Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

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

- Christopher Howse: 'A Pilgrim in Spain'*

 Life in Spain

• Hard to believe but more than 50% of Spaniards are said here to be optimistic re their economic future. Perhaps they mean in the very long term. 
• Spanish History: A modern-ish tale I meant to include yesterday - The shameful protection of Nazis, even after the end of the Franco regime in 1975.
• Shopping: Today I'll make my 4th visit to the place which was getting me a new mica plate for my microwave. (It was closed when I made my 3rd on Saturday morning). I've asked before if I'm unique in Spain in having a poor record of retail success. Another recent failure was the spices shop in the city centre, which had been closed on Friday and still was on Saturday. I'm hoping this isn't permanent. There's no sign on the door and the windows haven't yet been brown-papered up.
• The football matches postponed in March will now take place, in empty stadiums, on June 11.
• Years ago, I posted fotos of what I thought were bizarre roundabout features in my barrio of Poio. But nothing beats this one, down in Valencia city:-

The UK

• The caustic view of her country's media of that apparently rare creature - a non-nationalist Scot. I guess they exist in Cataluña too. They certainly do here in Galicia.

The USA

• Around 450 seconds into this video, Fart says there's nothing he'd like more than to close his Twitter account. Provided that the media prints only what he says. He might well be telling the truth on this occasion.
• I've taken to wondering what non-US companies I can deal with in preference to, for example, the tax-light behemoths Amazon and Google. A first search just now for a list of these - on Google, of course - wasn't at all productive. But there must be one somewhere.
• There's an American warship called the USS Ponce. I'm guessing no one involved in its naming was aware of the British meanings of this word. Viz:-

Noun

1. Informal•Derogatory: an effeminate man.

2. Informal•British: a man who lives off a prostitute's earnings.

Verb 

1. Informal•British: to seek to obtain (something) without paying for it or doing anything in return.

2. Informal•British: to live off a prostitute's earnings.

Finally . . .

• I forgot to mention that, despite the several arboreal deaths in my garden, life goes on. I've got 2 holly tree shoots/saplings which have self-seeded there. Though not in this box, of course:-

With luck, I won't slaughter them, one way or another. And they can join my burgeoning - and also self-seeded - young palm trees:-

• A musical treat. Followed by another one, from the rather older-looking - but still immensely talented - Jools Holland.

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