The Galicians are lamenting the lack of a summer; in the newspaper they are saying it’s a good job there’s the wonderful Galician countryside to roam around in even when it’s cloudy and my New Zealand friend here has posted “missing” notices on Facebook. Personally, I’m finding it quite pleasant, so long as the sun comes out for at least part of the day and provided it doesn’t rain on me. I can stand the night-time rain, which isn’t every night anyway, despite my occasional moans about it waking me up. I look at temperatures in other parts of Spain - 27° in Barcelona and Valencia, 32° in Sevilla, and an unbearable 33° in Madrid – and on the whole I would rather not have those extremes, not unless I’ve got a pool to fall into at least two or three times a day. The low to mid 20s will suit me nicely thank you.
The fuss about the Códice Calixtino rumbles on. It was handed over with much ceremony by Rajoy, Presidente del Gobierno de España, to the archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, with Feijóo, Presidente de Galicia, looking on, both smiling. There have been media comments that there really was no need for Mr Rajoy to be involved, while others reply that of course he should be there as the recovery of the book was a matter of international importance!!!
Further comments from one journalist lament the lack of care in handling the Códice. He points out that it is usual, when handling medieval documents, to wear gloves. Neither Rajoy nor the Archbishop did so during the hand-over. Shocking! The churchman then went on to leaf through the pages of the precious tome, exposing the delicate illustrations to the sunshine. Even more shocking! It’s a good job this summer isn’t a blazing 30+° then. As the journalist says, the book is obviously “en boas mans”.
Other politicians have been out and about but keeping a low profile. Zapatero has been seen by the newspaper El Mundo in Edinburgh. Running as José García he took part in the half marathon at the end of May. It’s one way of escaping from the crisis, I suppose. No way of escaping the press.
Language issues have been attracting my attention this week. In the free paper they do a daily feature called “galeg@s” (sic) where they interview people of some regional note. Yesterday they spoke to one Manu López Díaz, who is a “Community Manager”. The job title was in English and eventually they got round to asking him what his job consists of. He described himself as “un mediador entre a marca ou empresa con os clientes ou proveedores”. In other words a middleman of some kind. His job apparently is to “facilitate access to our products via the social networks”. Now, I would have called that a “communications manager” perhaps; yet another example of an English term being used in a new and interesting way.
And then today I have read about regional officials considering “o carpooling”, presumably as an economy measure. As this term means little to Galicians or Spaniards, they had to put a little explanation in brackets: compartir coche. I love it!!
And just this evening, in a beautician’s window, in the list of treatments available I spotted “resurfacing”, the ENGLISH word! I thought you only did that to roads. Please keep the new tarmac away from my skin!!
No comments on El Gallinero as yet. My friend phoned to say she got her dates mixed up. Half an hour before we were due to meet she was still in Pontevedra.
Lunch is postponed until tomorrow.
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