text:
Castletownshend

Castletownshend is a harbour village in County Cork in southwest Ireland. It's a tiny place, just a single main street leading down to the harbour, with a population of 196 in 2016.

There's almost nothing left of the castle, but in 1601 there was a naval battle in the inlet of Castlehaven. The Spanish were landing troops at Kinsale but part of their invasion fleet became separated and landed here. They were welcomed ashore as allies, but English warships bombarded the Spanish flotilla to smithereens.

Get in
You need a car. There's only one bus a week, starting from Castletownshend on Friday around 11AM and taking 30 min to Skibbereen, and returning towards 3PM. Skibbereen has buses every two hours from Cork via Clonakilty but it's 9 km away, with no local taxi. Don't hike, it's a narrow, busy road with no side-walk.

Get around
You can easily walk to Knockdrum, but you need wheels for sights further out such as Toe Head.

See

 * is strung along the steeply descending Main Street. Just when you think it can't get narrower, two trees create a traffic island at the corner with The Mall. Sharp intakes of breath will be needed to pass, especially if you're towing. The street ends at the pier. It's not worth looking for the castle that gave the village its name, it's in bits within the grounds and masonry of Castle Hotel.
 * Warren Gallery is above Mary Ann's on Main Street. It displays work for sale by local artists and is open M-Sa 10AM-5PM.
 * St Barrahane's RC Church on the lane near the ring fort is a chapel built 1840. It's plain and simple.
 * is probably late Iron Age, circa 100 AD, though reconstructed in the 19th century. It's a stone fort some 29 m in diameter with walls up to 2 m high and 3 m thick. Within is a souterrain. It's free to access any time.
 * Gurranes Stone Row is across the lane from the fort. They're three standing stones plus one broken, aligned but pointing at rakish angles. A fifth has been removed to a village garden.
 * is at the head of the inlet. There are forest trails, which have been decorated with fairy and leprechaun dwellings, more twee than tree.
 * Union Hall: see Skibbereen for this little fishing village to the east.
 * is the stump of a tower house. It's on private land so you can't approach.
 * is the rugged peninsula southwest of Castletownshend. There's a 19th-century signal tower.
 * Lough Hyne: see Skibbereen for this unusual seawater lake to the west.
 * Lough Hyne: see Skibbereen for this unusual seawater lake to the west.

Do

 * Whale-watching: boats sail year-round subject to weather. They usually sail from Reen pier near Union Hall but may pick up from Castletownshend.
 * Sea kayaking: trips start from here, Loch Hyne or Union Hall.

Buy

 * O'Donovans is the village store, near the top of Main Street. There isn't an ATM, the closest is in Skibbereen.

Drink

 * McCarthy's on Main St is the village pub.

Connect
As of March 2023, the village has 4G from Vodafone but no signal from Eir or Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * East is gentler country towards Clonakilty and eventually Cork.
 * A short way west, Skibbereen and Baltimore have ferries to the islands of Roaringwater Bay.
 * Schull is on Mizen Head, and Bantry is a good base for all three of the peninsulas.

title: Castletownshend


text:
Castricum

Castricum is a town and municipality in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands, located along the North Sea.

Understand
Castricum is first mentioned in a 10th century document, but archaeological digs have proven that the area was already settled in Roman times. Over time, smaller settlements popped up around the town of Castricum, with Castricum being the central hub for these hamlets, which would not much later be swallowed by Castricum's growth. Of these hamlets, only Bakkum, located to the north, survived. It is connected to Castricum, and has since grown into a proper town.

Castricum was a battleground of the War of the Second Coalition, between 1798 and 1802, having the British and Russians one the one, and the Dutch and French on the other side of town. The Battle of Castricum took place on October 6th, 1799, which stopped the British and Russian troops from progressing further into Dutch land.

Castricum boomed in growth in the twentieth century, when it was to dampen the growth of the Randstad. Nowadays the municipality of Castricum houses 35,300 people, and thrives mostly off of tourism, due to its seaside location.

By car
From Amsterdam, use the A8 highway to travel towards Zaandam, use the unlabelled exit after exit 3 followed by a right turn onto the N8, heading for Wormerveer, after which you take the first exit followed by another right turn onto the continuation of the N8 follow this road, which will become the N203 after crossing underneath the A9 highway. Follow the N203 through Uitgeest, and turn onto the N513 afterwards. At this point, you will find Castricum to your left. The Soomerwegh (left at the first intersection) will lead you into town.

