Beyond the political manifestations, the Summit will also count on a series of parallel ceremonies, events and meetings, as the inauguration of the exhibition "So vast freedom in such narrow rule - the Art of the Tile in Portugal", that shall be attended by the Kings of Spain.
The Kings of Spain, Don Juan Carlos and Doņa Sofía, along with the Latin American presidents kept a minute of silence at the beginning of the inaugural session of the XV Latin American Summit of Salamanca, in memory of the victims of the Stan hurricane that affected Central America and of the four people who passed away yesterday in Catalonia, as result of heavy rains.
In his speech, HM the King pleaded for a greater projection of Ibero-America in the international concert, where it must occupy the position that corresponds "to its dimension, political and economic potential".
He also remembered that "many million people yearn for concrete results of this summit". For Don Juan Carlos, the Latin American countries stand out for their values of respect to the human rights, democracy and multilateralism.
The day began in the famous Plaza Mayor, at 10 oclock, when - under rain - the kings Juan Carlos and Sofía arrived at the City Hall of Salamanca, where they were awaited by Zapatero. Minutes later, the several Heads of State and Government that participate in the summit arrived.
HM the Queen and the wives of the heads of State and Government that are attending the XV Latin American Summit made today a route by the old town of Salamanca, to admire the main architectonic jewels of this city of palaces and churches.
The visit began in front of the main entrance of the University. Once in the library, the ladies watched some of its main bibliographical jewels: 'El libro de las horas' of Doņa Sancha (a manuscript of the XI century), an original manuscript of 'El libro del buen amor' of Arcipreste de Hita, a series of gorgeous cartography books of South America from 1662 and an astronomical map of 1540, among others.
When the rain stopped, the ladies took a walk to admire the facade of the new cathedral and the altarpiece of the old cathedral. After signing the honour roll, the first ladies visited the church and the Dominican convent of San Esteban.
The rain threat and the strict safety measures forced the wives of the heads executives to make good part of route by bus. However, there was also time for a brief stroll and the irregular ground of old stones of the churches made some ladies test their skills on high heels; that was particularly the case of the first lady of Honduras, Aguas Ocaņa, who was wearing shoes of very thin heel, matching a shining narrow skirt that caught the attention of many people passing by.
The stroll was finally concluded with a group photo of the Queen with the wives of the presidents and prime ministers, in front of the main facade of the Dominican Convent, and under the applause of a small group of people, who cheered the ladies from a neighbour street.
I know that the King and Queen have met up with and spent time with many if not all of these politicians and their spouses at least once, but I am constantly impressed each time I am reminded, how friendly and affectionate both the King and Queen seem to be.
In all of these pictures (thank you to everyone by the way! :) ), the King has his arms around presidents and prime ministers, the Queen has linked her arms with their spouses, both of their Majesties are smiling and laughing with them, their heads bent deep in conversation as if no one else was around.
It is obvious that despite the business and the politicking as lucys says, everyone is having a good time and the King and Queen are making all of their guests feel welcome. This is why I love this family so much!
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