"This weekend the largest World Expo ever to have been staged will draw to a close. For those who have been here for the last six months, the last day will be a time for conflicting emotions: happiness at being able to enjoy their well-deserved rest, and grief at seeing the end of something special. It will be a time for farewells and reunions; a time when we desire to return to our country, and the feeling that these past months will make our lives more memorable. Above all, we know we will truly miss the Expo.

The feelings we get from the Spain Pavilion after the Expo are that the amazingly friendly and wonderful Chinese people know our country a little bit more. We cannot feel anything but grateful to the people who made us one of the most successful pavilions, with 7 million visitors. During more than 2,000 opening hours, our visitors have been able to enjoy over 12,000 performances of our dancers, and have shot more than 30 million photos of our animated baby Miguelin, making "him" one of the main characters of this Expo.

All of this success lies in the hands of our artists, our architects and also in the hands of those who designed the pavilion, and a government that opted for excellence on every single day and every step of this project. This is down to the success of Spain, and a Shanghai team that has worked tirelessly to fulfill its task by going far beyond the goals we set at the starting point.

The indelible memory of the Chinese people greeting me on the streets of Shanghai will stay with me forever. There's also the sweet taste of having achieved our targets, and the true feeling of taking this country into my heart."

(China Daily 10/29/2010)