By public transit
is located on the railway line from Amsterdam to Den Helder. The station is serviced with Intercity and Sprinter trains. The Sprinters are the slower option, so your preference should be an Intercity train when travelling from Nijmegen, Arnhem, Utrecht, Alkmaar, Den Helder or Amsterdam. Bus lines 79 (Beverwijk via Heemskerk), 164 from Egmond aan Zee and 167 to Alkmaar stop or terminate at the station.

Get around
Castricum is rather small, so its town centre can be explored on foot without much struggle. Should you wish to go to Castricum aan Zee to spend time at the beach, then you can use an OV-chipkaart to rent an OV-Fiets at the train station. These can be picked up at the bike shop just outside of the station. Bikes can be taken starting fifteen minutes before the first train, and returned up to fifteen minutes after the last train.

Do

 * Being located by the beach, Castricum is fit for activities such as Surfing. Can't surf but wanting to learn how to? There's a surfing school as well as a kite-surfing school in Castricum aan Zee:
 * The dunes located between the North Sea coast and Castricum are some wide, making them a great area to have a hike through nature. Your hike can be perfectly combined with a drink at one of the Strandpaviljoens along the coastline.
 * The dunes located between the North Sea coast and Castricum are some wide, making them a great area to have a hike through nature. Your hike can be perfectly combined with a drink at one of the Strandpaviljoens along the coastline.
 * The dunes located between the North Sea coast and Castricum are some wide, making them a great area to have a hike through nature. Your hike can be perfectly combined with a drink at one of the Strandpaviljoens along the coastline.

Go next

 * Travel up or down the North Sea coast. Heading north you will find Egmond aan Zee, Bergen aan Zee, Putten, Callantsoog and Den Helder. To the south you will find Zandvoort, Katwijk, Wassenaar and Scheveningen, Hook of Holland] and [[Zeeland with the Delta Works.
 * Explore the North Holland Peninsula with the historical city of Alkmaar, the Hoorn-Medemblik Heritage tramway and the colourful bollenvelden around Schagen.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Castricum


text:
Castries

Castries is the capital city of Saint Lucia. Founded by the French in 1650, Castries now has a population of just over 11,000.

Of itself, Castries doesn't have a huge amount to offer visitors, and it's usually just a place that you'll pass through on your way to the more obvious attractions of Saint Lucia.

Even though Castries doesn't have much to offer, you can usually find a fair number of tourists wandering about the place, as the cruise ships that visit Saint Lucia dock at Pointe Seraphine, in the northern part of the city.

Understand
There is a tourist information office, a 15-minute walk from the town centre in the cruise ship dock at Pointe Seraphine.

Free maps are available from the information desk in the La Place Carenage mall on Jeremie Street, just along from the St.Lucia Fire Service building.

By boat
Many visitors will come into Castries on the cruise ships that dock at Point Seraphine.

For details on the ferries that operate from Castries, see the Saint Lucia section.

There is actually an anchorage for sailing boats in Castries harbour, although most visitors on sailing boats tend to dock at Rodney Bay Marina, just outside of Gros Islet and then get a bus or taxi in.

By bus
These provide a cheap and fun way of getting around:
 * 1a - to Gros Islet
 * 3f - to Soufriere.

Do

 * wander around the lively local market on Jeremie Street.
 * visit the viewing point over the harbour, at Morne Fortune, just below Government House.
 * relax in Derek Walcott Square.
 * top up your suntan on Vigie beach.
 * Cricket is played at Mindoo Phillip Park, but first class matches are at the Daren Sammy Ground in Gros Islet.

Buy
There are duty-free shops in Pointe Seraphine, where the cruise ships dock, and also in La Place Carenage mall on Jeremie Street.

For more local goods, the busy market on Jeremie Street is worth a visit.

Eat
There are cheap local eateries in a small alley that runs alongside the market and down to Jeremie Street.

A friendly and cheap cafe selling local food is on the first floor of a building on Derek Walcott square.

Go next

 * take a bus or taxi to Marigot Bay, where the 1967 film Dr. Doolittle was filmed.

title: Castries


text:
Castro (Chile)

Castro is the capital of Chiloé Island. It is a city of 42,000 people (2012) on the island's eastern coast, halfway between Ancud in the north and Quellon in the south, and is a convenient base for exploring the island of Chiloe.

By bus
There are two bus terminals in Castro. The main bus terminal (actually the terminal of the Cruz del Sur company) is at the intersection of Sotomayor and San Martín, one block north of the northeast corner of the main plaza. Here you can find frequent connections to Puerto Montt (about 2 hours, 6,000 pesos) on the mainland, as well as Quellon in the south of Chiloé (2 hours, 2,000 pesos). There are several buses a day to Santiago (16 hours, usually overnight) and in most major cities on the way. To Argentina, buses to Bariloche depart on Wednesdays and Sundays, but you need to change buses in Puerto Montt (12 hours, 6,000+13,000 pesos). All of these buses stop in Ancud on the way, and the ferry crossing is included in the price.

