SPAIN’S COSTA del Sol has been buoyed by the visit by Michelle and Sasha Obama.
The first lady and her daughter brought Marbella’s old town to a halt on Wednesday as they strolled through its streets and had dinner at Benaventura Plaza - a restaurant on Plaza de la Iglesia.
Hundreds of locals waited for two hours as dozens of Secret Service agents and Spanish police closed the narrow pedestrian streets while the Obamas ate. At one point an embarrassed-looking Sasha came out with friends to buy ice creams nearby, to applause from the crowd.
Otherwise, there was little opportunity to see the pair, as their armoured vehicles disappointed locals by backing almost to the door of the restaurant to collect the Obamas, who were dining out on the president’s 49th birthday.
The resort town was thrilled by the visit, which it hopes will help boost tourism. “Welcome Obama family: thanks for choosing Marbella,” read one enormous billboard, in blue, white and red, on the road to Villa Padierna, the hotel where Michelle and Sasha stayed for four nights.