LLANCA, COSTA BRAVA, SPAIN

Situated in the Costa Brava, geographically bound by the Mediterranean sea and the Pyrenees, Llanca is a romantic, unspoiled Catalonian fishing village, about 15 kilometers from the border of France. Llanca is two hours by train north of Barcelona, 10 minutes away fro the world-renowned Salvador Dali Museum and offers a quiet, relaxed way to learn Spanish. After studying Spanish in the morning, students gather with their teachers and become part of the Spanish way of life. Happily our destination, Llanca has escaped the mass mayhem of tourism and with its population of only 2500, it still possesses a certain rustic charm. The restaurants and shops of the new quarter, El Port, line the rough-sandy bay and the tiny harbor.

How do I get to your school and get around in Llanca?
Llanca is served by one of Spain's busiest and most modern airports, Barcelona and also the regional airport of Gerona. From Barcelona airport, the train to Llanca takes about 2 1/2 hours. From Gerona airport, the train to Llanca takes about 1 hour. Llanca is a very small village and you will find most people walk everywhere. If you need to catch a ride, Taxis are reasonable, most trips between sites will cost less than 500 pesetas (US$4). The local bus service is also reasonable but slow, the best way and probably the most fun, is still walking!

Our School
Our school is set in the peace and quiet of its own garden surrounded by olive trees and is ideally placed within a 5 minute walk of the beach, the picturesque port and our guesthouses. On your doorstep is the Old Town with its typical main square "Plaza Mayor", which is the focal point of village life. We have about 7 classrooms, small library, 2 terraces and we teach standard Spanish and not the local dialect Catalan. However Catalan can be taught if the student requests a private teacher. This school is open only in the summer from May to September.

Welcome/Farewell Party: On every Monday and Friday of start or end dates. The staff and students gather to enjoy typical Spanish food (i.e. tortilla), listen to Spanish music and provide useful information about Llanca and the surroundings.

School Accommodation
Self-Catering Apartments: choice of single or double rooms, fully equipped kitchens and living areas. The accommodations are located within a 10 minute walk from the school. Apartments are not air conditioned but have fans. No telephones. Apartments are cleaned once every week. No washing machine is available, however, there is a Laundromat 10 minutes walk away. Some apartments have a sea view, and normally 2-4 students share an apartment.

Host Family: Not Available in Llanca.

Guesthouse 1: choice of single or doublerooms, a beautiful typical old Catalonian village house, located within a 10 minute walk from the school. Apartments are not air conditioned but have fans. Students share bathrooms/showers, Linens will be provided for you, please bring you own towels. Apartments are cleaned every second day. NO kitchen facilities, students must eat out.

Guesthouse 2: choice of single or doublerooms, located on the beach/quay, all rooms have their own private washrooms and most rooms have a terrace. Students have access to a bar and restaurant located next to the guesthouse. Rooms are cleaned everyday. Linens will be provided for you, please bring you own towels. NO kitchen facilities, students must eat out.

Typical Cultural Activities to Expect
Village tour, Flamenco dance lessons, Spanish film evenings, Volleyball on the beach, BBB's, trips to local museums, Salsa & Tango classes, trip to cadques, bike riding, hiking, fishing, sailing, and all other beach sports.

Recent Cultural Activities include: Museum of Salvador Dali in Figueras, the house of Salvador Dali in Cadaques, a trip to Gerona, to visit the Cathedral, the Jewish quarter, and the Arabian baths. There has also been an excursion to a National Park in Cadaquez.

Weekend Day Trips (optional and at additional price)
To interesting places and sites out side of Llanca. Visit France only 15 km's away!

Recent excursions include: organized trips through a travel agency to Barcelona, Andorra, Figueras and more! The school can make reservations in hotels, and pensions if the students want to go to Barcelona.

Prices
Programs in Llanca start from $625.00 US for 2 weeks including accommodation and tuition. We have many program options and all year round start dates. If you want more detailed pricing or start date information, we suggest you request a brochure or call us Toll Free within North America at: Tel: 1 888 526 4758 (LANGPLUS) or outside of North America at 416 925 7117.

COUNTRY TIPS
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What is the local currency?
Spanish Pesetas, or "ESP".

Are a passport, visa, or vaccinations necessary?
Citizens of the United States and Canada in possession of a valid US or Canadian passport, are not required to obtain a visa for Spain, for a period of up to three months if traveling as a tourist. In case that a stay of more than three but less than six months is intended, a visa is required. If you are a resident of the U.S. but do not hold U.S. citizenship, a visa may be required.

Visitors from the U.S./Canada do not need inoculations.

Time Difference
Spain is on central European Time, which is 6 hours a head of American Eastern Time.

Should I bring local currency, traveler's checks or use credit cards?
Spain is still a very traditional country, so everyone is very happy to accept local currency; after all, who doesn't like cash? But for safety and convenience sake, you might not want to have large amounts of either dollars or local currency on hand so we would suggest you bring along travelers checks, which are accepted almost everywhere, or major credit cards to obtain cash along the way as needed. Be aware that you will charged a 'service charge' each time you cash travelers checks, so convert enough each time to cover your expenses for several days. In addition, if your travelers checks are in a foreign currency such as U.S. Dollars, you need to be aware that you will receive a much better exchange rate if they are converted at a bank.

Cash and travelers checks can be exchanged at the official exchange rate of the day at any bank or exchange counter (airports, railway stations, tourist offices - a small commission applies); travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and stores may accept foreign currency but give you a lower rate to cover their handling.

