Image: Sergio Betancort
The former President of the Government of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, is already in Lanzarote to spend his holidays on the island, and this Wednesday he held a meeting with the press at the Castillo de San José. "Without a doubt, I will recommend Lanzarote to my friends. I like the island and I want to know the history and the corners that I don't know yet", said Zapatero, who has already become a regular tourist in Lanzarote.
The former President of Spain has praised the island, has assured that "he likes it a lot" and that he wants to continue "discovering it". "The first time I came was eleven years ago. Now I hope to be able to get to know the island more calmly", he said, while saying that he would invite Angela Merkel to visit Lanzarote, who although she has already visited the Canary Islands has not yet set foot on the island of volcanoes.
In this informal meeting he confessed that his favorite spot is Famara: "I love running there, under that gorge that protects the beach, which is spectacular." Zapatero also likes to run up to the hermitage of Las Nieves. In addition, he wants to visit the island of La Graciosa, where his wife has been, on a trip she made alone to Lanzarote. "It is my pending subject, because I have not set foot on that island", he indicated.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has rented a house in the south of the island with his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa, to spend part of the summer. For the moment, he is not planning to buy a house on the island, as he pointed out in this informal meeting, where he also took an interest in asking journalists about corners of Lanzarote.
"I will always like to come"
Another reason why he likes Lanzarote is because of the "style of César Manrique". "It is all over the island and reminds us of the duties we have with Lanzarote", he said. Zapatero has spoken about his "relationship" with Lanzarote. "I will always like to come. There are things in life that are inexplicable. One of them is what you feel when you get to know a place. The truth is that the relationship with Lanzarote is very good, we get along very well", he said.
Zapatero will take advantage of his holidays on the island of Lanzarote to "write" a book about reflections on the crisis, which seems to be quite advanced, although he preferred not to give more details. In addition, he has assured that he is "investigating" ways to run, which has become his favorite sport. Asked if he will ever dare to participate in the Ironman, Zapatero said: "No, the Iroman is the NBA of good physical shape."
He also assured that the part he likes most about the island, the one that most "attracts" him, is "the people". "I like the way the people of Lanzarote are. I have always seen them as kind and polite and they have a calm philosophy of life."
The former President of the Government of Spain did not want to comment on the oil exploration on the coasts of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, nor on the economic situation of Spain. In this sense, he explained to the media that "you have to know how to assume each moment" and made it clear that he is no longer the President of Spain. "It is good that the value of my impressions is accompanied by perspective. We must reflect on the circumstances." "The level of responsibility is very different, but I hope things get better," he said.
Zapatero finished this informal meeting with the press asking about the weather these days and, fundamentally, about the wind. "Lanzarote has a lot of wind, but it is unique, because it means many things. It is volcanic, it is different and it is very quiet, despite the tourist development", he stressed.
