RENFE have a bit of a crisis of confidence at the moment, following the crash at Adamuz. Even on lines unaffected, drivers seem to be taking bends more slowly and generally expressing nervousness. We just tiptoed through the Canviador de la Boella at a snail's pace. Normally a bravado moment.

There are train stations and there are train stations. The very best look good even when covered in scaffolding.

It's only just occurred to me that in an aircraft window seat, you can get a GPS fix on your phone - and thus check that the driver is going the right way and identify landmarks. We just passed over Granada's Sierra Nevada Shopping Centre, the one with that nice Italian buffet! At 820 km/h, alas 🙁

What looks like open cast mining near Fataga, Gran Canaria. We all know about the canary in the mine - but are we ready for the mine in the Canary ?🤔 (No. OK. I'm truly sorry)

A day free in Gran Canaria, so I thought I would whizz around the island on the blue Guaguas ("woof woof!"). First surprise is that Santa Catalina lacks the amiable chaos of Spanish mainline bus stations. They have departure boards, an app, and orderly queues of passengers 🤔

Las Palmas has a Cuban restaurant that's almost a caricature. Scenes straight out of Buena Vista Social Club. The rum is Paticruzado, imported from Santiago.

Our morning Cuban music class takes place in a southern suburb of Las Palmas. I have taken to walking there, which takes only 1 hour. It's a lovely coastal stretxh, but alas you have a 6 lane highway for company 😕

"It's a Cha Cha, but not as we know it, Jim". Our Cuban music course gets progressively harder and at times is well beyond my capability. Only one participant even attempted this fragment, even given the music in advance (from "Latin Perspective", Oscar Hernandez). Popular music is not easy!

A new road sign to get used to in Spain, one of the first countries in Europe to recognise E-scooters. Legal from age 16, with a helmet, max 25 kph, in cycle lanes or on roads (not pavements). E-scooters seem pretty obviously a good idea, but remain unrecognised (/illegal) in much of the world.

Tonight 's Afro Cuban student gig is in La Sala Faro, in La Palma. One stage has a fabulous ocean backdrop. We're on the grotty one at the back. Prueba de sonido a las 19h.

Cuban music class day#2. Spent an hour today trying to learn the GUIRO. Actually, you need a lifetime. But here's a statue of a guy on the waterfront who seems to have mastered it 🤔

Day 1 of our Cuban music course in Gran Canaria. Some of these basic Cuban rhythms have English language mnemonics. Here are two of them: "I want some sausages now please for my breakfast" "I don't like cabbages, I like potatoes" But which rhythms do they correspond to? Dammit 🤔

To me, this story is about Keir Starmer. Even before the Epstein connection emerged, anyone who had followed Madison's career knew he was a total scoundrel - an inconceivable choice for any serious assignment. Yet Starmer made him US ambassador.

Huelva's deep water port is decidedly spooky. A 40 min taxi ride from town along unlit roads. Miles of industrial plant, tangles of pipework, pinpoints of light, little wisps of steam. But at the end, there's a bloody great ship tied up! Nothing else - and nobody around cos I'm early - but it'll do!

I really love the triple deck jetty at Huelva - especially the way it sweeps in from the river, crosses a roundabout and heads off into town - before abandoning hope and terminating a heap of rotting timbers. I fancy it's almost as nice as the one at Erith ("eariff") on the Thames.

Pukka Andalucian food. I wanted the spider, but spiders were off 🤔

Sevilla made the cycling press some years ago when they managed to squeeze a new cycle network into existing infrastructure, pinching space here and there. It seems to work well, and is especially handy now there are E-scooters everywhere. And skips of oranges, obviously 🤔

I've always loved these nautical flag codes, standardised around 1960, but dating from a world before electronic communications. My favourite is "November superior to Charlie" which is basically MAYDAY. The most urgent message you might ever send - yet it requires the hoisting of 2 flags 🤔

AFAIK, there are no food shops or facilities on Skomer. Puffin counting sounds fun, but you'd have to decide whether to count the ones you ended up eating 🤔

One of those rare issues that drives me into a rage! It's my life - and it will be my death. How can any grown-up think they have the right to impose their kindergarten theology on the rest of us? Most of them aren't even elected. Bring on the Parliament Act! And may it hasten their abolition.

I'm no fan of Barcelona airport but the Trains in Spain that race across the Plain are in trouble at the moment, following the horrific crash at Adamuz. Needs must.

Accordion button factory. 1 colour per day to allow for curing. I need ~300 buttons (inc spares) in 12 different colours, so I'm ~25% done. It's a foolish exercise because when you play you can't see the keyboard anyway! That's why some have dimples. But black & white would be too 'piano-friendly'🤔

It's odd that Jimmy Carter, outside of his presidential career, was always referred to as a "peanut farmer". It's true, but it feels like a media attempt at a put down - given his distinguished naval career before that. He is a timely reminder that presidents can be decent men.

