Sp. TV; Those blasted drums; Degrees; Next door noise; & Fotos.

There are 2 odd things about Spanish TV audiences:- 1.They sit behind the 'performers' and so are visible to the viewers, and 2. They're paid to be there. It seems the going rate used to be higher but, what with La Crisis and increased demand for seats, it's fallen to around €10 a day. And there's a lot of waiting around. And being cold.

The drums! The drums! Every weekend now, the thud, thud, thud of these reaches me from somewhere down in the city. I assume they're practising for Semana Santa, Holy Week, rather than for the bacchanalia which takes place at the end of Lent. With Easter Sunday being very early in April this year, this seems a bit premature to me. Especially as there only seems to be one (slow) tune. But what do I know? Perhaps they're also practising the ponderous, swaying walk of those men (un)lucky enough to be chosen to carry the heavy wooden biers on which the gaudy statues perch.

Spain is once again less different. It's been traditional here for first degree courses to last either 4 or 6 years. And for Masters to take only 1 year. That said, if your parents are willing to pay, you can - at least in some universities - go on and on until you graduate. Years ago, I read a letter in a local paper in which the Dean of the Law Faculty in Santiago said that one of his pupils had been there for over 20 years. But, anyway, thanks (I think) to Bologna, the government has said first degree courses will conform to the European norm of 3 years and Masters degree will be extended to 2 years. Needless to say, not everyone is happy with this.

It's well known in this neck of the woods that my neighbour Toni, when home from the sea, does an excellent (and frewuent) impression of an unhappy whale. To this normal level of noise, yesterday was added loud music of the 'pop' variety. It could have been Toni or it could have been one of his teenage sons. Eventually, I decided this was game for 2 players and put on Beethoven's 5th, with max bass and the volume set at 11. Suffice to say, I emerged the winner.

I think I may have asked before what el bioquing is. Buying and cooking for you, it seems. Has the word been lifted from English?:-

Here's 3 examples of the dreadful graffiti that despoils Pontevedra's old quarter:-

And, finally, here's the junction in town at which the one-way traffic flow has been reversed in recent months. When you approach from the right hand side, you can't see any traffic coming from the top until it's err . . on top of you. Hence, my near-miss of last week. Brilliant. Can you see any STOP sign for traffic coming from the right?