Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain: 15.12.20

 Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.

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

 

- Christopher Howse: 'A Pilgrim in Spain'*  

Covid

Spain's first consignment of vaccines should begin to arrive in the country within the next 3 weeks. 

The government plans to start vaccinating in January, after EU approval on 29 December. But for weeks now there's been talk of Germany doing this from this month, ahead of regulatory approval, possibly in the next few days. I wonder how they can - like the Brits - jump the EU gun.

Meanwhile, it's reported that 28% people invited to participate in a mass-screening program here in Galicia failed to show up. And that the Xunta knows from mobile phone data that folk are widely ignoring restrictions on leaving their locality. As was to be expected.

Living La Vida Loca in Galicia/Spain

Since even I know - from simple observation in the main square - who the city's main hash seller is, I wonder why nothing is done about it. Perhaps the police no longer treat it as a crime. At least not if it's a question of the drunks, beggars and vagabonds who gather there every day. As with their non-compliance with Covid regulations. Crime pays then, at least on a small scale.

Talking of the city  . . . Here's a lovely site from an admirable young man called Oscar.

A HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas for this item on some intrepid mariners. Who are believed by many Galicians to have originally come from here - like most of the world's Northern population, it seems.   The Vikings made it as far south as Spain, where they raided coastal settlements in a number of attacks from around 844 to 859. At least 62 ships attacked the Galician coast and some of them later entered the Mediterranean, attacking Murcia's coastal settlements en route. A second wave between 951 and 971 concentrated on Galicia. El Español has the story and a map here.  

The UK and` the EU

Richard North: [In the absence of hard information,] the best that hacks have to offer is that the "architecture" of a deal is in place. Let's hope the architect isn't Corbusier. Made me smile, anyway. Though RN rarely plays it for laughs, being firmly situated in the slough of despond over the ERG/Johnson form of Brexit.  

I can hardly be blamed for citing this fine article on the plight of Brits in Europe  . . .

The USA

Possibly a tad contentious . . .The USA has confirmed its inclusion in the select club of banana republics. The catastrophe following on from the elections, with Donald Trump refusing to admit defeat and practically the entire Republican Party supporting him, has confirmed the US is almost a developing country, but without malaria. Full article here.

Social Media

The fightback begins in earnest, at least in the UK: Under a new 'duty of care', social media companies will face multibillion-pound fines if they fail to protect children and adults who use their services.

 

Finally . . .

My updated list of Dutch words learned by listening to a Nederlands radio station:- 

Black Friday 

Deals

Relax

Slash

Credit card 

Peak period 

On line

Download

Super

News (probably Neuws)

Non-stop

Cyber Monday to Tuesday

News brief

Design

Direct

Podcast

Discover

Save  

Carwash  

Ticket  

Magazine  

Song album

Show

Bodyline

Stop

Lockdown

Label

* A terrible book, by the way. Don't be tempted to buy it, unless you're a very religious Protestant.