TRAVEL TIPS

Amrita asked me to post this so here it is....from Joan Chu

General Information:

• The reason we travel is to have new experiences - don't set your mind on things being a certain way.
• Here's a helpful general link: http://www.spain.info
• Info on Montserrat Monastery: http://www.abadiamontserrat.net

Things to See Do:

• Any town in Spain offers excellent people-watching and food and architecture and chapels and such..
• The beach is amazing even when cold and in November it could be nice and warm - or not. I enjoy just being somewhere new even without activities.
• Barcelona is way more than you can see in the time allowed and there is a local train between there and Sitges.
• In Barcelona, the part I consider not to be missed, is the Gaudi architecture - Park Güell, Casa Batlló, La Sagrada Familia and anything else you can find by him.
• Many people like the Ramblas (aka Pickpocket Central) which is near our digs. The city market there is wonderful and a good place to get a cheap lunch to eat on a bench. Lots of buskers hang there. The shops can be rip-offs but if you go a block or so off the main drag it's better. Some are really good.
• The Opera Palace is gorgeous and was restored, outside at least, just a couple of years ago. If there is a good show there it will be worth the ticket. It is also walking distance to our hotel.
• Barceloneta is a beachy area where there are many good seafood eateries, or so I'm told. A walk along there is easy and on the way back to the hotel you can arrange to walk past some ancient walls that are cool.
• Very near to our hotel is a remarkable wonderful Gothic cathedral. I love it.
• We should have a nice quiet visit compared to summertime.
• Don't expect serious Flamenco in this part of Spain though there is some there. Catalán is a culture to itself and proud of it. The Flamenco center is Andalusia, south and west of here. Think C&W in Seattle. It's there, but Texas would be more like it.
• A guided city tour is worth the money and if enough of us go we can get a good group rate. Tipping the guide is customary. A walking tour in Barcelona covers lots of great things in a short distance and saves time over finding them yourself. But the surprise factor is cool as well. For the limited walkers this is the way to go.

Weather & Transportation:

• Barcelona temps this week are predicted to be between 50 and 70 degrees F (10 to 22 C).
• We will have our own bus that will move us as a group from Barcelona Airport to Duc de la Victoria, Barcelona to Sitges, Sitges to Montserrat, and from Montserrat back to the Barcelona Airport (4 Buses). This is included in your price for the trip.
  
• It's a great city for walking provided it doesn't rain too much. Taxis are abundant and there is a good metro system.
• There is also a "bus turistic" that you can hop on and off of without limit for some number of hours (like 24) for something like $25. Don't hold me to the price. There are two, and they make intersecting loops so you can see most parts of town easily even if you know absolutely nothing. If you change your mind about something you skipped, you just go around again till you get back to it.This is a good thing if your feet are tired.
  

Money:

• The only US dollars you will need are to cover expenses in US airports both ways.
• You may want to buy something to drink or eat on the flight. And while we're on that subject, take an empty water bottle. Once through airport security, you can fill it from a fountain.
• You'll save money and eat better if you pack a couple of sandwiches or whatever you want for the flights.
• Take an extra small change purse for your US money to stay in while there. Saves coin confusion and you just dig it out when you get back. Enjoy your euro cents by checking them to see which country they come from. Each country makes its own version and they travel widely. Kind of cool.
• Pickpockets are a serious problem but they don't hurt anyone - just steal from them. Keep sharp eyes out.
• Don't bother getting euros before you go.
• Take your debit card and make sure you know the PIN numerically as they don't have letters on the keys at the ATM. FORGET traveler's checks. You can't use them anywhere. Spend them here if you already got some. Credit cards are good for big purchases but I always go ATM for what I think I'll need for a few days. There is a small fee but it's way less than any other option. And you won't have to change money back or come home with lots of euros.

Food & Dining:

• Nuts and energy bars are good with you.
• Water in Spain is perfectly safe. Hooray!!