You can find local buses (micros) at the Terminal Municipal, located a few blocks away from the main bus terminal at San Martin and Aldea. Buses to Dalcahue (30 minutes), Achao, and Chonchi stop here. The bus to the Chiloe National Park stops here as well; there are several companies leaving at different times of the day.

By ferry
The Naviera Austral ferry makes trips to Chaitén, albeit only in summer. Check their website for current schedule and pricing.

By car
You can also enter with a rental car. There is a fee for the ferry, but having your own transport is a very convenient way to explore Chiloe.

Get around
Castro is very small and can easily be navigated by foot.

See
The tourist office in the main plaza is quite helpful and can furnish you with a map of Castro which has a suggested walking tour on it. The tour takes 2–3 hours depending on your pace. The tourist office is open daily 09:00-18:00.

Eat
Most of the restaurants and cafes in Castro are concentrated along the Calle Blanco, running from the southern end of the plaza down to the waterfront.

Sleep
There are tons of lodging options in Castro, so you should have no problem finding a place to stay by just walking around and asking.

Go next
Castro is a good base for visiting some of the smaller islands off the eastern coast of Chiloe, such as Quinchao Island (where the towns of Curaco de Velez and Achao are located).

From Castro it is easy to reach Quellon at the southern end of Chiloe, where ferries depart for Chaitén and Puerto Chacabuco on the mainland.

title: Castro (Chile)


text:
Castro Marim

Castro Marim is a town in the Algarve with a medieval castle, a popular medieval festival in the last week of August, and local festivals in September.

Understand

Castro Marim (KAHSH-troo muh-REEN, /ˈkaʃ.tɾu mɐ.ˈɾĩ/) is a very old town, founded before the Roman Empire, that is surrounded by hand-harvested sea salt - 'salinas' - and a Natural Park protected by the 1982 Ramsar Convention. Its castle belonged to the Templary organization until 1356.

It was home to 6,700 people in 2011.

By car
Drive from Faro or any other place in the Algarve.

By plane
The nearest large airport (Portugal's second-busiest) is at Faro. There are train and bus connections to Castro Marim.

Go next

 * Tavira
 * Cacela Velha, UNESCO protected
 * Alcoutim, 100% EU Natura Space
 * Ayamonte just across the border in Spain. A ferry operates over the Guadiana river that separates Portugal and Spain

title: Castro Marim


text:
Castro Urdiales

Castro Urdiales or 'Castro' for short is a town of 32,000 people (2018) in the Spanish province of Cantabria. It is a popular tourist destination that offers a sports harbour, a fishing harbour and two beaches.

Understand
Castro Urdiales is a modern town, although its castle and the Gothic-style parish church of Santa María de la Asunción, date from the Middle Ages. It was founded by the Romans as "Flaviobriga". Its chief industries are tourism, fishing, and the preservation of fish, especially sardines and anchovies, in oil. The Lolin and La Castreña anchovy canning factories serve as a reminder of the town's closeness to this industry and its proximity to the sea.

Although the number of people registered in the town is around 32,000, in summer the population can be double or even triple this figure. The town is popular because of its beaches and scenic harbour.

In the centre of the town, the city hall is surrounded by a square. Close to it, right by the ocean, are the lighthouse and the church.

Get in
Castro Urdiales is easily reached via the A8 freeway (Autovia) from Bilbao (about 35 km) and from Santander. Public transport buses go to Bilbao every 30 minutes and costs €3.21. Santander is roughly an hour by bus and buses go to Santander every 1-2 hours. The closest airports are Bilbao and Santander. The Bilbao - Castro bus service is provided by RB and timetables can be found here

Get around
Castro is small enough that you can walk nearly everywhere. The furthest distance is to walk from Brazomar Beach to Ostende Beach. It is about 2-3 km and takes accordingly 30-45 min of walking.

