India, Oct. 15 -- Paella on the lawn, conversations over culture and football finding its way into the evening's chatter set the scene as the Embassy of Spain celebrated the country's National Day on October 12. Hosted by Ambassador Juan Antonio March Pujol, the gathering brought together guests and dignitaries for an evening that blended Spanish traditions with a celebration of India-Spain ties.

With Spain's football triumph still a talking point, the ambassador said, "We think that we won the football world cup because we managed to play football as an art. So I think that we managed to play as a team and this took us to the victory," he said.

The evening also marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Spain. Looking ah...