The 82 year old President of the Galician government, Manuel Fraga, has said he will stand again in 2005. This would be his 5^th election and he would be 86 at the end of any new term. His candidature has been supported by the President of the opposition [PP] party. Naturally, the national press has had a field day at the expense of this last remaining relic of the Franco era. While the ruling Socialist party is rubbing its hands in glee at the opportunity to position the PP as the party of the past. And the Galicians wonder why the rest of Spain looks askance at them!

WordWatch

Un freakie – an oddball, I guess

Unas superwomans - superwomen

Talking of words, it is a feature of Spanish that certain terms for men have an equivalent for women which put the latter in a rather poor light.

So, for example, we have golfo and golfa, the former meaning lout, layabout or rascal and the latter tart, whore or slut. Take your pick.

My daughter tells me there is a long list of these male/female non-equivalents. So, more anon when I have tracked it down.