One of the differences between Spanish (Castellano) and Galician (Gallego) is that many words which begin with H in the former begin with F in the latter. Since this is usually the way they were in Latin, this gives Galician – some say - a good claim to superiority. So we have horno/forno, hormiga/formiga, hormigón/formigón, hogar/fogar and so on. I thought of all this last night when I saw a shop called Ferpes. And realised it was a good thing the name was Galician. Probably.

In this year’s version of the brochure put out by TurGalicia on Pontevedra, the opening page tells us that this part of Spain has been a natural target for numerous people who ‘practised pillage’, including the Normans, the Danes, the French, the Portuguese and (“the most bloodthirsty”) English under “the pirate Drake and the general Homobod”. Which is nice. But, anyway, a Google search for said general Homobod threw up only this and this, being the same text from local tourist agencies. My thought this might be some Dutch corsair called Humboldt was not endorsed by a second search. So I’m offering a huge prize for the most plausible explanation for this Spanish libel.

Mention of this guide on Pontevedra reminds me it’s one of my monthly challenges to get to the Turismo after the guide to local events has been published but before it has flown from the shelves. As there’s really no way of knowing which day (relatively) early in a month this will be, the only sensible strategy is to go in every day, on the off chance. This month, though, we have the added element that, as in every year, the July guide will be combined with that of August, to cover the entire spectrum of our summer fiesta. The advice at the Turismo today was that I come back on the 8th or the 9th of July. With which I may or may not comply.

Finally, if you don’t yet know what the Spanish mean when they talk of a kamikaze driver, then read this.