Two items on Spain appear in today’s British press, which is unusual. Firstly, there’s a report on plans to test bulls which don’t act bravely in the ring. This will be to check if they’ve been doped so as to make them act ‘more like gatitos [kittens] than toros bravos. Secondly, there’s a report that the Competition Commission is almost certain to recommend the break-up of BAA. This is the company which owns 7 UK airports and which now belongs to the Spanish group, Ferrovial. The provisional report of the CC says that “BAA currently shows a lack of responsiveness to the interests of airlines and passengers that we would not expect to see in a business competing in a well-functioning market.” And it adds that they’re “inclined to the view that common ownership of the BAA airports is a feature of the market which adversely affects competition between airports and/or airlines”. Los días están contados, it seems to me.

Today is St George’s Day, which will probably be celebrated more in Georgia than in England. Those who feel it’s time for a truly English parliament have set up a new web page to further this cause. And, with nice timing, it’s reported that the EU has published another of those maps showing new regions that cut across national boundaries. This one included the Manche Region – Bits of southern England and northern France; the Atlantic Region – bits of west England, Wales, Portugal and Spain; and the North Sea Region – bits of England, all of Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands and parts of Germany. Allegedly, “Each zone will have a ‘transnational regional assembly’, although they will not have extensive powers”. Fascinating. If only as evidence of pipe-dreaming among Brussels bureaucrats with time on their hands.

The driver who killed 9 Finns and seriously injured more than 20 others at the weekend is said to be facing a jail term of 15 years. Well, we’ll see. Meanwhile, witnesses have said he was travelling way above the 120kph limit on wet and winding roads. This is not uncommon in Galicia. Hence our mortality statistics. And our insurance premiums.

Galicia Facts

The new leader of Paraguay is a Catholic bishop called Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez. I’m just guessing that his family emigrated from somewhere near Lugo here in Galicia. Perhaps to get better weather . . .

Samuel Johnson once said "To call upon the sun for peace and gaiety or deprecate the clouds lest sorrow should overwhelm us is the cowardice of idleness and the idolatry of folly." Well, as I sit here contemplating the thick fog outside my window – or is it a low cloud? - I feel very tempted to indulge in a little idleness and folly worship. I think I preferred the rain. At least I could see beyond the end of my garden. But they say this will all change tomorrow. Snow?