See

 * The monument complex of Castro Urdiales, known as Puebla Vieja, has medieval origins and is near the sea. It was declared a Conjunto histórico in 1978.
 * The Church of Santa María de la Asunción is in Gothic style. Built under the protection of King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the 13th century (though it was finished in the 15th century), it is a basilica church with three naves. In the interior are the images of the White Virgin and the Reclining Christ, and three Gothic carvings of the Magi. It was declared a National Monument in 1931.
 * Roman mile-stone, opposite the Church of Santa María. Dating to 61 AD, it marked the distance to Pisoraca. It has an inscription that reads "Nero Claudius, son of the divine Claudius, Caesar, Augustus, Germanicus, Pontifex maximus, with the tribunician power for eighth time, the empire for ninth and the consulate for fourth. From Pisoraca one hundred and eighty miles".
 * The Castle of Santa Ana is near the port and the church of Santa María de la Asunción. In modern times it housed a lighthouse.
 * Ocharan Palace, castle-observatory and Ocharan gardens, protected since 1985. The castle-observatory, dating back to 1914 and designed by local architect Eladio Laredo, is in neo-Gothic style. The Ocharan Palace, or Toki-Eder, was built in 1901, also by the local architect Eladio Laredo. It is an eclectic-style building, with a portico of columns and other elements of Greek taste, and with a multicolored tile frieze designed by Daniel Zuloaga.
 * Remains of Flavióbriga and the medieval village, protected since 1996. The Flavióbriga archaeological site is under the Old Town, 2 m deep. Remains of a Roman colony can be visited in the Regional Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria.
 * City Hall (16th century)
 * Iglesia de San Pedro (11th century), in Romanesque style.

Nearby

 * Ruins of the medieval tower of the Templars, in Allendelagua, on the mountain side. It belonged to the Knights Templars and is in poor condition.
 * Cave of El Cuco, west of the town. It houses rock carvings and paintings from the Upper Paleolithic period, which depict animals such as deer, goats and horses.
 * Water driving of El Chorrillo, a work of hydraulic engineering from the Roman age.
 * Tower-House of Los Otañes, in Otañes.
 * Ruins of the Hospital de la Vera Cruz, in Islares.
 * Tower-House of Cerdigo, built in Cerdigo between the 17th and 18th centuries.
 * Archaeological site of Patera de Otañes, in the village of Otañe.

Do
Sunbathe in summer, stroll along the beach promenade, sit in one of the many coffee bars along the waterfront.

Beach Brazomar is east of the town center. Beach Ostende is longer and is west of the town centre. In August these two beaches are typically crowded.

Eat
Seafood, grilled sardines

Drink
There are some good cider bars in town.

title: Castro Urdiales


text:
Castro Valley

Castro Valley is an unincorporated town in the inner East Bay in the Bay Area of California. It has a population of about 50,000 and is located north of Hayward and east of San Leandro and south of the Oakland hills. Since it is unincorporated, Castro Valley is governed by the County of Alameda, which has its county seat in Oakland.

By train
The blue Dublin/Pleasanton line of BART serves the Castro Valley Station from San Francisco. One stop to the west is the Bay Fair Station, which serves as a transfer station to other BART lines to the south (the Fremont line) or to the north (the Richmond line and one more transfer to get to the Pittsburg/Bay Point line).

By bus
The AC Transit bus system serves the Castro Valley area with only a few bus lines. Bus route 32 makes a circle (in both directions) connecting three BART stations: Bay Fair, Castro Valley, and Hayward.

Go next

 * San Leandro is Castro Valley's bustling western neighbor, home to beaches, regional parks, malls, hotels and many other attractions.
 * Lake Chabot

title: Castro Valley


text:
Castroville

Castroville is a city in the South Texas Plains. Castroville is known as the Little Alsace of Texas, because its founder brought in a large group of settlers from Alsace in the 1840s.

Buy
Castroville has some good antiques and collectibles shopping.

Eat
Many restaurants here specialize in Alsatian cuisine, a hybrid of French and German.

title: Castroville


text:
Caswell

There's more than one place called Caswell:

United Kingdom

 * Caswell - a village near Caswell Bay, in the Gower Peninsula of Glamorgan, South Wales

United States of America

 * Caswell (Alaska) - in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (Mat-Su Valley) region of Southcentral Alaska
 * Caswell County - on the North Carolina Coastal Plain

title: Caswell


text:
Catalan phrasebook

Catalan (català) is spoken in Catalonia, Valencia (where it is called Valencià), the Balearic Islands (where it is sometimes called Mallorquí, Menorquí, or Eivissenc in each of the islands), Andorra, where it is the only official language, the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the extreme south of France (north Catalonia) and the Sardinian city of Alghero. Spoken by about 7 million people, it is the 8th most spoken language in the European Union. It is, like Spanish, French and Italian, a Romance language, and people who hear it for the first time typically get the impression that it is a mix between them. However, it is a separate language, as old as any of the other Romance languages, and you will be very welcome if you try to say some words while you are in a Catalan-speaking region.

