To some she is merely the trophy girlfriend of footballer Iker Casillas. But when the British press accused her of distracting goalkeeper Casillas in the 2010 World Cup, and thus causing Spain’s shock first-round defeat to Switzerland, the response was overwhelming. Spanish newspapers, commentators and fans of every political stripe defended the sports journalist in a rare case of Spanish unity. And the Spanish wife of British deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Miriam González Durántez, sent a stinging letter to The Times in which she called on it to “treat women for who they are, and not simply for what their male partners do.” … [Read more...] about Sara Carbonero
famous people
José Tomás
Bullfighting may be suffering an unstoppable crisis, with attendance down and a ban coming into effect in Catalonia, but Tomás is its great hope. With a hair-raising disregard for his own safety, the torero from Galapagar apparently sees getting nearly gored to death as just another day at the office; one particularly angry bull nearly killed him in Mexico in 2010. The enigmatic Tomás stays out of the media spotlight, avoiding the b-list celebrity merry-go-round that so many of his fellow bullfighters revel in. … [Read more...] about José Tomás
Patxi López
The Basque Country’s Socialist premier isn’t the most attention-grabbing politician in Spain. But he could make a case for being the most effective in difficult circumstances. When he formed a regional government in 2009 and broke the three-decade rule of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), few expected his administration to last. Given that the Socialist Party’s partner in government was its traditional foe the conservative Popular Party (PP), it looked more like a suicide pact. But despite their differences and nationalist hostility, the pragmatic López and PP moderate Antonio Basagoiti have stayed together long enough, at least, to see ETA declare the end of its terror campaign, and to … [Read more...] about Patxi López
Ferran Adrià
The most famous chef in the world is more than a chef. He authors books, supervises “workshops” and even takes part in artistic events such as the 2007 Kassel show in Germany. Adrià, head chef of the now-closed El Bulli never seemed to be trying to make cooking look easy – just look at some of his recipes, such as Carrot Air or Kellogg’s Paella. But the emperor of molecular gastronomy has made people conscious of how unearthly and challenging food can be. He says: “The most important thing is to make people happy, but the second is to give them something to think about.” Keep cooking, Ferran. … [Read more...] about Ferran Adrià
King Juan Carlos
The boyish grin, the Bourbon nose, the endless joshing: even if he wasn’t the king of Spain, you could spot Juan Carlos a mile off. But despite the down-to-earth bonhomie, he has a livelier CV than most living monarchs. Juan Carlos accidentally shot his brother dead with a hunting gun as a child. He then became the protégé of dictator Franco, expected to ensure the country stayed “old school”. But Juan Carlos proved he was more than a tyrant’s puppet by steering Spain into democracy and then foiling a 1981 attempted coup with a now-historic television address to his people. All by the age of 43. Who can blame him for enjoying the high life since? … [Read more...] about King Juan Carlos