Thousands of tons of crystal-clear water fell on Pontevedra this morning. Which is a bit ironic as the stuff coming out of my taps is filthy brown. Since it’s a holiday weekend, this may continue until Tuesday so I have put pans out in the garden to catch a small fraction of the next deluge. Needless to say, the afternoon has been sunny so far.

One of the many things I appreciate about Spain is that consumerism is less advanced than elsewhere in the West. Mothers’ Day is not a big thing; Christmas actually arrives in December, not September; and as yet the country has not been conned into importing Halloween from the USA. Or Christmas cards even. But All Saints Day is a big thing here as it’s the occasion for visiting family graves, cleaning them and adorning them with blooms. Walking into the main square this morning, I found it had been converted into a gigantic flower stall. Perhaps it was late in the day but dahlias seemed to make up 99% of what was on offer. Or possibly they send the right message in the language of flowers.

After 3 years or so of virtually daily attendance, I have suddenly been accorded double rations status at my favourite café. What this means is that I get two helpings of tapas with my glass of wine. Effectively, I get my lunch for the price of a glass of Albariño. This, of course, is wonderful but quite what triggered the development I haven’t the faintest idea. It’s true that I’m a good tipper – by Spanish standards excellent – but I have been for a long time. Perhaps it’s an example of the renowned Galician conservatism. Or maybe my accumulated tips passed the tipping point this week.

The unstoppable Mr Fraga has announced that one of the politicians who have impressed him most is a Dominican gentleman who soldiered on – ‘for the sake of the people’ - until he was 89, blind and disabled. Not difficult to read the message here. Bring on the horse.