Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain: 17.2.20

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.   

Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain  

Spanish Politics

• Encouraging comments from the prime minister, which rather contrast with those of the last one from the right-wing PP party.

Spanish/Galician Life 

Last few bits about Santiago:-

• I thought I'd heard every version of the St James(Santiago) myth but somehow I'd missed that:-

1. The boat that St James came in from Jaffa to Galicia - at miraculous speed - was not empty but manned by his mates.
2. When they landed at Padrón, they went to see the local queen - Lupa - who, instead of acceding to their request for a burial place, arrested them and took them to the Roman legate, who jailed them.
3. But they were freed by an angel.
4. Queen Lupa then tried to trick them by sending them to Mount Ilcino to look for oxen to carry the body to a burial place, but the beasts were really savage wild bulls.
5. By a miracle, the bulls were tamed and did no harm.
6. They [the bulls or St James' mates?] then killed a dragon sent by Queen Lupa, leading to the mountain on which this all took place to be named ever after Pico Sacro.
7. Shocked to her soul, Queen Lupa converted to Christianity and found a burial place for St James.
8. People then promptly forgot where this was for several centuries. Which smacks of carelessness, to say the least. Fortunately it was rediscovered just in time for 9th century battles against the invading Moors. In which the rejuvenated St James slaughtered 60,000 of the infidels.

Really, you couldn't make it up. Or could you?

• If you've read Ford's comments, you'll know that he drew several parallels between the Christian 9th century myth and practices arising and those of rapidly spreading Islam. In the Museum of Pilgrimage, though, they prefer to hark back to Jewish pilgrimage habits.
• Some places in Santiago have prices higher than Madrid's. Or even Renfe's. There's a lovely old, wood-panelled café in Rúa Vilar in Santiago. But the coffee's very expensive at €2.30 for a small one. Plus, there's only one newspaper (Correo Gallego) and the wifi doesn't work. Apart from all that, I enjoyed my visit there, as the armchair was quite comfortable. And there wasn't a single TV in a large room. The other high-cost experience was €3 for glass of (Galician!) godello wine in the food hall of the (otherwise) terrific Mercado de Abastos. This might not be a lot elsewhere in Europe but the normal price here is €2.00-2.30.
• Which reminds me . . . In the Rúa Bella bar the other night, the waiter insisted it was in a street of the same name, while I thought it was in Rúa Nova. Which he insisted was 'further down'. He was wrong, reminding me that - as you find when doing caminos - it's not uncommon for residents of a place in Spain not to know the names of local streets.  

And now back to life in Galicia/Spain . . .

• As I know from listening to my son-in-law negotiate with them, UK internet operators  compete by increasing their download speeds and reducing their prices. But Spain is different. We already have the highest prices in Europe and (our monopoly supplier) Movistar has written to say that, because they're marginally increasing the speed, they're raising the price by 5%. Easy business, to say the least. Friends in high places. On the board, in fact. Thieves in white gloves, as the Spanish say.
• The Voz de Galicia did a survey of attitudes towards the new O Burgo bridge. No one will be terribly surprised to hear that 72% of locals don't like its modern make-over. Even if the hidden, floor-level lighting is a world first.
• Around 20 houses were built behind and above mine between 2004 and 2008 and came on to the (ludicrously hyped) market just as it was crashing. So nearly all of them are still unoccupied and, indeed, have suffered flood damage at least once in the last decade. But now there's a new sign on the railings and it's possible prices have fallen to a level which makes them attractive. We will see:-

BTW . . .  That wall was originally declared illegally high. But, as so often in Spain, its illegality seems to have evaporated.

Spanish

• Bearing mind the baja mean low and alta means high, I've struggled with this over the years:-

1. If you're sick and want to get time off work, the doctor gives you a baja (sick note). Also called signing off in the UK. Or, in Liverpool, 'getting a sickie'.
2. When you are ready to go back to work, the doctor gives you an alta. Or signs you back on.
3. If you have to go to hospital and don't need to recuperate at home, the hospital will give you the alta.
4. If you do need to recuperate, you need to go back to the doctor for your alta.

I think I've finally got it right anyway.

Finally . . . 

• Could you get it more wrong, at least in English?:-

THE PROMO

Galicia Living is a new property development outfit here in Southern Galicia (As Rías Baixas), owned by a friend of mine. So, if you're looking for a house here, get in touch with them. And, if you're particularly interested in the lovely Miño area down on the border with Portugal, let me know on doncolin@gmail.com and I'll send you my write-up on it.