Like other Romance languages, Catalan nouns have genders. Every noun is either masculine, like home ("man") or feminine, like dona ("woman"). The gender of things doesn't usually follow from the meaning of the word; why a house (casa) is feminine but a car (cotxe) is masculine is just one of the vagaries of the language. Fortunately, the gender of a noun is often indicated by the last letter of the word; -a and -ó usually indicate feminine nouns (but not always), while masculine words have no common ending. If you speak another Romance language like Spanish or French, you can often guess the gender of a Catalan noun by thinking of the corresponding noun in the other language.

Adjectives also have gender and number. Like nouns, -a usually indicates the feminine form. Plural forms add -s and usually change some other part of the spelling and/or pronunciation (for instance, the feminine a changes to e). Adjectives need to match the noun they describe in both gender and number. For example, borratxo "drunk", when modifying les dones ("the women"), makes les dones borratxes.

In this guide, where genders of nouns or adjectives come up, the "/a" form is used to differentiate. It should be clear from the context when to use the feminine form and when to use the masculine form.

Pronunciation Guide
Written Catalan is less phonetic than Spanish or Italian, but it is definitely less complicated to pronounce than French or English. It has variations from one region to another; the model presented here is the standard pronunciation, similar to the language of the region of Barcelona. Each of the following dialectal groups has its differences in pronunciation and vocabulary: Western (Lleida province and Ebre river basin), Balearic, Valencian.

Vowels
To know how to pronounce vowels in Catalan, it is necessary to know the stressed syllable of the word; a, e, and o change if they are in the stressed syllable or an unstressed one. In other words, some vowels are reduced when unstressed.

 * a : stressed as the 'a' in "article" [ah], and unstressed 'a' in "sofa" [uh]
 * e : stressed as the 'e' in "pet" or the 'ea' in "bear" [eh], and unstressed 'e' in "open" [uh]
 * i : like 'ee' in "bee"
 * o : stressed as the 'o' in "hot" and "port" [oh], unstressed 'oo' in "zoo" [oo]
 * u : silent between 'g' and 'e/i' and between 'q' and 'e/i', elsewhere as 'u' in "flute" [oo]

Watch for the different accent signs in e and o: è sounds always as 'e' in "bed", é sounds as 'ea' in "bear", ò sounds as 'o' in "bond" and ó sounds like the 'o' in "score". Stress usually falls on the second-last syllable, unless the word ends in a consonant or consonant cluster or it has a written accent. Also, two dots over 'i' or 'u', 'ї' 'ü', indicate that the vowel sound should be pronounced as a separate syllable: Ensaïmada [ehn-SUH-ee-mah-duh] (sweet pastry), diürn [dee-oorn] (in day time).

Consonants

 * b : like 'b' in "bed"
 * c : when followed by 'e' or 'i', like 'c' in "cell", otherwise like 'k' in "skull"
 * ç: like 'c' in "cell"
 * d : like 'd' in "dog"
 * f : like 'f' in "fine"
 * g : when followed by 'e' or 'i', like 'j' in "James" or 's' in "pleasure", otherwise like "g" in "go"; in clusters "gue" and "gui", the "u" is silent, unless it bears a diaeresis, as in "güe" and "güi"; in clusters gua,guo,güe,güi, the two first letters like 'Gu' in McGuire or 'w' in "wire"; notice the group -ig after a vowel sounds like "ch".
 * h : silent
 * j : like 'j' as in "Jean" (French pronunciation); or 's' in "pleasure"
 * k : like 'k' in "skull"
 * l : like 'l' in "love"
 * ll : like 'lli' in "million" (palatalized l), same as Portuguese "lh"
 * m : like 'm' in "mother"
 * n : like 'n' in "nice", and like 'n' in "anchor"
 * ny : like the Spanish "ñ" as in Señor; or US English 'ny' in "canyon".
 * p : like 'p' in "spoof"
 * q : in clusters "que" and "qui", the "u" is silent, unless it bears a diaeresis, as in "qüe" and "qüi"; in clusters qua,quo,qüe,qüi, the two first letters like 'Qu' in "quit"
 * r : like 'tt' in American English "butter"; except at the beginning of a word or after a consonant
 * r : a strong trilled Scottish or Spanish r; at the beginning of a word, or after a consonant
 * rr : a strong trilled Scottish or Spanish r; identical to the sound above
 * s : like 's' in "sun" except when is between vowels, when it sounds like 'z' in "zone". Sometimes pronounced like a soft "sh".
 * ss : like 'ss' in "hiss". Always goes between vowels.
 * t : like 't' in "stop"
 * tx: pronounced like the 'ch' as in "chip"
 * v : like 'b' in "bed"
 * w : like 'w' in "weight" in most English words, like 'b' in "bed" in Germanic words or Catalanised words as ""wàter" (WC) that sounds BAH-tehr
 * x : like 'sh' in "short", except if it is between two vowels, when it sounds like the x as in "Axel"; notice the group -ix after a vowel sounds like "sh" as well.
 * z : like 'z' in "zone"

