You may have read that the England football team is averse to playing in Madrid because of racist abuse the last time they did. And that Atlético Madrid is to be penalised by UEFA for a spot of trouble when they played a French team at their ground a while back. There seems to be a widespread view here that this is an Anglo-French conspiracy which reflects fear of the might of Spanish football and envy of Spanish success elsewhere in the sporting world. So, not much to do with actual events on the ground. This might, of course, be true but, given how rarely these two inveterate enemies agree on anything, it seems rather unlikely. But, should Hamilton win the Formula 1 championship, this should clinch things in favour of Spanish conspiracy thinking.

The average Spanish salary is reported to be some 34% below that of the EU as a whole. Or it was when the survey was carried out a year or two back. Worse, the gap has been widening. I guess this is a consequence of the dilution of the Spanish average by the lowish salaries of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants needed for the now-dead boom. So, statistically at least, things could improve as unemployment rises or the new workers accept the government’s financial inducement to become emigrants. It’s an ill wind . . .

Needless to say, the highest salaries in Spain are paid to the clever people who go into banking and financial services. Or they used to be. This, too, might change now.

Spain’s only large department store, El Corte Inglés, is to launch a cheap brand name [‘Aliada’] for its food, ‘drugs’ and perfumes. If I’m any judge, the prices will still be above those of other outlets. The store says it might also extend the exercise to its pet foods. Which reminded me of a visit earlier this week to a pet shop in Pontevedra in search of food for my grass snake. Behind the counter was a showcase stuffed with dog collars studded with all sorts of [I guess] fake jewellery. But they had none that would fit a snake. Other than a full boa constrictor or python, of course.

The official estimate of unsold properties in Spain at the end of the year is now 930,000. The article in which I read this spoke of these being joined soon by places started a year or so ago. Not to mention those near me on which work began more than two years ago. And which doesn’t look like being finished for at least another two.

Galicia

A lawyer friend here acts for Brits buying houses in Galicia. A month or so ago she was complaining that client numbers were down because of the fall in the pound and the economic downturn. But, suddenly, things are on the up again, as a result of what you might call The Second Wave - buyers who are keen to sue fraudulent agents and builders. As they say, if you use a lawyer, it’s expensive. If you don’t, it can be even more so. But I would say that.

An Englishman up in A/La Coruña has written a book called “Everything but the squeal”. I think it’s a sort of tour guide dedicated to the many variants of the Galician traditional pork stew, cocido. But I will write again when I have more details. Unless he beats me to it.

Which reminds me – We now have 62 members at the Anglo Galician Association Forum. Which you can visit here.