Volcano of the Year!!

How about this for a spectacular photo of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This photo is from the Boston Globe. If you would like to see more photos like this, follow this link: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html

On the BBC learning English website you can read a report about the volcano: "Scientists say the cloud of ash from the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, which has caused chaos to air travellers across Europe, appears to be changing". The full text is here: Iceland Volcano, BBC Learning English

Pronunciation

Hi everyone - here's the link to the BBC Learning English pronunciation tips page:

 

BBC pronunciation exercises 

I hope you find it useful - I think you will. Have a nice weekend and see you on Monday

Haiti

Here's an article from the BBC Learning English page about the earthquake in Haiti, in their section "Words in the News"

Earthquake in Haiti

Remember that you can listen to the article too.

BBC Learning English

OK people, after our class yesterday I started thinking about your comments and how you find "listening" difficult. Apart from the Oxford English web page that you have in the activity pages, the BBC have a very good web site. I have decided that what I am going to do is select at least one activity a week, one that I think will be useful for you. This page has so many possibilities that it is probabably a good idea for me to suggest sections for you to visit.

This week, I would like you to look at the "How to ... page". In yesterday's class, we were looking at the "language tests" that a student had to do in Polish. Here's a link to the BBC activity HOW TO TELL THE TIME. Remember you can listen only, or open the pdf file with the script. Don't forget to do the activities!!

The home page for the BBC Learning English page is here: Learning English BBC

See you all on Monday

Alicia went to Stockholm

My summer holiday was wonderful. I went to Stockholm with my boyfriend Carlos in August. We met his family and I got on well with them. We stayed in their home for fifteen days.
We had an exciting holiday because we had lots of things to do. We had his brother’s wedding. We visited all of Stockholm by car, bus and boat.
We visited the town hall, where there are forty weddings every Saturday. We also visited a Stockholm museum, a theatre…but the most interesting was the centre of the city with its stone small streets and their names. Although, the most fun was Gröna Lund (The Green Grove). This is an amusement park located in the seaward of the Djurgården island. In this attraction park we will find many attractions for children, teenagers and adults.

Gröna Lund

Also we visited a relaxing place in Dalarna. It’s located in the centre of Sweden. We stayed in a little house near the sea. It was romantic. We could fish and bath in the lake. But I was very sad because we couldn’t see a reindeer.

Dalarna

Marian is going to Paris

I think 6 six days is time enough for you to discover the most popular places in Paris and feel like a real Parisian. If you fly from Alicante I recommend Vueling airlines. In my opinion Vueling offers the cheapest flights from Alicante to Paris, around 150 euros per person.
For your accommodation I propose Delhy’s Hotel. It’s a very warm and hospitable hotel situated near “Notre Dame” in the city center. The price may be 74 euros per night for a double room with breakfast. It’s located very well, and you can visit a lot of popular monuments and places on foot. You will taste a real and delicious French breakfast: croissant, baguettes and “café au lait”.

Delhy's Hôtel
Now, I will explain the essential places to visit in Paris. For the first day I recommend  a tour on foot to have a general view of Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to The Arc de Triomphe. You can use the tube too, but if the weather is pleasant, it would be interesting to go for a walk around the city. If you have time, it'd be nice to queue up and go up the Eiffel Tower and see Paris from above. It will cost 12 euros.

At night, the most popular areas are the Champs Elysées and Bastille Area. I recommend these pubs: La Maison Blanche and Truskel Pub. 

And finally I suggest trying  a “cheese fondue” and French wines, going for a walk along the River Seine, going shopping at the flea market “Marché aux puces” and taking a cruise boat tour for 8€.

José went to Dublin for New Year

These holidays my girlfriend and I decided to visit Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. We stayed in Dublin from 27th of December to 1st of January. Our hotel was in the city centre in front of Trinity College and we enjoyed visiting and discovering different places, monuments and pubs a lot .

José in Dublin

We visited some of the most interesting places in Dublin. In the city centre there are a lot of historical monuments, places, factories and buildings that date from the Viking age to nowadays. For example we visited Christ Chruch, St. Audoen’s, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, National Museums, the Guinness Storehouse (!!), Jameson Distillery, Powerscout Townhouse, Dublin Castle, the Molly Malone statue, Stephen’s Green Park and a lot of different pubs and bars, that you can find in every corner of the city. 