Basics

 * Hello (informal). : Hola. (OH-lah). For the formal equivalent of "hola" see good morning, good afternoon, good evening, below.
 * How are you? : Com estàs? (kohm uhs-TAHS?) (informal); Com està? (kohm uhs-TAH?) (formal)
 * Fine, thank you. : Molt bé, gràcies. (mohl behh, GRAH-syuhs)
 * What is your name? : Com et dius? (informal) (kohm uht THEE-oos?) / Com es diu? (formal) (kohm uhs THEE-oo?)
 * My name is ______ . : Em dic ______ . (uhm theek...)
 * Nice to meet you. : Molt de gust. (mohl thuh goos)
 * Please. : Si us plau. (see oos PLOW)
 * Thank you. : Gràcies. (GRAH-syuhs) OR Mercès. (muhr-SEHS)
 * You're welcome. : De res. (duh rrehs)
 * Yes. : Sí. (see)
 * No. : No. (noh)
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : Dispensi./Disculpi. (dees-PEHN-see/dees-KOOL-pee)
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : Perdoni. (puhr-THOH-nee)
 * I'm sorry. : Ho sento. (oo SEHN-too) OR Em sap greu. (uhm sahp greh-oo)
 * Goodbye : Adéu. (uh-THEH-oo) OR Adéu-siau. (uh-THEH-oo-syah-oo)
 * I can't speak Catalan [well]. : No parlo [bé] català. (noh PAHR-loo [BEH] kuh-tuH-LAH)
 * Do you speak English? : Parles anglès? (PAHR-luhs uhn-GLEHS?) (informal); Que parla anglès? (kuh PAHR-luh uhn-GLEHS?)
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : Que hi ha algú que parli anglès? (kuh yah uhl-GOO kuh PAHR-lee uhn-GLEHS?)
 * Good morning. : Bon dia. (BOHN DEE-uh)
 * Good afternoon. : Bona tarda. (BOH-nuh TAHR-thuh)
 * Good evening (when it's dark) : Bon vespre. (BOHM BEHS-pruh)
 * Good night. : Bona nit. (BOH-nuh neet)
 * I don't understand. : No ho entenc. (NOH oo UHN-tehng)
 * Where is the toilet? : On és el lavabo? (OHN ehhs uhl luh-BAH-boo?)

Problems

 * Help! : Ajuda! Auxili! (uh-ZHOO-thuh! ow-KSEE-lee!)
 * Leave me alone. : Deixa'm en pau! (DAY-shuhm uhn POW!)
 * Don't touch me! : No em toquis! (nom-TOH-kees)
 * I'll call the police. : Trucaré a la policia. (troo-kuh-REH luh poo-lee-SEE-uh)
 * Police! : Policia! (poo-lee-SEE-uh)
 * Stop! Thief! : Al lladre! (ahl LLYAH-druh!)
 * I need help. : Necessito la teva ajuda. (nuh-suh-SSEE-too luh TEH-buh uh-ZHOO-thuh)
 * It's an emergency. : És una emergència. (Ehs OO-nuh uh-muhr-ZHEHN-syuh)
 * I'm lost. : Estic perdut/perduda. (man/woman). (EHS-teek puhr-THOOT/EHS-teek puhr-THOO-thuh)
 * I lost my bag. : He perdut la meva bossa. (eh puhr-THOOT luh MEH-buh BOH-ssuh)
 * I lost my wallet. : He perdut la meva cartera. (eh puhr-THOOT luh MEH-buh kuhr-TEH-ruh)
 * I'm sick. : Estic malalt/malalta (man/woman) (ehs-TEEK muh-LAHL/ehs-TEEK muh-LAHL-tuh)
 * I've been injured. : Estic ferit/ferida. (man/woman)(ehs-TEEK fuh-REET/fuh-REE-thuh)
 * I need a doctor. : Necessito un metge. (nuh-ssuh-SSEE-too oon MEHT-zhuh)
 * Can I use your phone? : Puc utilitzar el seu telèfon? (pook oo-tee-leet-ZAH uhl seh-oo tuh-LEH-foon?)
 * The Fire Department: El Departament de Bombers: (uhl thuh-puhr-tuh-MEHN thuh boom-BEHS)

