Last word on the ceremony – There are many descriptions I could quote but this one appealed most - “Sometimes it looked like a seaside summer special on amyl nitrate.”
Meanwhile,
out in the grown ups' world, the markets had been temporarily calmed by
a joint pledge of Angela Merkel and François
Hollande on Friday to “do everything to protect the European
Union's single currency”. But I am the only person in the world to
realise that this is ambiguous and doesn't rule out them saving the
currency only for the pious North, while cutting loose the shirking
South? Time, as ever, will tell.
The
pigeons which plague Plaza de Verdura were mentioned – and
photographed – in yesterday's Diario de Pontevedra. It was
even reported that a decoy owl had been used by one bar, to no lasting
effect. But no mention of me and my multicoloured owl. It's ten years
now I and my blog have been ignored by the local media. It's a tough
and lonely life. Thank God for my readers.
What
I've called the endless conveyor belt of street musicians continues
to entertain us in the town's squares. Today saw the first appearance
of a chap playing the trumpet, accompanied by drums and other
instruments courtesy of a machine. Unable to hear ourselves speak, my
companion and I fled to the bar's interior, where the added advantage
was an absence of smokers.
The
number of building permits sought in Pontevedra to end June this year
was about 2,000. This compares with around 38,000 in 2007; 21,000 in
2008; and 21,000 in 2009. So,
even though the market bubble burst in 2007, around 21,000 permits
were sought in each of the next two years. Is it any wonder there's
so much empty property around? And bear in mind that properties
started in 2008 and 2009 could still be in construction in 2011 and
2012, such are the lead times in the Spanish construction industry.
Or, like the huge development down the hill from me, they could be
frozen in mid build.
Finally
. . . The already expensive toll roads in Galicia will effectively
rise 14% in September. This is because the companies will raise them
by a staggering 7.5% and the government will increase the VAT to 21%.
Which reminds me . . . I had my first 70 euros plus tank refill this
week. Ah, the joys of motoring!
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