The Temple Bar, Dublin

St. Audoen’s Church, from outside

 

The weather in Dublin was very cold and windy so we wore warm clothes, gloves and woollen hats every day. When it was raining and it was windy too we couldn’t use umbrellas because the wind broke them so we needed to get into a pub to drink beer. It was fantastic because it rained so many times in Dublin !!

Statue of Molly Malone, Dublin

Also one day we took the railway Dart and we visited Howth, a little fishing village near Dublin. In Howth port we could see seals and we enjoyed walking around the cliffs with wonderful sights.

On New Year’s Eve we went to Christ Church, where there is a clock tower and many people go to celebrate the twelve strokes of midnight at the start of the new year. When the strokes had finished, it started to snow, it was reallly nice! On the other hand it was funny to see that only Spanish people were eating grapes with the twelve strokes while the others were drinking Guinness beer.
We had a fantastic holiday and a happy new year’s eve in Dublin.

Raquel and Rosa are heading to the Seychelles

We are Rachel and Rose, two friends from Spain. We met each other in Torrevieja and we have been working together for 3 years. We will have two months off next summer so we are planning to spend our holidays together. We have been searching for a nice place where we can rest, enjoy the weather and visit interesting places. After this research we decided to travel to the Seychelles islands. We have booked flight tickets to leave on the 2nd of July and return on the 8th of July. We will fly with Emirates Airline. We will stay at the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort and Spa on Mahé Island. Mahé is the principal island and Victoria, its capital, is the world’s tiniest capital and the cultural and economic hub of the nation. The hotel is very luxurious and expensive and it is on the beachfront. The hotel equipment includes a big garden, a tennis court that you can book for free, a leisure club, a big swimming-pool where you have a nice view of the beach while you are on a sun-bed and a great spa in order to relax.

Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort

After all year working we will be tired so we will need some rest and relax. Walking along the coast line, lying on the sand and having a warm bath will help with that. Rachel would like to visit the Ansé a la Mouch beach and Anse Boileau beach because his brother was in the Seychelles last year and he told her that these beaches are really amazing. Rose would like to visit the Anse Aux Pins and Turtle Bay Beach and Anse Interdance because she likes  adventure sports, snorkelling and surfing so we will visit the four beaches.

Mahé has a lot of cultural things to do!! We will go to the main gallery on the island called Adelaide Studio. We will also visit the Bel Air Cemetery which is a national monument (the oldest history site in Seychelles) and The Cousin Island Special Reserve.

Bel Air Cemetery 

In order to enjoy the night-life we will go to the Amusement Centre, a casino, where we can relax and have fun gambling or watch other people enjoying themselves while we are having an exotic cocktail.

Eva is going to the Seychelles

The islands are fantastic. You can enjoy bathing at paradisiac beaches, or practise a heap of aquatic sports such as fishing or skin-diving.

 Bird Island Lodge

We are going to Bird Island, with a very good offer - 5 nights Bird Island Seychelles from: £1124 p.p.

 
The people are very nice and the food is fantastic. At night you will not get bored because you can have dinner in lots of restaurants and have a drink in a pub.

Scuba-diving in the Seychelles

Gloria is going to Stockholm

I have chosen this city because Stockholm is the capital and the largest in Sweden. The city sits on 14 islands linked up by 57 bridges. The first one catches your eye when you visit Stockholm, especially in winter, and more specifically in February.

We will visit The Vasa Museum, a friend told me that this museum is beautiful and very important in Stockholm,.We will also see the City Hall, with its spire featuring the golden three crowns, one of the most famous silhouettes in Stockholm. The Nationalmuseum is very important, so we will visit that too. We will also go on a sightseeing boat to tour. We will enjoy the streets and bridges of the city.

Boat tour in Stockholm

We will go to the famous Ice Bar, which will surely surprise us. We hope to eat in typical restaurants like OK (Operakällaren) and we hope to be able to go out in the evening.

Operakällaren Restaurant

I think the most curious thing about Stockholm is that it becomes night early and that will be very cold.

