The news from Madrid

It was a glorious day today in Madrid. None of those nasty rain-bearing clouds, just the occasional cirrus-y type wisp. Or maybe fair-weather cumulus. Oh, heck - I know nothing about clouds. Anyway, no hint of lluvia, and bright sparkling sunshine. Of course, being in class for 7 hours cuts down on my time for frolicking in the sunshine. So I have no direct frolicking experiences to report on. Instead, I thought I would fill you in on what madrileños are talking about these days.

Well, first things first:

La Infanta Sofía visita a Orson, el niño de Paz Vega

Before leaving the maternity ward on Friday, the new Infanta, and her family

left to right, Doña Letizia, la Infanta Sofía (3), el Principe (1), la Infanta Leonor (2)

paid a visit to the other royal family in the same ritzy maternity clinic. Yes, the hispanohablante star of "Spanglish", Paz Vega, gave birth (or, as the Spanish put it, "gave to the light") her very own bundle of joy, Orson on Wednesday, following the ever-popular (at least, at the Ruber clinic) Caesarean section.

Paz Vega, the pearl of Andalucia, in the full glow of her imminent maternity. Image has been subjected to special slimming filters.

As you can imagine, this confluence of two royal families in the same clinic was too much for the press to resist. It's as if the Jolie-Pitts had dropped in, newly acquired offspring in tow, to greet the new Cruise clone. Even on the website of the normally staid El País, this story remains one of the most widely read, since its appearance on Friday.

Monday's second big local story concerns the difference between these two metro plans. Can you see what it is?

I will leave discussion of the whole distasteful Dolce and Gabbana brouhaha for another time.