Meanwhile, in Spain...

Smoking is now banned in indoor public spaces. I never thought I would see the day. When I studied in Spain, I used to come home from evenings out smelling like an ashtray. I showered before going to bed, no matter how late it was (and because it was Spain--and I was 20--it was ALWAYS late). All of my Spanish friends smoked. Nonstop. Everywhere. And 35 percent of Spaniards over the age of 16 are regular smokers. El País, the Spanish paper, published a FAQ for people who're trying to sort out the new restrictions. If you allow Google Translate to work its magic, you can learn:

- What about private parties, weddings or baptisms?

As soon as you do in a public place (a restaurant or hotel) can not smoke, among other reasons because there are staff (waiters) they will work on it.

- What I can do if I enter a bar or a club and there are people smoking?

Responsible for enforcing the law is the owner of the premises, so the first thing to do is talk with the manager. If this does not work, you can fill out a complaint form, and transport to the register, and put a complaint with the Ministry concerned (the Consumer, which is usually integrated Health Care System). You can also complain to the Municipal Police.

Only in Spain would the possibility of smoking at a baptism make the newspaper. You can read more (in Spanish, or let Google try to translate--but note that "tobacco" somehow is translated as "snuff," making this sound kind of like a Victorian habit) in this El País piece: "The New Spanish Lung." It's front-page news at El Mundo too. And at one bar in Marbella, the rebellion has begun.

And Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's star footballer, has apparently been fending off calls from the anonymous mother of his child, who relinquished custody of the baby to him last year in exchange for a 10-million-pound payoff. She reportedly wants to return the payment and initiate contact with the child.