Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain: 18.5.21

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' 

 

NOTE: Info on Galicia and my Guide to Pontevedra city here.   

Covid 

The UK: According to new data released by theOffice of National Statistics, between  January, 2020 and the end of February, 2021, non-religious people were less likely to die from COVID compared to every religious group. Within religious groups, higher mortality rates were seen for people identifying as Muslim than for all other religious groups. Not terribly surprising, of course, given anti-science attitudes in religious communities.

 

Cosas de España

For those with a deep interest in Spanish politics, here’s an article on the brief life of the centrist Ciudadanos party, now heading for oblivion. Whatever that suggests.

 

Cousas de Galiza

An incident in our drug trafficking capital . . . In Vilagarcía, a traffic accident ended in the settling of scores with an axe to the head.

Well, wouldn't you be worried? . . . Workers in A Lama prison are concerned about the arrival of Norber Feher, or 'Igor the Russian', whose criminal record is extensive. In addition to the triple murder for which he must serve a life sentence, he was convicted of killing several policemen and civilians in cold blood in Italy. Not content with this, he was recently responsible for an incident in Dueñas prison in which 5 officials were injured. He looks perfectly normal, of course.

Galicia has the reputation for more feismo(ugliness) than elsewhere. So, it's good to read that: The next stage in the fight against ugliness in Galicia will be a guide from an advisory body of the Xunta on how to improve things in historic areas, the countryside and industrial estates, providing good-practice recommendations on the design, location and size of posters and signs of both commercial or informative character. Wonder if it will make any difference.

Portugal 

Unemployment rose by 70% in the past year in the Algarve, the region most reliant on tourism, so locals are delighted to see yesterday's arrivals from the UK. And from Germany I'd guess.

The EU  

The EU finally has its vaccine rollout on track but history will still judge it a loser. There will be economic and political fallout.

Meanwhile . . . EU divisions over Israel-Palestine leave Brussels powerless as the conflict worsens. The bloc has long failed to find a common position on the intractable conflict in Middle East. See the article here.

English

What is difficult is to find a full consensus on Israel. What, I wonder, is a partial consensus.

Quote of the Day: Variant caution risks becoming an excuse never to return to normality.

Finally  . . . 

Yesterday, it was almost too hot to sit in the sun. Today, the rain is falling from a cloudful sky and the temperature has fallen 10 degrees. Tomorrow, the sun will return, but just for the day. The perils of living on the Atlantic coast.