Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain: 24.2.20

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'

Living La Vida Loca in Galicia/Spain  

Our Covid rule relaxations start at midnight on Friday but there's confusion as to their significance. Travel between cities with the same level of restrictions - say Vigo and Santiago - is allowed. But, at the same time, we're confined to our health services area. Which completely rules out inter-city travel. Doubtless this will be cleared up. It needs to be for, as ever, the maximum fines are humungous.

Meanwhile, we've been a tad startled to read that the Galician Xunta has made vaccination compulsory. Again, with huge fines for non-compliers

Brits are important to the Spanish tourism industry. So there's naturally satisfaction and a degree of optimism here at the progress of the UK vaccination program, the relaxation of some restrictions and the publication by the British government of a staged route out of the Covid crisis. Many Brits are optimistic too, and have put their money where their hopes are by making post-June summer holiday reservations. Let's hope neither they nor similarly-minded Germans are disappointed. See here or here. 

The first article above perpetuates the myth that Galicia is permanently rainswept. I repeat - This is certainly true of (most) winters but not true of summer and autumn. Or even spring in some years. And here's today's dawn to prove it.

María’s Tsunami, Day 23 - The mysteries of government. On one of the above themes . . .

The UK and Brexit

Richard North has long warned of the consequence of Boris Johnson's (disdained) Brexit and nowadays treats us to details of the impact he forecast on various - and disparate - sectors, such as shellfish and cosmetics. Today it's architectural services - and a suggestion on how to get out of the mess which is (possibly) less pious than relying on the Johnson government to re-negotiate the deal.

The pain of Brexit's realities is the theme of Nick Corbishley's article for Wolf Street today. Endorsing RN’s long-standing crying in the wilderness, NC writes that: Non-tariff barriers — largely consisting of regulatory barriers that are arguably the biggest obstacle to international trade these days — were not adequately addressed by the trade deal. And that:  The most important trade barriers in services are regulations, not tariffs. This is possibly close to classic British understatement . . .

 

Finally/The Way of the World

So, we now know what global disaster will, after 12 months, displace Covid as the number one item on Sky News - the (non-fatal) car crash of an American golfer past  his prime. Dear dog.