VaughanTown

Kick Off page 2

Information page 3

Conduct page 5

Here we are again with more information that will help you gearup for the adventure ahead of you. This newsletter offers a glimpseinto the breath-taking National Park of Monfragüe where theHospedería you´ll be staying at is located!

Program Kick-off: Anglo Meet and Greet.

The program officially commences with our special welcometapas sampling for all of you the day before your program,Spanish style of course. This is your chance to meet all yourfellow Anglos, socialize and relax before the program begins.The meet & greet is quite informal, no need to dress in anyspecial way. As soon as you feel tired or sleepy you are free toretire to your hotels as there is no official "end of meeting" time.

*The meet & greet will be held on the second floor of the ElAlmendro Mediterranean Café which is located on Santa Engracia,number 41 from 7pm-8:30pm. The bus to Monfragüe will leaveat 8:30 a.m. from Paseo de Eduardo Dato, number 3.

MONFRAGÜE: Getting There and Back.

Our lovely VaughanTown bus will take you to the picturesqueand rustic 4-star Hospedería of Monfragüe. The bus-ride is threehours, with a 30-minute stop.

You will be accompanied on the bus by the VaughanTown staffand by some of the Spanish par ticipants. Some of the otherSpaniards will probably drive straight there in their own cars.

Here's the schedule for the bus depar ture and arrival times:

Madrid - VaughanTownDeparture: 8:30 a.m.Arrival: 12:30 p.m.

VaughanTown - MadridDeparture: 4:00 p.m.Arrival: 7:00 p.m.

*Arrival times are roughly estimated as they depend entirelyon the punctuality of the participants, so please be on time! Wesuggest you book your outgoing flight the day after the program,at the earliest, to avoid stress and rush. If you must fly out thesame day the program ends, than please book your flight noearlier than 9:30 p.m. The bus will not make any special stopsat the airport, bus stations or hotels on the way back.

Expenses and Insurance.

The only expenses not covered by VaughanTown are your flightto and from Madrid and the hotel for the night/s you are noton the program. Our company will cover all costs once youboard the bus for Monfragüe and until you say goodbye six dayslater. You will be covered by an accident insurance policythroughout the program. If you get sick, we will take you to thedoctor, but our policy does not cover the cost of medicine. Forlunch and dinner we will be serving a 3-course meal with wine

Greetings once again from the VaughanTown team!

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and water. The only expenses you may have once you're on thebus to VaughanTown are between-meal snacks, drinks orrefreshments (other than the wine and water served duringmeals), or medication required from nearby village pharmacies.We would recommend that by the time you board the bus, thatyou have a minimum of 30¤. There are no ATMs (cash-machines)at VaughanTown, so please bring cash and keep in mind thatSpain isn't very "traveller's-cheques" friendly.

Accommodation.

You will be in a lovely, four-star, rural hotel with a breathtakingview of the National Park of Monfragüe. The Hospedería wasbuilt in 1999 and improvements in all the hotel have been madein 2006. It has been built in wood, slate and concrete. Inside,with avant-garde decoration, we can find pictures of Extremenianartists as Vostell or Canelo, just as furniture and carpets of well-known ar tists like Mariscal, Le Corbusier or Moragas. You willeach have an individual room at the hotel unless you specificallyask to share with another Anglo (couples, etc.).

Place and Climate.

The venue where VaughanTown will be taking place is in theprovince of Caceres. The Hospedería Parque de Monfragüe islocated in the center of the triangle formed by the historic citiesof Cáceres, Plasencia and Trujillo; and in middle of a typicalExtremenian dehesa (a kind of meadow), and at National Park

