Having traversed Spain twice in the last ten days, I can say with confidence that the two things you'll now see on the edge of any large Spanish town are 1. brothels('clubs') and 2. swathes of empty real estate. If you're lucky you'll also see a vast modernistic edifice, built to compete with the Guggenheim in Bilbao. And maybe a new but as-yet-used airport. Reader Sierra has kindly supplied some data on the latter.

The troublesome ex-Treasurer of the governing PP party now admits to having €38m in Swiss bank accounts, not the piffling 24m previously cited. Allegedly, these were the proceeds of art and real estate sales and stock market earnings. I wonder if he really expects anyone to believe him.

I have some difficulty with the concept of God – whoever's God – having a private chat with one of His/Her followers down here on earth. This comment stems from the Pope's assertion that he was personally given divine advice on whether or not he stayed in the Vatican job of God's Stand-In. If this is really possible, then you have to wonder why He/She didn't give some good counsel to the British Cardinal who's just resigned over allegations that he 'behaved inappropriately' towards four priests a few years ago. Like “Don't”, for example.

Talking of 'inappropriate behaviour', the German princess who's said the be the floozie of the King of Spain has given an interview to El Mundo, in which she protests her innocence in one thing and another. What she doesn't give us are the names of the surgeon and the photographer who together made her look 30 years younger than she is.

Finally . . . Some nice jazz stuff from Miles Davis, entitled Sketches of Spain. Enjoy.