Thoughts from Galicia, 7.11.17

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

- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain. 

If you've arrived here because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, see my web page here.

Cataluña

• Here and here is Sr Puigdemont pleading his case, accusing Spain of being undemocratic and vilifying the judicial system there. Given that he's not entirely wrong, one has to wonder why he bothered demanding the guarantee of a fair trial as a precondition of his return from Belgian exile. He surely knew he'd never get this. Unless, of course, the EU changed its mind and involved itself in the Spanish mess, whether overtly or secretly. Which was probably his aim, I guess. Good luck with that, Carl
• Back home, his supporters are protesting current developments as best they can.
• Here's Guy Verhofstadt – an MEP and an ex Belgian Prime Minister - on the issue. He says he's a profound admirer of Spanish democracy and states that: The Catalan separatists were wrong to call an illegal referendum. Nonetheless, he concludes that: Spain’s democrats must not believe that law and the judiciary can address all of the problems with Catalonia on their own. And that: Certainly, the Spanish authorities will not overcome the crisis with police violence, even though the national government’s efforts to halt the Catalan independence referendum were based on a court ruling. What is needed now, he (correctly) avers, is a renewed political vision, an inclusive dialogue. And he stresses that: Realistically, that vision can only be of a multicultural, multilingual, federal state. Inevitably, he then adds the rider that this must be embedded in a multicultural, multilingual, and federal Europe. Well, maybe.
• Also from The Guardian is this (justifiable) criticism of Sr P. As the headline puts it: Carles Puigdemont gambled and failed. The consequences will live on.

Does anyone believe that either Sr P or Sr R comes out of this well? Apart from the tribal loyalists of the PP party, I mean.

Life in Spain

The brave Spaniard who lost his life helping police tackle terrorists in London's Borough Market in June is to have a park named after him in his birthplace, As Pontes, here in Galicia. Would that this wasn't necessary.

The USA: President Fart has a looming rival for the award of Populist Clown of the Year 2018. For, Silvio Berlusconi celebrated his return to the centre of Italian politics yesterday, after his candidate for governor of Sicily triumphed in regional elections. Should be a fun year.

Galician Wines: News has it that you can buy a bottle of Vinas del Rey albariño for 8 quid in Tesco. This is said to be long on acidity and to have plenty of zip, a peachy aromas and a whistle-clean finish. Whatever that is. Personally, I'd rather spend that amount on a bottle of New Zealand sauvignon blanc. But, then, I can get a glass of albariño every day of the year,

Nutters Corner: I sometimes wonder what Christ thinks about his Christian followers. Here's 3 of them on the recent dreadful shooting in the Texas church:-

1. Fox News host, Ainsley Earhardt, has claimed that church IS the best place to get shot, because it’s where she feels closest to God. Or in her words: There’s no place we would want to go [i. e. die] other than in church, because I’m there asking for forgiveness. 
2. Hans Fiene, a Lutheran pastor, says the people who were killed should be grateful because: When those saints of First Baptist Church were murdered yesterday, God wasn’t ignoring their prayers. He was answering them.
3. An imbecile called Theodore Shoebat has said that all atheists should be put to death because of what happened in Texas. I'm not sure of his logic. 

Here in the Pontevedra province of Galicia, an octogenarian woman was this week savaged by her neighbour's 2 French mastiffs, when she was on her way back from church. She has had to have both legs amputated. On the above logic, all this was surely the will of a god who'd just forgiven all her sins and wanted her to join him in heaven, but the bastard devil stopped his dogs completing the job.

Finally . . . My normally successful strategy for being among the first off the UK-Spain ferry was a disaster yesterday. In fact, mine was virtually the last car off the boat. My suspicion is that this was because the number of cars was much lower than at other times of the year and so I wasn't put on the lowest deck with the caravans and trucks but at the back of the upper deck where all the cars were accommodated. Fortunately, the Spanish immigration people take only a fraction of the time taken by their UK counterparts to check passports and send drivers on their way. So the delay was pretty minimal.

Today's Cartoon:-

SAVE THE WHALE