The
EU has a summit over the next few days, though I'm not sure whether
its focus is Greece's need for more money or agreement of the EU
budget for the next seven years. One
participant is quoted as saying - “A political agreement is within
reach and I think it is our duty as finance ministers to get it.
Everyone has to accept that they will have to go beyond their red
lines.”
So, what exactly is the point of red lines, then? I ask again –
Does anyone really understand what's going on?
The
latest revelation from the Pope is that Jesus wasn't born in year
zero but 'several years before'. Which has apparently been known by a
few academics for a while now. But we all knew Christ wasn't really
born on a date of a pagan mid-winter festival, didn't we? That said,
whatever next? The Da Vinci code is true?
Talking
of the Pope . . . I couldn't help but notice his red shoes in a foto
in the paper. It crossed my mind there'd be nobody else in the world
sporting these. How wrong I was. Walking home across the bridge, I
crossed with a guy wearing a very similar pair. Perhaps a papal
nuncio in mufti.
Coming back from a casa relax
in Poio. Where we revel in three of these.
Changing
Spain 1: A night club owner who made life unbearable for people
nearby has been jailed for several years. The odd thing about the
trial was that it took place a long time after the action was
initiated and the club closed down. You might think that the
tardiness of justice here would militate against the taking of legal
action but, in fact, there seems to be – here in Pontevedra at
least – a tendency to make a denuncia at the drop of a hat.
I've even had to make one myself, when Toni called the police after
I'd seen someone in my garden.
Changing
Spain 2: One of the things that most surprised me when I came to
Spain was the number of branches of every bank in town. Plus the
number of employees sitting at desks in the banks, waiting to attend
customers dropping in without an appointment. It seemed a very
expensive way to do business and I only got to understand it better
when I came to know just how face-to-face the Spanish prefer to do
things. Well, the crisis has inevitably led to economies and there've
been several closures in town. At the national level, Spanish banks
have closed 5,000 branches since 2007, or 12% of the total. Despite
this, Spain still has more branches than any other country in Europe.
Her total of almost 40,000 compares with 11,600 in the UK. Plenty of
scope for further changes, I guess.
Best
ever put down? In a BBC comedy last night – the wonderful Getting
On – a lady doctor met one of her male colleagues in the
corridor. As they talked she said:- “Do you know that you have a
habit of touching women on the arm when you talk to them?” To which
he replied:- “I've always been interested in cougars”. Which
brought the immediate response:- “Yes, well I've always liked
ferrets but . . .” I was laughing too much to hear the end of the
sentence.
En
passant, nobody Spanish would think it odd for people to touch
each other on the arm as they talked. For the rest of us, it takes
some getting used to.
Finally
. . . A beautiful song, performed by beautiful people. For a very
worthwhile charity.
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