Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day

Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.   

- Christopher Howse: 'A Pilgrim in Spain'*

Living La Vida Loca . . .

• I'm now in a country where masks are only compulsory on public transport. There was virtually no one wearing a mask anywhere in ouda last night, though there was a degree of social distancing in restaurants. But not much.
• Being accustomed to donning a mask every time I leave the house back in Spain, I felt rather uncomfortable not wearing one here.
• But reading this article this morning left me a tad more relaxed.
• The countryside outside Gouda is exceptionally pretty. As are the villages. Water everywhere, of course, and lots of impressive traditional windmills in nearby Kinderdijk.

• Here's María's Day 35 of her chronicle back home in Galicia.  

The USA

• An interesting article on US society.
• And another amusing video from J-L Cauvin. Fart on beans. Aptly enough.

English/Spanish

• Three more refranes:-

- He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day: Quien en tiempo huye, en tiempo acude.

- He who pays the piper calls the tune: Quien paga, elige.

- Health is better than wealth: La salud es la mejor riqueza. Mas vale la salud que el dinero/la riqueza. Primero es la salud que el dinero.

Finally . . . '

• Back in France I was foxed by a menu item which spoke of ‘fish balloting in tartare sauce' . I guessed that this had nothing to do with voting so asked the waiter. Which didn't help much. So I googled it and found that balloter means to toss, and that a ballotine  is: Boned meat, poultry, or fish that is stuffed with seasoned meats or vegetables, rolled and tied into a bundle shape, and usually braised. The dish was very tasty, by the way.

• And 'braising' is first frying and then stewing slowly. For poorer cuts of meat, allegedly. Inow recall my mother used to send me for ‘braising steak’. Which presumably wasn’t really steak at all.

* A terrible book, by the way. Don't be tempted to buy it, unless you're a very religious Protestant.