserva Rioja wine. Though, to be honest, it's possible I was just confused by the '3 for 2' sign and thought that €22 was for 2 bottles of it, not the price of just one. Anyway, I ended up with 3 bottles at €44 instead of €66. A bargain, of course, but not one I was looking for. Incidentally, €66 came up on the till screen and so I reminded the checkout woman there was a special offer. She said she realised this as she tapped something into the computer. She might well have been telling the truth but one gets sceptical in Spain. The wine is excellent, by the way. So, not the worst of mistakes.
- Word of the Day: Reno. Reindeer
- Word of the Day: Ligger: An individual who attends parties, openings, social gatherings and events with the sole intention of obtaining free food and drink. No idea of its origin.
- A friend met in Indonesia in the 80s has sent me this foto of Hitler striking a defiant/triumphal note, taken in Jogjakarta, in central Java. Decidedly odd:-
I guessed it was in some sort of museum and just came up with this:- The De Mata Trick Eye museum that encouraged visitors to take selfies with a waxwork of Hitler against a giant image of the Auschwitz death camp has removed the exhibit after protests. Hardly surprising.
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