Water, bikes and things that are good for you.

I read in the paper that regular immersion in cold water is good for you. It stimulates all sorts of bits of the nervous system, helps you lose weight and is good for combatting depression. So my daily dips in the sometimes chilly water of the pool are even better for me than I thought. Not that I have been much on the pool this week with all rushing off to catch trains to Pontevedra. I wonder where the cold water theory leaves all the spas I have come across with their heated pools! Those who do not have a handy chilly pool to fall into should try to force themselves to brave a cold shower! So said the article I read anyway!

Yesterday, Friday, we travelled to Ponters early so that we could have lunch with our friend Colin. On the train we got chatting to an English family who had begun their holiday in Santiago de Compostela, had a few days in Vigo in an Air B&B place and were going to Pontevedra for a few days before returning to the UK. All of this they had booked online months back in the UK, including tickets for a trip to the Islas Cíes. Mind you, there had been a slight hiccough with the Cíes booking, something to do with their card not being recognised. But the whole Cíes visiting operation has come on leaps and bounds from the first time we visited when you had to go down to the harbour and hope there was room on the boat you favoured.

After lunch I abandoned the chess player to his own devices. A visit to the museum, a refresco while I checked my email in a wifi cafe, a stroll along the river under the trees in the late afternoon and another refresco were the order of the day. Here is a selection of some of the fine pictures kn the museum.

Our friend Colin has taken to cycling around Pontevedra centre. It's good for him! He keeps pretending to lock his bike to trees and lamp posts, having forgotten the number for the combination lock. Nobody has stolen his bike yet.

Coincidentally, here is a post from a group I follow on Facebook, Forum for Europe, Mostly EU citizens in the UK trying to make sense of Brexit and things:

 "Hi All, I called the Cambridge constabulary to report a bike crime that occurred on my property. As the bike was stolen from my patio, I gave them my home address in Cambridge. They then asked me what my nationality was, and whether I have a British passport. Is that normal?"

When did things like that start to happen? And we haven't even properly left Europe yet!

What has happened to my country?