America's slow puncture 🤔

A wall of one of our local châteaux has just collapsed, undermined by recent heavy rain. Nobody hurt. I always knew rain was a bad thing 🤔

It's a rare week in which we don't get a good dose of sun here in the Pays Catalan. Even in January. Thankfully, things are returning to normal. Otherwise there would be some explaining to do 😐

I know this is all losing the power to shock us, but this little example - editing an ICE image to show the victim as sobbing rather than quietly composed - proves something: the aim of the exercise is *performative cruelty*. Why else do it ?

Another great idea from Musk - build solar plants in thinly populated parts of Spain! Just brilliant! Why has nobody thought of that before? Oh...

Garage door springs don't last forever. One of ours broke recently and it turns out to be an exotic US make, so I had to get new ones shipped across the pond. It's from an eBay trader, so of course it comes wrapped in local newspaper, "the Rossmoor News". I shall have hours of fun reading this 🙂

A week from today, I'm due to be travelling by train from Figueres to Huelva, via the horrific crash site at Adamuz. Normal service is suspended, with replacement buses and slower trains. With at least one body still to be found and causes of the accident still under study, I think I need to replan🤔

I guess we have to make allowances for Donald because he is elderly and not well. But Greenland and Iceland really are 2 different countries. Seriously! For a taster of both, here's Steve Marsh's video on trying (and failing!) to fly Edinburgh->Iceland->Greenland www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuhv...

It's stopped raining here in the Pays Catalan, but it doesn't feel like it - so I'm having another "rainy day". Trying to clone some accordion buttons by making a silicone rubber mould and casting in resin. I'm crap at handicrafts, so this will probably fail and I'll have to 3D model/print instead 😦

@ladysusanvernon.bsky.social might even want to read this (with or without the googly eyes)🙂

I'm sure Tony Blair knows what he's doing getting involved in this, for he is an honourable man. So are they all, all honourable men 🤔

It was Salvador Dali who christened this place "the centre of the world". On a cold and rainy day in January, I feel entitled to a few doubts. It's a shopping centre with a bus station alongside ... 🤔

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that..."

The cynicism and toxicity of Spanish politics takes some getting used to. Even as the bodies are being hauled from the wreckage of the Cordoba train crash, the hard right are trying to make political capital out of it. Truly revolting.

Horrid and beastly weather today, so I'm soldering accordion switches and I've just realised that it might be time to buy a new tin of flux? You use so little, that it basically lasts forever. And I've had this tin ... forever. OTOH, it says it's "the most effective flux known". So maybe not yet?🤔

Castellfollit de la Roca is quite a startling place - and no surprise that maintenance of the basalt cliff face is a headache. For me, the biggest surprise is that main street is just bland suburbia. You could walk or cycle down here with no idea that there's a precipice just 20m to the right 🤔

Unspeakable conditions here today in the Pays Catalan. Barely survivable.

It's good to see The Canard ("Private Eye") getting into this. Immigration is increasingly demonised around the world, and France is no exception. We've applied for citizenship here, but there's a good chance we'll get rejected - despite being well integrated, self-sufficient and fluent in French 🤔

Outsiders like me have no chance of understanding this, so I asked AI (GLM-4.7 Reasoning). Here is it's analysis - complete with the internal thought processes. You are welcome 🤔

Crazy that we even have to think about this - but a Trump "invasion" of Greenland would likely be an easy win. But what then? I picture a mini Vietnam, a stream of US body bags, a global boycott of US products & economic tailspin. Seems to me it's the GOP that needs to stand up to Trump, not the EU🤔

I quite fancy one of these. Not for powering the car from wood/coal gas, but for carrying the rubbish bins down to our local recycling point without messing up the boot. There's no door to door bin collection in the Vallespir any longer. I wonder if Dacia make one? 🤔

Ah! So Machado is not stupid after all 🤔

EU diplomats are hardwired to keep doors open, tread carefully and act slowly. None of that works with Trump because he is wild. Surely, it's time to give the US notice on some of the bases, eg Diego Garcia? It's UK in name, but the seizure was basically illegal. Fix 2 things at the same time?🤔

Just had a haircut for the first time in ages. The "Samson Effect" is real; I needed a cup of Yorkshire tea afterwards. Or maybe it's the stress of doing it in another language/culture? There are stories that footballer Georgie Best would fly back to UK to avoid having his hair cut in Los Angeles🤔

Lovers of slow TV may already be glued to their screens watching the repair of the Lllangollen Canal ("The Whitchurch Breach"). But the extraordinary SPIDER EXCAVATOR sets a new standard in SLOWNESS. Here, it climbs over the canal bank and uses its beak to pull itself through the mud. Compelling🤔

I've been humming contentedly all day, following list night's result. LOSING is not tolerated at Real Madrid. Having just replaced their manager, the only sanction open to them is to cut all the players legs off. But I shouldn't be too complacent; it's Barça v Racing ("Rassing") Santander tonight🤔

Albacete (div 2) 2 Real Madrid 1 - with 10 mins to go! There is a god after all !