Dawn

Dawn

Monday, May 31, 2021

Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain: 31.5.21

 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' 


Detailed info on Galicia and Pontevedra city here.  


Covid 


The EU: This is how the certificate scheme will work. I'm pleased to say I got my own certificate from the Galician health authority yesterday, complete with QR code.


The UK: Thanks to the Indian variant - and the failure to control travellers from there (in contrast to those from Bangladesh and Pakistan) - Some scientists are warning that a 3rd wave has already started. This is fuelling speculation that the final lifting of restrictions in England, scheduled for 21 June, might be delayed. If so, will Boris Johnson's government still be forgiven for its errors? Apropos . . . Although poorly reported by the legacy media, there was a major "anti-lockdown" rally in London over the weekend, with several hundred thousand said to have attended. This is an indication that patience is wearing thin and, if there is a delay in relaxing control measures, reaction might intensify. And, if the problem is seen to have arisen because of what seems to be reckless inaction by the prime minister, the mood of the country could rapidly sour.


Cosas de España/Galiza


Great news re the Iberian lynx population.


Galicia has 3 small international airports  - Santiago, La Coruña and Vigo. None of them is truly competitive with Oporto's - cheekily promoted here as The airport for all Galicians. Local politics plays a huge part in how the airports are (mis)run and, inevitably, the airlines play them off against each other. Leading to regular changes in flight availabilities. So it is that the master of the leverage game - Ryanair - is returning to Vigo later this year, having de-camped a year or 2 ago, after a row with the Vigo city council. Good news, I guess. I imagine Vigo decided to cough up some sort of subsidy.


Talking of travel . . . Cruise liners will be allowed to dock at Vigo port from July 7. Let’s hope all they bring is big-spenders.

 

María's Level Ground: Days 55-56

 

The USA


Only in the USA?  . . . A white teacher has stopped teaching Spanish because she felt it wasn't right for a white woman to teach Spanish. She had this revelation after taking a course  about how to become a better "white ally" and "anti-racist co-conspirator." I wonder what colour she thinks Spaniards are? Perhaps she thinks Spanish is a South American language.

 

Finally  . . . 


Boris Johnson was able to marry in the UK's biggest RC Church on Saturday because neither of his 2 marriages - nor his 2 divorces - are considered valid by the Catholic Church. Though this doesn't make his 6+ kids illegitimate, it seems, as there were valid civil ceremonies and procedures. As I was baptised, the Church still considers me a Catholic - because a bishop  hasn't officially de-Catholiced me - so guess it views both my marriages and divorces in the same way. Leaving me free to have my first genuine marriage in a Catholic Church. Nice to know. But very unlikely to happen. 

2 comments:

sp said...

"Although poorly reported by the legacy media, there was a major "anti-lockdown" rally in London over the weekend, with several hundred thousand said to have attended."

Imagine my surprise on googling the source of the above! I think he's confusing Saturday's rabble (in the low hundreds) with the million anti-Brexit marchers of March 2019. Perhaps he should read more legacy media.

Colin Davies said...

Probably read the Guardian . .. At its height there appeared to be hundreds of thousands of people taking part . . .
North reads widely but might have been selective here.