Banking hours are normally 9:00 a.m.-5.30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday 9am-noon, Banks are closed Sundays.

Most hotels, car rental agencies, and upscale stores in the tourist areas accept credit cards. Be aware, however, that many, restaurants, cafes and stores will only accept cash so be sure to ask in advance.

How much will I spend a day?
This is very difficult to answer and depends on the person, however Spain is very reasonable and the prices below should give you a approx. idea:
Three-course meal without drink: 1500-3000Ptas
Budget meal: 1000-2000 Ptas
Cafe meal: Sandwich, dessert and coffee 500Ptas

What is the weather like?
During the summer May - September the weather is warm and dry, average temperature is around 21C. It is advisable to bring light and comfortable summer clothes, however do not forget to pack a warm sweater for the evenings at the beach or street cafe.

Will my electrical gadgets work?
Electric current in Spain is 220 volts AC at 50 Cycles per second. To operate small appliances, laptop computers or other electronic gadgets, you will need a multi-adapter. Check with a large electronics store in your area. Electric clocks, record players and tape recorders will not work properly even on converters because they use the 60 Cycle American/Canadian standard.

What is the best way to phone home?
There are public phones around Spain which use phone cards and/or coins. All these phones can be used for both local and long distance phone calls. Phone cards can be purchased in estancos, and other shops which advertise "tarjetas telefónicas" (phone cards). These come in units of 1000 and 2000 ptas.

It is also smart to obtain an overseas phone card (they are usually free-of-charge) from your long distance carrier, such as MCI, AT&T or Sprint. MCI's Worldphone Program, for example, lets you phone the US/Canada from Spain or any other European countries at greatly reduced rates from what you would pay from the regular charge. The long distance carrier will give you a special number to call when placing your call.

What major holidays are there in Spain?
New Years Day, Jan 6 May Day, May 1 June 6, Aug 25, Oct 12, Nov 1, Dec 6, Dec 8 and Christmas.

THINGS TO SEE IN LLANCA AND CATALONIA
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Vilabertran: very near Figueres, has a good Romanesque building complex worthy of a visit, including the church of Santa Maria Monastery, with three apses, the cloister and bell tower. The abbatial palace is Gothic.
El Far de l´Emporda: (the Empordà Lighthouse) is also close to Figueres. It has a church with a rectangular plan on a hill,which is a curious example of a fortified Romanesque church.
Peralada: lies to the north of Figueres and used to be the capital of the County of Peralada, the place-cum-castle of which has a well-kept park, a library and a very valuable art collection. Part of the castle has been turned into a casino.
Romanesque architecture: is represented best in Alt Empordà, and one of the most remarkable itineraries in search of it has been traced through the region. Of the countless Romanesque buildings, the most outstanding, apart from Sant Pere de Rodes and the Abbey of Vilabertran, are Sant Miguel de Fluvial, the former canonical one of Llado or Sant Tomas de Fluvia. Figueres: The center of town "La Rambla" has interesting neo-classical building. On the outskirts stands the castle of Saint Ferran which was begun in 1753 and became one of Europe's largest fortresses.
Girona: the province capital was a Roman town and completely encircled by a wall. Outstanding sights include the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, San Nicolas Church, the Araba baths, the Jewish quarter and of course the Cathedral, which stands on a square.
Banyoles: is a typical beautiful village where the museum of the prehistoric excavations can be visited. There are also Gothic buildings and the scenery around Lake Banyoles.
Nature lovers: are advised to visit the nature park of the "humid areas of L'Empordà". It lies between Santa Margarida and Castello d´Empuries and includes the lagoons of Alt Empordà.
Torra de Defensa: 11th century fortified tower.

Fiestas and Folklore
The Habaneras: "local songs"are sung by fishermen and sailors and were learned from the emigrants who went to Cuba in the 19 Century and then returned home. The Cuban rythyms were adapted to the ways of the fishermen who still sing them in the taverns of Llanfranc, Calella and above all L´Escala.
The Dance of Death: is another folklore expression of special interest, which is why the celebration has officially been declared of interest to tourists. On the night of Maundy Thursday and as part of the scenes enacting the life of Jesus, the Dance of Death is performed in Verges (Baix Empordà). Other interesting celebrations include El Peregrí de Tossa, which dates from the plague in the town in the 15C, when the inhabitants promised San Sebastian to send a pilgrim each year to the nearest chapel of the saint, which is the one of Santa Coloma de Farners, 40km away. It takes place on January 20th.
In Lloret de Mar: the Dance of Las Almorratxes is performed as part of the Patron Saint celebrations of Santa Cristina on August 24th.
In Llafranc: a festive-religious excursion or romeria is organized with rice being the main ingredient. In S´Agaro the Art and Music Festivals take place and in Cadaques International Festivals of Music and Painting. The Patron Saint of celebrations in many towns and villages are accompanied by traditional festive acts, such as romerias, dances, concerts, fireworks, etc. Almost all these feasts take place in the main coastal towns and villages in the summer.

Sports and Activities
Water-sports: are excellent. Water-skiing, motor, sailing and rowing boats are available and of course the great beaches of Catalonia have made this area one of the most visited regions of Spain.
Bull fighting: takes place in Girona, Figueres, Llonet de mar, San Felio de Guixols. The season is normally from March to October.
The Beaches: are ideal for sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling and relaxing, what a great place to learn a new language!