I
mentioned to my friend Jon I'd been surprised – when buying
toothpaste – to see that Carrefour was selling sex toys. “That's
nothing” he said. “Just round the corner from here there are
three vending machines and one of them sells nothing else.” What is
this country coming to? As it were.
Incidentally,
Carrefour's sex toys are sold under the Durex
brand. In the UK this is associated with condoms but in Australia, as
I recall, it's a brand of sellotape. Indeed, durex may now be the
generic name for the stuff down there. Though not in the USA, where
it's scotch tape, I think.
I
am a big fan of Brittany Ferries, having used them at least twenty
times without finding anything to complain about. Which is quite
something. So I was intrigued to learn today that the enterprise was
initiated by Breton farmers, in 1972, to provide access to the
British market. Making the UK easier to reach than Paris! All very
appropriate, really, as Brittany was settled by Brits – hence the
name – way back before the end of the Roman period. Which is why
the Breton language is similar to Cornish and Welsh. Not
that Bretons will be able to find many speakers of the former to chat
with.
Speaking
of Brittany . . . I may have asked this before but can anyone say why
one of the items on a particularly amusing menu here in Galicia was
Mussels
to the seaman's blouse?
Walking
behind a young Spanish woman the other day, I was struck by the fact
she looked at her reflection in every shop window we passed. If there
was a wall and no glass, she didn't bother to turn her head. I wonder
if all Spanish women do this. More research is clearly required.
When
all the dust had settled in Cataluña, the pro-independence parties
had garnered 48% of the vote, against 45% for the parties against it.
So, no clear mandate for change. Raising the spectre of a No vote
when push eventually comes to shove.
They
haven't yet gone so far as the bar owners of Ferrol, but it's
fascinating to see their counterparts here in Pontevedra building up
their street furniture to make things comfortable for their smoking
clients during the winter. Key, of course, is one or more flaming
heaters. I'm quite sure some of this expansion across pavements is
illegal but no one seems to care about that. Live and let live – a
fundamental principle of Spanish life.
Finally
. . . I have a friend on Facebook whom I've not actually met.
Ex-wife of a friend I have met. She sent me a request to play a game
called Bubble
Safari.
As this was of no interest, I ignored it. But the request was
repeated. And repeated. And repeated. So I did what one needs to do
to stop it coming into my newsfeed(?) and thought that was that. But, no. Up
in the right hand corner of my page, I'm told I've now had 24
requests to play this game. I feel like I'm being stalked. By a
bloody computer!
Lastly,
lastly . . . For those who live in southern Galicia or northern
Galicia, here are the numbers of an Englishman, Pierre Cornlouer,
(honest) who will deliver to your door all those British or American
foods you're missing. Well, most of them.
Landline:
(00 34) 986 683 506
Mobile:
(00 34) 667 543 717
Happy
eating!.
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