Finally I think the most important of all will be to take a lot of winter clothes.

Silvia is going to the Seychelles

I’ve decided to go to the Seychelles because I‘d like to see the way of life of the people there and the landscape of the island, and obviously to have a rest. I’ve chosen this place because of the impressive beaches and the flora and fauna. I think this is the kind of trip where we could forget our routine. I’ ve booked a little hotel, with not too many tourists staying, as quiet and relaxed as possible. Beach Villa Hotel, is a guesthouse situated on the beachfront of Grand Anse, with its calm, turquoise waters. A double room costs 90€. In this hotel there is air conditioning, mini-bars, safes in the rooms, and a hair dryer. 

Beach Villa Hotel

We are looking forward to exploring the different places on the island, to swim a bit and to get to know the different aspects of the culture there. There's also golf, horse-riding and guided nature tours where to enjoy some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on earth, and the nightlife where it is possible to take in a casino, some local bars and fine restaurants offering unforgettable Creole and international cuisine.

Horse riding in the Seychelles

Elena and Vanessa went to the Seychelles

My holidays began on March the 1st. I went to the Seychelles with my friends Vanessa, Rose and Raquel.We went to Barajas airport and took the Iberia plane at 9.00 a.m. to the Seychelles. We arrived at Mahe Island, the principal island, near the international airport and Victoria.

We had to change 100 euros for 1601,12 Rupees. We hired a car at the airport and then we drove to the hotel .The Wharf Hotel & Marina was situated on the east coast of Mahé, five minutes drive between the International Airport and the country’s capital, Victoria.This hotel was designed on Creole architecture. 

Wharf Hotel & Marina

During our holiday week, we had time for everything. We relaxed and had fun with the activities organized by the hotel. We also visited the beaches of the island and another few smaller islands. We went snorkling, swam with the turtles and did some trekking. It was beautiful. 

We went out at night and we went to the casino and met people from other countries,such us India, the USA...and also nice people from Spain. We visited some local bars and fine restaurants offering unforgettable Creole and international cuisine. We went to dinner at the Al Mare restaurant.

Photo provided by Elena and Vanessa

On Monday 8th we went back to Spain without any problems. The Seychelles are wonderful islands with very nice people.

Juan Antonio is going to Stockholm for Easter

I’m visiting Stockholm during Holy Week, from 5^th to 11^th of April. I’m travelling with my wife and my daughter. We won’t need any vaccinations and the travel document we’ll need is our passport or DNI. We’ll need to change money, because in Sweden they use Swedish Krona and not Euros.

     We don’t like to programme all our visits on our journeys, we’re going to book the flights, hotel and some visits in the city. We’re going to fly with Ryanair because it’s the cheapest company I found. In Stockholm we’re booking into the Scandic Anglais Stockholm Hotel, one of Stockholm's most well-known hotels, right in the heart of the city.

Scandic Anglais Hotel, Stockholm

     We’ll visit Stockholm’s archipelago, Gamla Stan, the City Hall, the Vasa Museum, the Royal Palace and Drottningholm Palace. I don’t know when we’re going to visit this places and if we’ll visit all of them, because we like to improvise. We´ll try to reserve at the Den Gyldene Freden restaurant (Golden Peace), a classic restaurant in a medieval basement in the Old Town. This restaurant is very related to the Swedish Academy, which selects the Nobel Prize for literature.

Den Gyldene Freden Restaurant (Photo by Steve Anderson)

     I hope the clothes that we are going to take will be enough because Stockholm’s weather is very cold and we don’t want to bring ourselves back a cold as a souvenir.

Angela is going to Stockholm

Stockholm is very beautiful, the people are very friendly but for me it is dificult to understand them.

We'll fly with RyanAir from Alicante to Stockholm and we are going to stay at the Crystal Plaza Hotel, in the centre of Stockholm.

Crystal Plaza Hotel

We'll visit the city in the morning. We want to visit the national museum and see Caravaggio's pictures. The museum is fantastic.

National Museum, Stockholm

At night we'll have dinner in a very expensive restaurant and have fish.When we finish dinner we'll go to nightclubs, like the Absolute ice bar or Debaser slussen

Life in Stockholm is great fun and and I won't want to return to Spain.