of Monfragüe's door. The city of Trujillo is famous not only forbeing of pre-Roman origin but also because of it's historical andar tistic heritage. The city of Caceres, 55km or 45 mins by car,is one of the most impressive and best preserved monumentalcities of the Iberian Peninsula. It is considered to be the thirdmost impor tant European monument and was declared as aHuman Heritage site by UNESCO in 1986. The city walls togetherwith it's palaces, churches, squares and old streets form anadmirable historical centre. Plasencia is a frequently visited cityin for it's highly valued ar tistic and historical centre. Since thecity was founded by Alfonso VIII in the twelfth century it hasalways been a very strategic point on the "Ruta de la Plata"(ancient road uniting northern Spain with the south of Andaluciaand which passes through Extremadura, today classified as theN630). Its cathedral, its noble and religious buildings and its ownspecial idiosyncrasies make for a very attractive tourist destination.On the first Tuesday of August the city paints the town red withthe fiesta of "Fiesta de Martes Mayor", declared an annual fiestaof importance for tourism and dedicated to Plasencia's visitors.

Although the average temperature is quite accommodating,there can be cold fronts with wind that can chill you to thebone. Therefore it would be better to be prepared for the cold,especially in the evenings and early mornings.

Here is the link for the weather forecast:http://espanol.weather.com/weather/local/SPXX0204

HOSPEDERÍA DE MONFRAGÜE,CONTACT INFORMATION:

Telephone number: (34) 927 45 52 78 / 79

Fax number: (34) 927 45 52 80

Address: Ctra. Plasencia-Trujillo, km 39,100.10694 - Torrejón el RubioEspaña

Facilities: Each room is furbished and equipped with the following:

o Internet (with Cables)

o Air Conditioning

o TV

o phone

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The hotel is equipped with:

o "El Paraiso de los Sentidos" Restauranto Inside baro Relaxing Loungeo Outside terraceo Games room with a table tennis, billard table, etc.o Swimming poolo Gardenso Parkingo Meeting roomso Laundry service

Food and Meals:

The dinning room in the hotel can easily accommodate our entiregroup at one sitting. All the meals will be hot and served by waiters.Breakfast is at 9:00 a.m. and consists of a buffet with typical Spanishand continental breakfast dishes. It will be free seating for all themeals assuring each table though has two Anglos and two Spaniards.Lunch and dinner are 3-course meals that feature typical Spanishfood, served with wine and water. If you are a light eater, you cansimply tell the staff, through the Spanish participants, that you wouldlike a green salad and nothing more or only a banana, for example.The restaurant has a bar that serves beer, wine, soft drinks, andmixed drinks all day long and well into the night. You will pick upthe tab on your own between-meal snacks or drinks. Concerningalcoholic beverages, please bear in mind that nothing beyond lightsocial drinking will be permitted.

If you have any dietary restrictions, we need to know that now sowe can plan with the hotel kitchen accordingly. We are able toaccommodate vegetarians and special diets, but we need to knowin advance.

Tap Water and Food Hygiene.

The tap water everywhere in Spain is potable and it even tastesbetter than many bottled waters. You may not be used to the tasteof the tap water in Monfragüe, but it is perfectly drinkable. It's veryrare for a visitor to get sick in Spain because of the food or water.Please don't be afraid to eat anything or drink water from any normal

tap.

Phone Calls.

If you want to make a phone call, or be reached, the best time todo so is from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., as you will probably be in yourrooms resting or taking a siesta. Here is the phone number again:(34) 927 45 52 78 /79.. You can use your calling cards, your 800cards (in Spain they are 900 cards), but be careful with the phonecalls you make, you will be charged at the end of your stay.

Internet Connection.

There is WI-FI access in all the lobby of the hotel. The hotel alsohas a computer in the lobby for their client’s use. Internet connectionwill be available in your rooms but you will need to bring your ownlaptop and cable (CAT-5 or the like) to have access.

Voltage.

220V. You would do well to bring a plug converter. There are hairdryers in each or the rooms, but if you usually travel with a smalliron or your computer, please make sure you bring converters forstandard 220V European currency (the two pronged circular plugs).

Laundry.

There are no laundry facilities on site. The hotel has its own laundryservice but no dry cleaning, which is slow and very pricey. You willbe responsible for this cost, so be sure to pack enough for theduration of the program. By the way, there are no irons or ironingboards in your room.

