I admire these Galicians

I admire these people, who tend to waltz in the streets during holidays, lavish love and attention on their kids, eat chorizo and octopus and drink white wine with joy and moderation, and work hard. Last night, after what had been busy night at the restaurant, we sat outside with Fonso´s friends and compared life here and in California. A couple of observations: while you can legislate gay marriage, it takes a long time for society to accept such things. There is a big divide in this society between those who were born before Franco and after Franco, with the later group, in attitude and worldview, being like European counterparts in Stockholm or Dublin. What impresses me about younger Spaniards is their insistence on change and adopting the best aspects of European society. They feel that the Catholic Church ruled and abused the people during Franco's time, and have been discredited as a legitimate political force. And my friends predict that in the next 10 years, there will be a full accounting for the right-wing attrocities of the Franco era, as this democracy settles into middle age. A national reconcilliation would be a good thing for this country that still hesitates to discuss the recent past.

With the coming of the Euro here, prices have risen on most things and last night we walked through a large youth gathering (16-25) on the wharf, where people were hanging out and avoiding the high prices of bars and clubs -- just drinking beer and rum, listening to music and playing pranks on each other. While some were tipsy, it was not like similar scenes in the UK where there is more dangerous atmosphere of drunk and fighting gangs. Last night, people were content...enjoying the temperate weather and moonlight, the company of good friends, and the taste of the local beer, Estrella Galicia. All at 4AM. This American included.