Miriam is going to the Seychelles too

I’m going with my partner to the Seychelles next March. I think we'll have a good time with the things that we can see and do.

We will go by plane to Mahé island. We will stay in a hotel, whose name is Hotel Berjaya Beau Vallon. Ïn this hotel there are a lot of restaurants, bars, activities and a casino. 

Berjaya Beau Vallon Hotel

We are going to visit Digue and Praslin island by helicopter or boat. In the Mahé island we can do sports in the sea and visit a lot of monuments.

The Seychelles are beautiful and wonderful island and they are a nice place with exotic beaches where you can be relaxed, but there are also a lot of bars where you can dance, like the Lovenut Nightclub.

It’s always a good time to visit, although different times of year may be better suited to your particular interests.

Elena went to Stockholm

Last summer my boyfriend and I went on holiday to Stockholm. We were there from 1 to 5 of August, in a hotel called the Grand Hotel, a five star hotel locked inside the heart of the city.

     We had to check in at 8:00 at the airport of Madrid, Barajas. Our flight took off at 10:20 and landed in Stockholm at 14.10. Once we were in Sweden, we got a taxi to go to the hotel. Taxis are very expensive in Stockholm - we paid 50 € from the airport to the hotel, in the centre of the city.

     The Grand Hotel of Stockholm is one of the best hotels that anybody can find in this place. The rooms are so comfortable and very beautiful, and the staff were so polite to us.

Grand Hotel, Stockholm

On the first day we ate at the restaurant of the hotel and took a walk around the hotel and the streets that are near it. We had dinner in a little pub in the same street as the hotel.

    On the second day we saw the Royal Palace, a classical visit for a tourist in the city. The Palace was built during the eighteenth century and has an European Baroque style (50 €  here). This is a very nice place to visit. After the trip to the palace we ate in a restaurant close to the palace and later, we had a rest at the Hotel. In the afternoon we went shopping in the Sigtuna area. At night we were very tired so we saw a little bit of TV before going to sleep.

     On the third day we wanted to see the canals of Stockholm and the rest of the city, and…voila! We saw a ferry that could offer us both things. We get a tour from one of the boats near the bridge of Stockholm with a tourist guide talking in Spanish (sorry, but my boyfriend has no idea of English). The price was around 40 € each person. Later, we ate in one of the little restaurants near the sea, with very good views of the coast. In the evening we went for a walk round the principal streets of Stockholm buying some souvenirs for family and friends.

     On Wednesday we had planned a visit to the archipelago of Stockholm. We went to one of the islands that has one of the most typical citadels of all the archipelago. This is called Vaxholm, and it has a lot of shops, restaurants and cafes, and also a very nice fortress and a harbour. At night we went to Mosebacke looking for some pubs and nightclubs to dance.

Vaxholm Citadel

   On the last day we took our luggage, paid the hotel (1037 e for 4 nights!!) and got a taxi to the airport. We landed in Madrid at 19:02, 5 August 2009.

Santiago went to the Seychelles

Last April I was in the Seychelles.

It was the best experience of my life. The journey was very tedious. I was about 1 day on the plane.

When I arrived to the island, first I went to the hotel (Denis Island) to rest and have a shower.

Denis Island Hotel

Later I had a look at the hotel and called my Spanish friends to meet them that night, we went to the casino and we had a drink.

The next day we visited the most important places of the city, and we ate in a typical restaurant.

In the afternoon we enjoyed the beautiful beaches. We swam and did some sunbathing.

On the third day we went to see a dancing girls show. We liked it very much. When the show finished we waited for the dancers and we invited them for a drink.  They were Italian but spoke Spanish.

On the fourth day we went to Praslin, my friends and the Italian girls did some horse riding around its beautiful gardens.  In the afternoon we went swimming. There, we met some interesting people.

Bonm Ange Restaurant (at the Hotel L'Archipel, Praslin Island)

 That night we had dinner together and we danced all night.

The last day was a horrible day, because I had to come back to Spain. I was very sad. I made a lot of friends.

Those holidays were short but intense.