What does an Irish ambassador do day to day? We went to Spain to find out 

An ambassador’s life is often perceived as highly privileged, but what exactly do they do day to day? Elaine Loughlin travelled to Madrid to find out

Frank Smyth, Irish ambassador to Spain, right, with Javier González Hernández, owner of El Huertico, in Mercado de la Paz, Madrid. Picture: Leah Pattem

For those of a certain age, a gilded life of champagne receptions and pyramids of gold-wrapped chocolates springs to mind when the word ambassador is mentioned.

"You very rarely see Ferrero Rocher, it's usually sent to you as a joke by your friends," smiles Frank Smyth, Ireland's top diplomat in Spain.