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Leisure: Walks in Barcelona: Adela organises themed guided walks and visits in and around Barcelona on request. Tours last two hours (from 10am to noon) and are for groups with minimum of 8 people. Tours take place in Spanish and will start on 13th September 2005 . The cost is 10€ per person As the groups will be international there is a possibility of translation depending on the group. Those interested in taking part regularly and thus getting to know the whole city can sign up for a fixed group. Each tour then costs 5€ (payable also if you miss one). Tel. Pia Monni on 699 326 044 ..

CHILDREN: New nursery in Sitges for children up to 3: Facilities for babies and small children are increasing, with the news that 11 municipal nurseries will open in Barcelona during the coming year, some already in September 2005. In Sitges a nursery called TEC (Taller de estimulación y creación) will open shortly for children up to 3. The idea is that it will be fairly small so that the atmosphere will be like a family. Premises are at Calle San José, 36, bajos in Sitges. Anyone interested in a visit should contact Tatiana Lindo on Tel. 617 41 6103..

TRAVEL: Flights: Lufthansa Super Holiday offers give great prices for flights all over the world. Sample fares : Athens from 159€, Hamburg from 175€, Prague from 179€, Budapest from 199€, Istanbul from 199€, Peking and Shanghai from 649€.

There’s also the Family Special which means this summer children aged 2 to 11 pay only 10%!

Prices valid for flights up to 2.9.2005 (Booking up to 26.8.2005). Go to www.lufthansa.es.

Vueling has now added Amsterdam to its destinations. Flights from 10€. www.vueling.com

CHILDREN: Holiday activities:

Barcelona Zoo is offering activities for children aged from 4 to 11, every Saturday from 10am to 1pm. Info on: http://www.zoobarcelona.com/ or Tel. 93 225 67 87. Entrance to these activities is at Pg. de Circumvalacion 3, not at the zoo’s main entrances.

CaixaForum is offering activities: painting for children from 5 every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm. Games for children from 3 at the weekends from 11am to 8pm.. Also family concerts for families with children aged 4-12. More info on all activities on website: www.fundacio.lacaixa.es.

Other museums also organise activities regularly for children and families especially on Sunday mornings. Look at websites of museums for details: Museu d’Art Contemporani , Museu d’Historia de Catalunya, MNAC, Museu Arqueologic. and Museu Maritim. Many museums are organising workshops for children the week before they go back to school (5-9 Sept). Look at www.bcn.es/cultura and download “Estiu als museus“ for details. The widest range including week-long courses are at the Museu Egipci. Details on: www.fundclos.com

LAW: Second part of article on property law is now on-line!

Here you can find out everything you need to know about your rights as a tenant including reducing rental payments, tenants’ right-to-buy, terms of notice etc. Look it up on our Home Page www.extraguide.com

CULTURE: Summer Nights at the Museums (Nits d’Estiu)

Various museums are organising activities for the summer evenings.

Caixaforum has guided visits to the exhibitions and also concerts, both on Wednesday evenings. www.fundacio.lacaixa.es

In the Monastery of Pedralbes there are concerts on Tuesdays and the Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat in Plaça del Rei invites you to explore Roman Barcino (and Roman food) on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Info on both these activities on: www.museuhistoria.bcn.es

Museu Egipci also has a guided visit plus food. Here it is on Friday evenings. Look up “El banquet etern“ in Visites Nocturnes on. www.fundclos.com

CULTURE: Exhibition: L’esplendor de la ruina: The exhibition space at La Pedrera is holding an exhibition of works of art from the Renaissance to the present day all with ruins as the central theme. . Ruins as a theme for painting became popular in the eighteenth century when the first major archaeological explorations were being made, while the Romantics in their landscapes used ruins as a symbol of decay. The show features around fifty pieces, including paintings and engravings from some of the world’s most important museums (including the Hermitage Museum and the Prado). La Pedrera is at Passeig de Gracia 92 and is open daily from 10am to 8pm. Entry to the exhibition space is free. More info on the Home Page of Caixa Catalunya : http://obrasocial.caixacatalunya.es.

CULTURE: A selection of other ongoing exhibitions.........

CCCB: “Occidente visto desde Oriente“ runs until 25th September. It shows visions of Europe reflected in 250 works from the Islamic world juxtaposing works from medieval times with those by contemporary artists. www.cccb.org

At La Carbonería, Espai Drapart, at Carrer Groch 1 “En verano recicla tu imagen 2“. Drapart is a collective which recycles everyday objects to produce clothes and other items. www.drapart.org Until 10th Sept.

CaixaForum Photographs by Rineke Dijkstra can be seen.at CaixaForum until the 28th August. www.fundacio.lacaixa.es Guided tours also on Wednesday evenings.

FESTA MAJOR in Gracia and Sants

One of the major fiestas in Barcelona is celebrated annually in the second half of August. The Festa Major in the district of Gracia is immensely popular. Balconies, doorways, whole streets are decorated and there is a varied programme of activities to suit young and old. www.festamajordegracia.org

In Sants district (near the station and in Parc Espanya Industrial) the smaller-scale festa major is celebrated from 21st to 27th August, topped off by a demonstration by the castellers of Sants and other castellers at midday on Sunday 28th in the park.. Traditionally the festa includes a small funfair behind the station. www.festamajordesants.org

CONTACTS: Spanish-language Group in Castelldefels: Here’s an international group made up of a mix of nationalities, Dutch, French, German, Spanish., which meets regularly to chat in Spanish (simple conversations so even beginners can join in). Meets every third Thursday at 9pm in Bar Txalaka on the Passeig Maritim in Castelldefels. Next meeting: 18th August 2005. Contact: Pia on 699 326 044 (mobile).

Summer Reading: A couple of recommendations in case you’ve missed them. One is a novel set in Barcelona just after the Civil War and the other a re-working of a classic story with a Hispanic hero.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s novel “La sombra del viento“ was first published in 2001 and has since become an international bestseller. It has even inspired Llibrería Garbí to offer guided walks in Ciutat Vella following the footsteps of its hero. The English translation is entitled “The shadow of the wind“ and is by Lucia Graves (daughter of Robert Graves). You can find it in paperback in English here in Barcelona, as well as the weightier Spanish hardback.

Isabel Allende has written her version of the story of El Zorro and it has now also been translated into English . The story is known to different generations thanks to the various film verions (most recently with Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones). Allende’s version retains the cloak-and-dagger element but also offers a character study of the young hero.

Website of the summer: Here’s a seasonal tip to help you check out beaches all over Spain (and some beyond). Go to www.esplaya.com to read descriptions of beaches, to see the facilities available at different beaches, to locate naturist beaches, urban beaches etc etc.. The site includes maps and photos.

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