Numbers

 * 1 : u/una (Male/Female) (OON/OO-nuh)
 * 2 : dos/dues (Male/Female) (DOHS/DOO-uhs)
 * 3 : tres (trehs)
 * 4 : quatre (KWAH-truh)
 * 5 : cinc (seenk)
 * 6 : sis (sees)
 * 7 : set (seht)
 * 8 : vuit (BOO-eet)
 * 9 : nou (NOH-oo)
 * 10 : deu (DEH-oo)
 * 11 : onze (OHN-zuh)
 * 12 : dotze (DOHT-zuh)
 * 13 : tretze (TREHT-zuh)
 * 14 : catorze (kuh-TOHR-zuh)
 * 15 : quinze (KEEN-zuh)
 * 16 : setze (SEHT-zuh)
 * 17 : disset (dees-SEHT)
 * 18 : divuit (dee-BOO-eet)
 * 19 : dinou (dee-NOH-oo)
 * 20 : vint (been)
 * 21 : vint-i-u (been-tee-OO)
 * 22 : vint-i-dos (been-tee-DOHS)
 * 23 : vint-i-tres (been-tee-TREHS)
 * 30 : trenta (TREHN-tuh)
 * 31 : trenta-u (trehn-tuh-OO)
 * 40 : quaranta (kwuh-RAHN-tuh)
 * 50 : cinquanta (seen-KWAHN-tuh)
 * 60 : seixanta (say-SHAHN-tuh)
 * 70 : setanta (suh-TAHN-tuh)
 * 80 : vuitanta (boo-ee-TAHN-tuh)
 * 90 : noranta (noo-RAHN-tuh)
 * 100 : cent (SEHN)
 * 200 : dos-cents/dues-centes (Male/Female)(dohs-SEHNS/doo-wuhz-SEHN-tuhs)
 * 300 : tres-cents (trehs-SEHNS)
 * 1000 : mil (MEEL)
 * 2000 : dos mil (dohs meel)
 * 1,000,000 : un milió (oon mee-lee-OH)
 * 1,000,000,000 : mil milions (meel mee-lee-OHNS)
 * 1,000,000,000,000 : un bilió (oon bee-lee-OH)
 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : número _____ (NOO-muh-roo)
 * half : meitat (muhy-TAHT)
 * less : menys (MEHNYS)
 * more : més (MEHS)

Time

 * now : ara (AH-ruh)
 * later : després (duhs-PREHHS)
 * before : abans (uh-BAHNS)
 * morning : matí (muh-TEE)
 * afternoon : tarda (TAHR-thuh)
 * evening : vespre (BEHS-pruh)
 * night : nit (neet)

Clock time
NOTE: Catalan express time using a scheme based on quarters of hour:
 * un quart de X means (X-1) hour + 15 minutes, or 45 minutes before X hour
 * dos quarts de X means (X-1) hour + 30 minutes, or 30 minutes before X hour
 * tres quarts de X means (X-1) hour + 45 minutes, or 15 minutes before X hour

 * the X hour : les X
 * the X hour in the early morning/morning/midday/afternoon/evening/night: les X de la matinada /matí/migdia/tarda/vespre/nit (lehs X theh luh mah-tee-NAH-thuh/mah-TEE/MEEG-thyuh/TAHR-thah/BEHS-preh/neet)
 * one o'clock AM : la una de la matinada (lah OO-nah deh lah mah-tee-NAH-dah), literally the one in the early morning
 * two o'clock AM : les dues de la matinada (lehs DOO-wehs deh luh mah-tee-NAH-duh)
 * noon : migdia (meech-DEE-uh) literally half day
 * one o'clock PM : la una de la tarda (lah OO-nuh deh lah TAHR-thuh)
 * two o'clock PM : les dues de la tarda (lehs dwehs deh lah TAHR-thuh)
 * midnight : mitjanit (meet-juh-NEET)
 * 9.15 : un quart de deu (oon kwahrt deh DEH-oo)
 * 11.30 : dos quarts de dotze (dohs kwahrts deh DOHT-seh)
 * 15.45 : tres quarts de quatre (trehs kwahrts theh KWAH-treh)
 * 17.37 (approx.): dos quarts i mig de sis,(dohs kwahrts ee meech deh sees) literally two quarters and a half of six

