Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain [A terrible book, by the way. Don't be tempted to buy it, unless you're a very religious Protestant.]
- Day 10 of our self-imposed quarantine in Jávea
- Day 4 of the Valencia region's lockdown
- Day 2 of the Spanish state's lockdown
I'm increasingly reminded of Sartre's Huit Clos . . .
The Coronavirus
- As you'll know, the huge Fallas festival in Valencia is off this year. Here's one of the - now redundant - creations. Ironically referencing the pandemic:-
- One group suffering is that of the pensioners entitled to cheap spring holidays, subsidised by the state. And these are the poor folk who are most at risk of death.
- My sister has a plane ticket from Oporto on 31 March. This looked like a wise precaution 2 days ago. Now - with the Spain-Portugal border closed - it looks like a waste of money. Refund?? Oh, I forgot; it's with Ryanair . . .
- Meanwhile, I'm not even sure the 2 of us will be allowed to travel in my car back to Pontevedra next weekend. I'd ask a Guardia Civil officer, if I was allowed to walk to their HQ in Jávea. But I'll try calling them today.
Life in Spain
- It goes on. All you need to know.
- Reader Maria up in Galicia is writing a daily chronicle. Here's Day 1 and Day 2. The latter has this defiant song at the end of it.
- The (very corrupt) ex king's (ex?) mistress is unhappy.
The UK
- As you'd expect, Richard North is less than impressed with BoJo's ('bullshitty') performance at his press conference yesterday.
- It was no surprise that some commentators immediately saw the German border controls of yesterday morning as the death knell of both the Schengen Agreement and, longer term, the EU itself. Headlines included: The EU's Cack-handed response to the corona virus is proof the UK was right to get out: and With borders going up around Europe, the corona virus is devastating the EU's superstate pretensions. These 2 are behind a (Daily Telegraph) paywall but these 2 aren't:- The real crisis starts now for Europe; and The Covid-19 public health crisis could break the EU.
- Italy: Whatever can be said with confidence re the EU, few can doubt that Italy will be even more disenchanted that it already was. An Itaxit on the cards? Followed, of course, by an immediate devaluation of the New Lira.
Tbe USA and the OFC
Spanish
- Words of the day:-
- Infectólogo: Infectious disease specialist. A rare example of Spanish comparative brevity. Oh, no: Infectologist.
- Colarse ( . . . se cuela) : To sneak/slip/crash into. Depends on the context, I guess. Like many Spanish verbs of multiple meanings.
- I wasn't too pleased to get this item from the Liverpool Echo in my News feed
- British black humour:-
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