Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

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’*- after exists - 

Life in Spain: What has changed?

• Corruption: According to a recent article (HT to Lenox Napier of Business Over Tapas): The annual amount of corruption in our country is estimated at 90 billion euros, or €2,000 per citizen, but the means are not in place to end it.
• Fun: Is this still the superordinate goal of Spaniards? I think so. Especially after 3 months of its suppression.

Life in Spain  

• El Pais here talks of the unreliability of Spanish data re the virus. Disturbing.
• Better news here, if you bought a Spanish property off-plan and haven’t been able to get your deposit back from the developers.
• Surprising to read that the current left wing government has used the infamous 'gag law' even more that the right wing  government which introduced it. But I guess the virus has played a part in this, in helping the various officious police forces I’ve labelled ‘officious’.
• Modern slavery down South.
• Trivia: I was wrong about the pelican crossing near the bridge. At least at certain times of the day - it seems - the previous system of conflicting signals for drivers and pedestrians is still in operation. Forcing me to stay alert.

The USA

• According to officials who listened in, President Trump tried to bully female leaders of US allies while seeking approval from President Putin in “delusional” phone calls. Trump called Angela Merkel “stupid” and Theresa May “a fool” over Brexit. In contrast, to Mr Putin he talked mainly about himself, emphasising how much smarter he was than the “weaklings” who held the presidency before him.
• A broad alliance of American conservatives is putting pressure on President Trump to wear a mask in public to convince his supporters to follow suit and help reverse the surge of coronavirus cases sweeping the southern [Republican] states. Perhaps they’ve realised that 1. Their president is killing people, and 2. He’s likely to lose the November election. Tellingly, they weren’t so concerned when the hotpots were in Democratic states.

Social Media

Says it all . . .

English/Spanish

• Another 3 refranes:-  

- If you lie down with dogs, you get fleas: Quien con niños se acuesta, cagada se levanta. Quien con perros se echa, con plugs se levanta.

- If you think the worst, you won't be far wrong: Piensa mal y acertarás.

- It you want good advice, consult an old man: Quien quiere saber, que compre un viejo.

Finally 

• I might have killed a tree or 4 but no one can take away from me my success with training the bougainvillea at the back of my house over the years:-

• For Blues lovers: Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup was a delta blues singer and guitarist, best known for songs later covered by Elvis Presley and dozens of other artists, such as "That's All Right", "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine." Hang on for the Elvis version of the last one. Not exactly Blues . . .

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