The Galician Stick

UPON entering the confines of rural Galicia, one of the first things that jumps out is the use of the stick. No, it’s not a cane. This stick doesn’t sport a brass or curved, crooked handle. It’s just a long stick ­ young or old; everyone has one.

Coming from a stickless society in the US, the need for one on a ramble down a country lane seemed off. Sure, all the pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago through Galicia use walking poles on their epic journeys. But the Galician stick bearers weren’t pilgrims. They are women in aprons or men in pullovers and flat caps. Like something from another century. So, what’s with the stick, I wondered.

It turns out, sticks aren’t what they seem. They are often heirlooms handed down from a parent or grandparent to an adult child. Cherished. So the stick carried by our neighbour to herd her cows from one field to another might well be over 100 years old. And I’m pretty sure these wooden rods are filled with magic.

Our neighbour stopped by to deliver vegetables. She had her stick, and we exchanged pleasantries. When she left, I noticed she had left her stick. Surely, I would see her later. I put it into the umbrella stand and forgot about it. But there was a knock shortly ­ she was back.

“This was my Mother’s stick,” she told me. She wanted to make sure our dog didn’t get it.

We woke up one morning recently to a stick standing just inside our front door. It caught my eye, and I went over to examine it. The top had a knot smoothed over with years of use by some invisible hand.

But where had it come from? I asked my husband, Jeff, and he knew nothing about it.

It seems Galicia provided us with a stick, knowing we are here to stay.

Denmark

Globe trotter

DANISH man completes decade-long journey visiting every country without flying. Torbjørn Pedersen's trip started in October 2013 and lasted 3,512 days. He relied on buses, trains, boats, and walking to complete the epic journey and all with just a $20 daily budget. He arrived in the Maldives as his 203rd and final country, returning home on a container vessel.

Quran burning

DENMARK faces backlash after a Quran burning incident which lead to protests following the desecration of the holy book outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen. The act triggered widespread condemnation and raised concerns about freedom of expression versus respecting religious sensitivities. Danish authorities' handling of the situation, including the arrest of a woman trying to protect the Quran, drew criticism.

The Netherlands

Litter louts

GOING green can be costly as Amsterdam Council has found out since Holland imposed a refundable fee on buying products in cans and bottles. Many simply throw these away in rubbish bags which are ripped open by those looking to reclaim the deposits from shops leaving rubbish scattered throughout the city streets.

Geothermal heat

ICELAND has learned to live with its volcanoes and geothermal heat which helps to warm 90 per cent of its houses at vastly reduced financial and environmental cost. Now a group in Friesland in the north of The Netherlands, the Stogef Foundation wants to do the same using water from an underwater dormant volcano.

Italy

Joint arrest

A joint collaboration between the police forces of Italy and Spain has led to the arrest in Madrid of a violent fugitive on Monday, July 24.

The Spanish National Police arrested the man who is wanted in Italy for drug trafficking, violence and money laundering offences.

Famous u-turn

Alessandra Mussolini, 60, the granddaughter of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and also niece to Sophia Loren, has performed a U-turn, from her infamous far-right homophobic comments to now advocating for LGBTQ+ rights

Ms Mussolini was previously a pop singer, playboy model and film actress before she took up politics.