Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

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

- Christopher Howse: 'A Pilgrim in Spain'*

Note: I'm indebted to Lenox Napier's comprehensive Business Over Tapas for some of today's items

The Bloody Virus 

• Decidedly not good news . . . The OECD says Spain’s economy is the most vulnerable in the world to a second virus outbreak, as COVID-19 cases double. Thanks to the beneficial evil of tourism.

 Life in Spain

• This could surely be the USA but it ain't. It's Spain:-

- Grudges from the Civil War

- Long-running culture wars. 

- Politics fiercely partisan

- Sharp ideological fault lines

- Longstanding divisions

- Acute economic hardship

- A burning sense of injustice, and

- An opposition which is stirring legitimate criticism with paranoia, crackpot conspiracy theories and ancient resentments into a toxic brew.

Or so it says here, where the bottom line is that: The danger is that the country’s entrenched political factions are increasingly inhabiting parallel realities and leaving the country unable to face its mounting challenges.  Could well be true.

• If you live here, you'll have noticed the ubiquitous price rises since we were last allowed to shop and eat and drink. And you might also have clocked a 'Covid supplement' on the bottom of your bill. Which Facua, the consumers' association, says is illegal. But possibly not. De jure and not just de facto. See The Local here on this, if you can get past their paywall. [Try Reader view].
• I guess no one is going to be surprised at the many fraudulent claims under the ERTE system.
• Looking ahead, it you want a cheap beachside place to stay in this summer, take a look at Burela on the northern Galician coast, where a 50m2 flat will set you back only around €200 a week. Compared with up to 10 times that along our western coast. Endless sun is guaranteed in neither place, of course. But one is much more fashionable than the other.
• María's Comeback Chronicle, Day 32: The Grim Reaper. I had a very similar experience in Surabaya once. Couldn't speak for 15 minutes.

The USA

•  Donald Trump destroys Nascar.

Finally . . . 

• The power of this blog. . . . After mentioning that the books were still in the Netherlands, I got advice this morning that they've finally arrived in Spain. Possibly. It says 'Country of Destination'.
• A friend who took her driving test this week confirmed that learners are still taught - here in Pontevedra at least - to negotiate roundabouts in complete contravention of the instructions given in media diagrams and in videos by the Traffic Department. And in the face of common sense/intelligence. The said diagrams videos and are easily found on Youtube, by the way - if you really want/need to see what the much-ignored official 'guidance' is.

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

Note: his blog has long appeared on Blogger here: www.colindavies,blogspot.com   where there's a nice foto which EoS declines to include, even though it was taken by me.