Mr Zapatero's visit was, in effect, a counter to right-wing hostility to greater autonomy for Catalonia.

ECONOMIST: Spain and its regions

Here the check-in counter resembles a riot, and on my last visit spilled out of the airport itself.

FORBES: Telluride - My New Favorite Ski Resort?

Standing in a recently cleaned and dusted living room (probably cleaned in anticipation of my visit), I quietly place my yellow paper legal pad on the counter behind me.

FORBES: Lemon Squares and the Acceptance Thereof

Speaking on a visit to a housing estate in Stevenage, Mr Brown stressed that there would be no cuts in the counter-terrorism budget to be spent in Pakistan and it would increase next year.

BBC: Ministers defend counter-terror spending in Pakistan