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'*  

Living La Vida Loca in Spain     

•    A midnight firework display surprised me into remembering that our annual 2-week fiesta began yesterday. But it’s a pallid version the usual extravaganza, of course. No bullfights, for example. And no fairground occupying the Alameda and all the streets around it. So, a lot quieter . . . Except when the the bagpipe players (gaiteros) parade through the streets. And we’re still having the (very) loud concerts which begin (notionally) at 10pm. But with socially-distanced seating these days. Though I suspect they won’t be able to stop the kids congregating cheek-to-cheek right in front of the stage.

• At a more national level . . .Thank god for a new foto of Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein:-

Like me, you're probably sick to death of seeing this one:-

The lady has been described today as : A Danish adventuress who had reinvented herself as a German princess and then as mistress to the king of Spain. Which sounds about right to me. Now a very, very rich woman, of course. Able to afford a lot more plastic surgery, I'm sure.    

•    María's Day 55.   

Quote of the Week

• Effie Deans: Identity trumps economics. It always has. It always will. . . Viewing everything through the lens of identity is more powerful than the facts themselves. . . . All forms of nationalism eventually become violent. 

Social Media

1. Rod Liddle: As a keen and experienced observer of current affairs, it has occurred to me that Donald Trump can be a little crass from time to time. . . I have further observed that he is not always wholly truthful; seems to possess antediluvian attitudes towards women; and on occasion makes statements that suggest, to a neutral observer, that his ignorance is a fathomless abyss. . . . In short, Trump appears as the very embodiment of what the rest of the world has always reckoned Americans, in general, to be: loud, dumb, money-obsessed, boastful, badly dressed and arrogant. But especially dumb. Despite this, it is impossible not to be on his side in his battle with Twitter and Facebook. . . . The boundary of what you can say narrows seemingly by the week. It is becoming a noose.
2. Camilla Long: Social media is the Caliban offspring of the internet.

English 

1. I bring you beyotch: “A friendly use of the word bitch. Usually used in greeting one's friend (Hey, beyotch!) or when one has succeeded over someone (You got owned, beyotch!)”. I imagine it comes from the USA but wonder why it's necessary.
2. Architect: Apparently now one of those nouns which have become verbs.  Same origin, I strongly suspect.

English/Spanish

• Three more refranes:-

. The pot calling the kettle black: El que tiene tajado de vidrio no tira piedras al de su vecino. [?] 

- The proof of the pudding is in the eating: No se sabe si algo es bueno hasta que se lo pone a prueba.

- The sap rises in the spring: La primavera la sangre altera.

Finally . . . 

• The other day I ground some cloves in my coffee grinder, which made for an interesting brew the next day. Yesterday, I ground some dried cayenne peppers (guindillas) in it (for a curry, of course). So . . . an even more interesting brew this morning. And not exactly a huge success. Made worse by the fact I buggered up my (UK-bought) kettle when boiling water for second go at my morning filter-coffee. Using just the cone of a Philips machine which went kaput a few weeks ago. But worse things happen at sea, I guess. Más se perdió en Cuba . . .         
• But my spirits were raised by all the fog outside my window. For it always reminds me of a hotel owner on the camino who warned all ‘pilgrims’ against taking the mountainous option to the next town, as there was always mooch mood and mooch fuck up that way. 

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