Clothing & Laundry:

• About clothing: the weather can be from balmy to icy so bring layers. Last I heard Madrid is cold and rainy but I have spent weeks in Spain in January when I never used a jacket, even at night. Since we will be at sea level and also high above it there's variety built in.
• Laundry in Europe is impossible. Wash out your smalls whenever we will be in the same place at least two more nights.
• Some women bring panty-liners for when they run out of clean undies.
• It's almost cheaper to buy a new shirt than to wash one in a laundromat - if you can find one.

Electricity:

• Bring an adapter and a converter if you need to use chargers and such.
• Please go to this link to get the whole picture: http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap11/electric.htm

Shopping:

• There are stores in Europe. Bringing home deodorant or shampoo extends the trip memories, and drugstores and groceries are as interesting as tourist spots. I can spend hours in them
• If you will be buying gifts and souvenirs, bring an extra bag that can come in your regular suitcase.
• If you plan on buying gifts, try to get an idea of what you will be looking for for each person before you go. Saves time and helps you not buy too many things.

Language/Communicating:

• Getting lost is not a problem. When we get to our lodgings, grab a card from the desk and put it in your wallet. Even if you speak no Spanish at all you can show it to a taxi driver.
• If your voice is louder than the others around you - it's too loud. Each place has a different standard.

Sleep &Jet Lag:

• Jet lag can be as bad as a hangover (remember those?) but can be practically nil if you are careful.
• Sleep on the plane as much as you can, or just drop into a deep lull. Earphones and an MP3 player are wonderful for this. I bring my own earphones since the airplane ones hurt after a few hours. On most transatlantic flights you will be given an eye mask and earplugs.
• Hydrate like mad. Get up and walk up and down the plane once in a while or do knee bends and leg stretches.
• When you arrive to Spain, STAY AWAKE. No napping at all (no matter how much you yearn for it) if you want to feel better a.s.a.p. The sooner you get acclimated the less time you waste. It's okay to walk around in a daze but remember the pickpocket alert.
• Keep outdoors in the natural sunlight and walk and breathe deeply. Sit on a bench and just watch the world go by.
• If you can't be outside, sit near a window to get used to the new daylight schedule. (The time difference from California is nine hours. Maybe eight with DST over. Can't remember that part.) Really, don't go to bed till late the evening of your arrival day and you'll sleep better and awake more refreshed. In Spain, people stay up quite late and there will be lots to do until, well, quite late. Luckily Kate knows the value of naps so after the first day, indulge and then stay up late with the Spaniards. Many businesses in Spain close for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

Phone, Internet, Photos, Journal:

• If you don't get your phone on an international plan (mine doesn't cost anything extra but check with your carrier) your phone won't even work as a clock or calculator. Strange but true. At keast with my old phone it was.
• If you ever journal, now's the time. There will be so much to remember you may not be able to hold it all in your brain and will want to relive it later on.
• Labels printed with the addresses of folks you want to send post cards to save bringing an address book.
• Mail things early if you want them to beat you home.
• Internet cafes are easy to find and use but the keyboard is different.
• You may need an extra card for your camera.
• Calling home is easy with a card but you can buy then there. And remember Skype.

Things to Bring (not to bring):

• Your travel documents including your passport. Make sure your passport does not expire before your trip ends.
  
• Pack, and then take at least a third of what you packed out and put it away - you won't need it.
• Take your prescription meds divided into two containers, one in the suitcase and one with you in case something goes astray or gets lifted. OTC meds can be bought there, even homeopathic.
• An extra pair of glasses is a really good idea too. I had a pair break on the flight over once and was sorry I didn't know this.
• Take two photocopies of your passport and give one to a friend just in case. This can save you hours. US passports are hugely valuable on the black market so don't carry yours. Lock it up in your suitcase or the hotel safe.
• The ziplock bag is your friend when you travel. (Bring varying sizes.) I use them sort categories of things in my carry-on e.g. reading and writing (sudoku, journal, pens), food, meds. Makes for less pawing through in a dark plane. And in my suitcase I have the bigger ones for things I buy to take home, postcards, maps, wet clothes, laundry, undies, socks - you get the picture.
• Do NOT bring new shoes.
• DO bring a folding umbrella.