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Health.

There are first-aid kits in the hotel, but any illnesses or accident willrequire that we take you to the nearby town of Torrejon el rubio.If there is a true emergency, we will take you to Plasencia, the nearestcity. It's a popular tourist destination because of its charm and beauty.Finally, as stated above, you will be covered by a health and accidentpolicy while participating in the program, including the bus to andfrom Monfragüe.

Very Important: Feet, Legs and Lungs.

You will walk a lot during this program. One Spaniard gave a speechon the last day of his experience saying: "Over the past six days Ihave learned 110 kilometres of English." You will probably not walk110 kilometres, but you could easily end up walking 40 miles. Now,if you prefer to sit in the lounge or out on a bench and talk to yourcorresponding Spaniards, that's perfect too. But still, it is wise tobring comfortable walking shoes.

Dress Code.

Many Anglos send us emails concerned about what to wear duringthe six days and we always say the same thing: bring comfortableclothing! You will be doing a lot of walking, so good shoes are

necessary. However, walks will not be over any rocky terrain, so ifyou're comfortable with slippers, sandals or loafers - that will befine. No heavy duty outdoor gear is required. In general, casual wearis quite common, although some participants bring a nice outfit forthe night of Spanish music. The Anglo meet-and-greet is casual aswell. Even during the summer, we suggest you bring a light jacketor sweater for the evenings.

Smoking.

Smoking is prohibited in the public areas of the hotel, the restaurant,lobby and your rooms. There will be a smoking area provided foryou. If you are a smoker, please bring your own supply of cigarettesto last you the duration of the program.

Drinking.

Light, social drinking is okay. Spaniards are not heavy drinkers. Ofcourse there are the odd alcoholics here, but their alcoholism isusually due to drinking half a bottle of wine per day for 30 yearsstraight. It's not very common to see a drunken Spaniard. Don'tbe overwhelmed by the free wine that is on the table at everymeal. You do have to be clear-headed afterwards.

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Partying.

Spaniards are famous for their love of night-life and their ability tostay out into the wee hours of the morning. We've had a lot offun, healthy partying in every program we've held up to now.Different people get together, both Spanish and Anglo, and playgames, go for walks, or just end up chatting under the stars or inthe lounge. We do not recommend staying up so late that you canbarely make it to the breakfast table, but the incredibly rich linguisticatmosphere achieved in these late night gatherings makes us reluctantto prohibit them. Therefore, the only advice we can give is thefollowing: have fun, enjoy the rich human and cultural mix, but keepyour head on your shoulders. If someone is clearly losing his or heredge because of the festivities, we will be forced to ask them toleave the venue and the program.

Travel Tips

For some handy travel tips to help you plan your trip, as well assome recommended accommodations with their addresses andphone numbers, check our website. Madrid is a popular weekend destination and hotels and hostelstend to fill up. Don't leave your accommodation arrangements forthe last minute!

That's it for now dear friends. Hope this newsletter answered somemore of your questions but remember, you can always email us(anglos@vaughantown.com) with any further queries.And as Don Quixote said to his trusted squire, Sancho Panza: Amigo

Sancho, there is nothing more prized in this world than freedom.Without it all great things accomplished come to little joy.

Let us remember the wise words of our noble knight and rememberalso that our Spanish visitors, who need so much to extract fromus the essence and vitality of the English language, must endure thefrustration and lack of freedom that comes from not being able tofreely express themselves on the international stage. These professionaladults, accustomed to winning contracts and achieving goals in theirnative land, suffer tremendous embarrassment and frustration whenseeking the same abroad. They despair of their English, but they'regood folk and you'll enjoy their company immensely.

Best regards,

The VaughanTown team

IMPORTANT:HAVE YOU BOOKED YOUR FLIGHTS / BUS / TRAIN YET?THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T SENT US THEIR TRAVELDETAILS PLEASE DO SO (anglos@vaughantown.com).

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