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A strange thing. No security at St Pancras last night. All the chaps and chapesses that used to lounge around giving arriving Eurostar passengers Hard Looks and occasionally dragging one off for interrogation were missing.

Arrived from the far south at Paris GdL, coughing and sneezing from last month's Spanish virus, no health checks. Hire car to ParisGdN, two security checks, no health checks. Nobody wearing masks, no nothing. Paris obviously unconcerned.

Yes, Spitting Image returns !

I popped into our German estate agent yesterday (charming lady) to tell her we'd be away and she said she'd never known the place so deserted, nobody about. Things were bad with the EU economy on the last legs, but sensationalist reporting of The Plague has meant tourists are staying at home.

Spain has lower rates of income tax than many countries for top earners or people with juicy pensions. Or politicians (except the Catalans in prison).

Back in the world of reality, UK tax on my pathetically small pension is 60% of what I used to pay in Spain. It is also straightforward to declare.

Well where else would you eat it ?

When I were a lad, our cat Tina loved spaghetti and also my mum's home-made bread.

A saintly person died and at the Pearly Gates St Peter offered him the choice of becoming God or the Chairman of Barça football team. He replied that the Chairman of Barça IS God.

Hey, I have insurance with them. Good guys. Highly recommended.

What do you call a double-decker bus full of solicitors driving over a cliff ? A good start....

Tidying up house before departure. Found fragment of stucco plaster on lower terrace. WTF ? Looked up, large chunk of upper terrace wall missing, rusty railings forced it off. One reason why I have everything here, including Rapido (cement). Mixed up bucket, filled hole, hope rain staying off. Bugge...

......teen girls with sad little faces mindlessly repeating selective items they have read elsewhere whilst lacking the knowledge or experience to challenge the 'facts' they embody.....and thousands of children believing them....

1) Receive a link from another member of this site, saying the Spanish are worried about resident ex-pats moving to Portugal where it's cheaper, and what can they, the Spanish, do to stop this trend. 2) Watch Spanish TV news to see discussion in Madrid government about reducing benefits and raising ...

International outrage this morning at scenes on TV breakfast news of Greek (?) coastguard boat trying to sink a large RIB loaded with immigrants using a pole, stabbing the boat, and then firing warning shots into the sea.

Waking up to clear skies and wind howling at the bedroom window. Spent yesterday doing repairs around the house, things which mysteriously self-destructed at the Last Minute. Big car plugged in to the pulse charger to await our return. Would be nice if estate agent sold the place over Easter but can...

If I hear any more over-hyped angst-ridden panic stricken reporting about the Corona, I shall do a Violet Elizabeth Bott...

Light bulbs ? Actual light bulbs and not LEDs ?

Fords come with a local language book plus a link to a webpage where you find the complete manual in English. However I must say Ford concentrate on being intuitive and I've rarely had to consult any books, as "it does what it says on the label".

Mrs OFSO's Wand Production. The ones for the mothers have built-in spells such as 'tidy your room', ' brush your teeth', 'stop hitting your brother', and 'Don't think I didn't see that because I did, young man'.

Oh those are so beautiful flowers ! Congratulations. Mrs OFSO deep in witchcraft, she has been making wands for all the families children and their mothers.... Will post a photo of possible.

Morning all. Grey and southerly winds battering us. Catalunia in mourning this morning. Barça thrashed by Madrid 2:0.