The
sunshine has forced me into desperate measures for my being able to
read what is on the computer monitor. A combination of reflections
and finger mark smudges (there are disadvantages to having a touch
sensitive screen) mean that ordinary twelve point print is unreadable
and I have had to boost the size to a level which is near to those
wonderful large print books that there used to be in public libraries
and which I loved to read because of the speed with which you could
turn the pages! I also liked to think of myself in the position of a
medieval monk turning over the pages of a vellum codex as each
massive page gave way to the next. That probably says more about me
than I should reveal!
Anyway,
the end result is that, even with obtrusive reflections, I can
actually read what I am typing. There was another obvious way of
dealing with the difficulty by turning my chair – but that seemed
far too much like hard work when the difference could be made by
finger tapping rather than major physical activity.
Another
reason for my lethargy is that I have those sneaking signs of an
incipient cold: the vague rumours of harshness in the throat; the
slight abrasion at the back of the nose, and a cough with
repercussions. As a precautionary measure I have decided against my
daily swim and have cancelled my poetry meeting this evening. This
will not, of course, stop us from going out to lunch – I look on
that experience as positively medicinal.
Talking
of food, my meal yesterday was almost completely 'foreign' in the
right sense of the word. My main course was chopped cuttlefish and
peas, while my starter was a couple of eggs and vegetables in a sort
of sauce cooked in a mini paella metal dish. These two plates were
made even more delicious by the addition of 'My Sauce' which is a
unique feature of one particular restaurant and has a savage power.
I love it. My sweet was a piece of eggy bread with syrup. And of
course a bottle of red wine with the sugarless fizzy water that makes
it drinkable – and all for less than ten Euros! Ah, the joy of
living in Catalonia!
The
political situation in Spain and Catalonia continues to be compulsive
viewing as the various political parties and politicians jockey for
position and power. The look of Congress is certainly different with
the old guard of ties and suits look out of step with the more casual
new members who have just entered parliament for the first time –
they truly bring some oxygen of reality to the previous bunch of
Mafiosi who dominated past gatherings.
Bromo,
our present president en funciones (in other words the president
until someone other than that walking joke is elected) and leader of
the largest group in Parliament, but unable to form a majority
government, must be feeling increasingly desperate as time goes on
and there is no intention of anyone with a shred of social
credibility (I exclude the C's party from that) of joining with his
bunch of corrupt goons to form a new government. The Left is
fragmenting in the way that it always does and the possibility of a
new election is gaining support. In an opinion poll today 71% said
that they would prefer a new election to any pact! God alone knows
what might happen in new elections.
As
far as I can see, PP (the totally systemically corrupt conservative
party here in Spain) has a core vote of something like 29% and it
doesn't appear to matter how many corruption scandals there are
directly involving PP (and they are legion!), these 'faithful' will
vote for them. The new C's party, which is right wing, has a young
and photogenic leader who seems solely concerned with his personal
acquisition of power and will obviously support PP while paying lip
service to anti-corruption. At the moment these two parties have
insufficient seats to form a government. Already PP have started
accusing the left wing parties of being soft on terrorism and
refugees in anticipation of reaping a right wing surge of support
against the left which will give them a majority. They have already
milked the 'breaking up of Spain' and blaming Catalonia promoting
themselves are the only true defenders of a united Spain.
Scaremongering always works for the right and, with the
overwhelmingly right wing press and television services it could work
for them again and give PP a shock overall majority in a re-fought
election. I hope to god not, but it is a real possibility.
And
that is pause for thought!
