A funny thing happened to me on the way to my morning wi-fi café today. I was passed by a group of chatting/whistling demonstrators who were all very young and who couldn’t be criticised for being overdressed. And who were being followed by a couple of local policemen. Could it be a protest by supermodels, I wondered. But, no. They were assistants from the town’s clothes shops, of which there are many. No one could tell me what they were unhappy about but it was stressed they were doing this to close the shops on the first day of the summer sales. I doubt that they achieved much. Other than brightening the day for some of us.

Proceeding to said café, I found it full of young people, who are now on vacation from school of course. The noise level was what would surely be described as phenomenal in other countries but which would only rank as slightly higher than usual by Spanish standards. Fortunately, I always carry wax earplugs. Along with something to read, these are essential items for a relaxed life in Spain.

I see the presidency of the EU has moved from its low-profile and distracted predecessor, Spain, to Belgium - a country which is having difficulty holding itself together, never mind the 27-nation EU. Hard to believe but France24 reported this morning that Belgium was once seen as a model for the European superstate. Which may, of course, still prove to be the case. Though not quite as first thought. The French news channel also reported that, more than a year after the Lisbon Treaty, there’s still utter confusion about how the EU President and Foreign Minister roles fit with similar positions in member states. Particularly the big ones. The words “manage”, “whelk” and “stall” spring to mind. Good job the world’s economy is motoring along quite well and this problem is not a distraction from critical issues in that field.

I wrote the other day about Spanish parents’ attitude to risks faced by their kids and I was very interested to read the comments from Spanish readers. Then, this morning, I read that a father had allowed his 9 year old son take a quad bike onto the main road. But I was going to return to this subject tonight anyway. For I was sitting in a town square with friends yesterday when there was the squealing of brakes and that ominous thud that sounds like metal hitting flesh and bone. As it happened, this wasn’t the case but a van driver had narrowly missed a 5 year old girl who’d run straight out of a shop at the bottom of the square to join her parents half way up it. I took the opportunity to ask a Spanish friend whether the parents would have accepted any responsibility if there’d been an accident and she said, as expected, that they wouldn’t. And that the law would regard the driver as 100% responsible since the old quarter is basically pedestrianised and drivers of delivery vans must expect kids to run under their wheels. Which is logical, I guess. As, unattended by their parents, they're quite likely to.

Finally, and talking of Vegetables Square . . . I can’t recall whether I’ve already posted a foto of the refurbished Casa da Luz there. Apologies if so. It’s now a well-appointed office for the city’s tourist office. Which competes with both the Turismo and the Rías Baixas Tourist Board offices elsewhere in the city. As I say, I’m sure it makes sense to someone. But at least there’s someone who speaks English in the municipal version. Which is a major advance, if you want foreign tourists in the place.