Galicia at the top of the list again!

I found this interesting little cartoon in the paper this morning, accompanied by some statistics. If you are worried about going bald, according to the statistics I found, you should come and live in Galicia where you have less chance of losing your hair. At least, that’s what the headlines say: MENOS CALVOS EN GALICIA.

And then you look at the details and it turns out that 80% of Galician men have a “predisposition” for hair loss together with 13% of Galician women. The national average is 80% for men (that looks the same to me!) and 16% for women. So Galicia wins on the baldness stakes thanks to the women. Not really enough to have you tearing your hair out if you don't live here!!!

In another area, though, Galicia should be proud to be at the top of the statistics. According to the newspaper La Voz de Galicia, this comunidad autónoma is one of the areas of Spain with the smallest number of bullfights. With only eight bullfighting fiestas each year, three of them in La Coruña and four in Pontevedra, Galicia manages to have one bullfight for every 341.000 people, a statistic only beaten by Cataluña where they have only one per 456.000. According to a Gallup poll 86% of the population of Galicia are opposed to bullfighting, compared with a national 72%. Compare that with Castilla La Mancha where there is one bullfightper 4220 people. Way to go Galicia! And congratulations Cangas across the bay from Vigo for officially banning bullfights!!

Mind you there is still some support here. Eduardo Lozana, owner of the Pontevedra bullring says that bullfighting is still strong in Galicia despite the statistics. Esto es como el catolicismo; cuanto más nos atacan, más fuertes somos, he declares. In other words, the more people attack bullfighting, the stronger it becomes, just like the Catholic Church (under a bit of attack for other reasons at the moment and not looking too well, but that’s another story). He dismisses the Cataluña situation declaring that bullfighting there was already a bit weak whereas in Galicia he feels it is perfectly good health.

Meanwhile King Juan Carlos is in the news today for giving his support to the fiesta nacional. He has been presenting Trofeos Taurinos awarded by the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. After the ceremony when reporters asked if this meant he was a supporter of bullfighting he is said to have replied Por supuesto (of course). He even added that his daughter the Infanta Elena will be attending some of the bullfights as part of the Feria de Abril in Sevilla.

Hmm, a modern monarch with some traditional ideas! The debate continues!!