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'* 

Covid 19 

• Yesterday I wondered aloud what was really going on, though I do understood it’ll be quite a while yet before we know for sure. Meanwhile, to confuse us further:-

- Did Lockdown Work? I find no clear association between lockdown policies and mortality development.  See here. Or, 2nd hand, here.

- Some Spanish doctors allege that Covid 19 is a fake pandemic. Possibly Vox/Trump supporters. See here.      

Living La Vida Loca in Spain  

• Maybe we really are heading for constitutional reform and the end of the monarchy. Though you can be sure there are powerful forces which will resist it. The Church for one, I suspect.  
• Here - if you can access it - is how to get really serious about Covid 19-rule-defaulters - fines of up to €60,000. Compare the UK . . .     
• And, ditto, here’s what to expect at airports if you do chance your arm and come here. Again compare the nonsense/chaos of the UK.
• So, has our ex-king really exiled himself? . . . As Juan Carlos abruptly left Spain for a secret location, leaving his compatriots shocked and divided, he sent a text message to friends, saying: “I’m not on holiday and I’m not abandoning Spain. This is just a parenthesis.” According to El Pais, some people, including those in the government, are not sure that it will be that easy for a former king engulfed in scandal to reverse his voluntary exile, which was executed in the hope of limiting damage to the Bourbon brand. What a jokester!
• I see there are no longer any machines on O Burgo bridge. So, I guess we can finally conclude its reformation is complete. Ten months later than predicted. Anyway, it’s possibly now the world’s widest pedestrian bridge. And the route out of the city on the camino towards Santiago de Compostela. Or Fátima in the other direction. Not that, these days, one sees the hundreds of ‘pilgrims’ making their way across it every day between March and October. So, plenty of space in which to ensure social distancing. 
• Here’s María’s fruity Day 52 of her Chronicle.  

The USA

• It's reported that Americans are 'insanely jealous' of Spaniards who've been able to exile  their corrupt head of state but I'm not convinced this is a widespread sentiment. 
• A Fart fan yesterday rejected my suggestion that deaths per million are rising faster in the USA than elsewhere. These are the progressions since mid June for the worst countries in the world, excluding both tiny states and South American countries where rates are now as high as these:-

Belgium 833 850 + 17(+2%)

UK      614 683 + 69(+11%)

Spain   580 610 + 30(+5%)

Italy   568 582 + 14(+3%)

Sweden  483 570 + 87(+19%)

USA     356 488 + 132(+37%)

France  451 464 + 13(+3%)

As I've said, the USA - having passed France - is heading rapidly towards Sweden's number and will pass it, I guess, within 2 weeks. Even though Sweden's growth rate it higher than that of other European countries. Hopefully as it heads towards the holy grail of herd immunity.

• Something rather more amusing.   

The Way of the World

• A global debt crisis is looming – how can we prevent it?  

Spanish

• A nice phrase I came across last night - No tener vela en este entierro.  Not having a candle at this funeral. ‘An expression we use to censor a person who meddles in matters which don't concern them, or who participates in an act or conversation to which they've not been invited. It comes from the custom of the family of the deceased giving candles to friends attending the funeral.’

Finally . . . 

• An acronym new to me: AIBU - “Am I being unreasonable?" Which I am very unlikely ever to need to use, of course.

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