Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have been spending time in Spain with Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, as well as with Bruce Springsteen.
The former president and former first lady were spotted with Spielberg and Capshaw during a visit to the Montserrat monastery Saturday, according to the Daily Mail, which noted that Barack Obama interacted with a group of tourists before visiting the monastery.
Barack Obama and Spielberg have long been friends, and in 2015 Barack Obama awarded the Hollywood director the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, who have spent several days in Spain, have taken the time to see Springsteen and attended the rock icon's return to the stage in Spain on Friday.
A day before, Barack Obama, Spielberg, and Springsteen were spotted dining at the Amar restaurant in the Palace Hotel.
Staff member Pol Perello snapped a group photo of the three men posing with staff and the chef and shared it on social media, writing, "The pleasure this job brings you!" according to Sky News.
Amar chef Rafa Zafra told local media that the group had made a last-minute reservation at the recommendation of famed Spanish-American chef José Andrés.
"José Andrés called me and told me that it was a very important table, but that we should please not say anything," Zafra said. "And, of course, I began to investigate and saw that Obama was coming, that Bruce had a concert."
The group was "tired" but eager to "try everything" on the menu, the chef said, adding that they "ate a lot," including oysters, shellfish, and caviar.
"The one who behaved best was the one who had to work today," Zafra said, referring to Springsteen's Friday night concert.
Springsteen and Barack Obama also have a friendship that spans years. Springsteen played at Barack Obama's fundraisers during his presidential campaign in 2008. In 2021, they teamed up to host a podcast that resulted in the book "Renegades: Born in the USA."
"I initially thought that he had gotten a wrong number when he called me," Springsteen told CBS News' Anthony Mason while talking about their collaboration. "And I answered. I said, 'OK ... let me figure this out. I am a high school graduate from Freehold, a guitar-playing, high school graduate from Freehold, New Jersey. And, OK, you want me to do what?'"
Barack Obama, who appeared alongside Springsteen during the interview, said that the podcast that first aired in February 2021 was an extension of dialogues they had already been having.
"And we just ended up being in settings where we'd have these long conversations. 'What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be an American?'" Barack Obama recalled. "These were things that were just kind of popping up over a meal or a drink. And I thought, You know what? This might be something that would be useful for folks to hear."