Duration

 * _____ minute(s) : _____ minut(s) (MEE-noot(s))
 * _____ hour(s) : _____ hora (hores) (orah (OH-rehs))
 * _____ day(s) : _____ dia (dies) (DEE-ah (DEE-ehs)
 * _____ week(s) : _____ setmana (setmanes) (seht-MAH-nuh (seht-MAH-nehs)
 * _____ month(s) : _____ mes (mesos) (mehs (MEH-sohs)
 * _____ year(s) : _____ any(s) (AH-nee(s))

Days

 * today : avui (uh-BWEE)
 * yesterday : ahir (uh-EE)
 * tomorrow : demà (duh-MAH)
 * this week : aquesta setmana (uh-KEH-stuh saht-MAH-nuh)
 * last week : la setmana passada (luh saht-MAH-nuh pah-SAH-thuh)
 * next week : la setmana que ve (luh saht-MAH-nuh kuh beh)

 * Monday : Dilluns (dee-LYOONS)
 * Tuesday : Dimarts (dee-MAHRS)
 * Wednesday : Dimecres (dee-MEH-kruhs)
 * Thursday : Dijous (dee-ZHOH-oos)
 * Friday : Divendres (dee-BEHN-druhs)
 * Saturday : Dissabte (dee-SSAHP-tuh)
 * Sunday : Diumenge (dee-oo-MEHN-zhuh)

Months

 * January : Gener (zhuh-NEH)
 * February : Febrer (fuh-BREH)
 * March : Març (mahrs)
 * April : Abril (uh-BREEL)
 * May : Maig (mahch)
 * June : Juny (ZHOO-nn)
 * July : Juliol (zhoo-lee-OHL)
 * August : Agost (uh-GOHST)
 * September : Setembre (suh-TEHM-bruh)
 * October : Octubre (ook-TOO-bruh)
 * November : Novembre (noo-BEHM-bruh)
 * December : Desembre (duh-ZEHM-bruh)

Writing time and date
June 13 of 2004: tretze (13) de juny de 2004

Colors

 * black : negre (NEH-greh)
 * white : blanc (blahnk)
 * gray : gris (greehs)
 * red : vermell (bher-MAY)
 * blue : blau (blhao)
 * yellow : groc (grohk)
 * green : verd (bherd)
 * orange : taronja (tah-rhun-ZHAH)
 * purple : lila (lee-LAH)
 * brown : marró (mahr-ROH)

Transportation

 * car : cotxe (KOHT-sheh)
 * taxi : taxi (...)
 * bus : autobús (ow-toh-BOOS)
 * van : furgoneta (foor-zhon-EH-tah)
 * trolley : carretó (kah-reh-TOH)
 * tram : tramvia (trahm-VEE-ah)
 * train : tren (trehn)
 * subway : metro (MAY-troh)
 * ship/boat : vaixell (buh-SHELY), barco (BARH-koo)
 * helicopter : helicòpter (uhl-lee-KOHP-tuhr)
 * airplane/airline : avió (uh-bee-OH)
 * bicycle : bicicleta (bee-see-KLEH-tuh)
 * motorcycle : motocicleta (moh-too-see-KLEH-tuh) or more commonly moto (MOH-too)
 * carriage : transport (truhns-POHR)

Bus and train

 * How much is a ticket to _____? : Quant val el bitllet per anar a _____? (kwahnt buhl uhl bee-LYEHT puhr uh-NAHR uh____?)
 * A single ticket to _____, please. : Un bitllet senzill a _____, si us plau. (oon bee-LYEHT suhn-ZEELY uh____, see oos PLOW)
 * A return ticket to _____, please. : Un bitllet d'anada i tornada a ____, si us plau. (oon bee-LYEHT duh-NAH-duh ee toor-NAH-duh uh_____, see oos PLOW)
 * Where does this train/bus go? : A on va, aquest tren/autobus? (uh ohn bah, uh-KEHT trehn/ow-too-BOOS?)
 * Where is the train/bus to _____? : On és el tren/autobus que va a _____? (ohn EHS uhl trehn/ow-too-BOOS kuh bah uh_____?)
 * Does this train/bus stop in _____? : Aquest tren/autobus para a _____? (uh-KEHT trehn/ow-too-BOOS PAH-ruh uh _____?)
 * When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : Quan marxa, el tren/autobus que va a _____? (kwahn MAHR-shuh, uhl trehn/ow-too-BOOS kuh bah uh _____?)
 * When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : Quan arribarà aquest tren/autobus a _____? (kwahn uh-rree-buh-RAH uh-KEHT trehn/ow-too-BOOS uh ____?)

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : Com ho faig per arribar a_____ ? (kohm oo FAHCH puhr ah-rree-BAHR uh____?)
 * ...the train station? : ...a l'estació de tren? (ah lehs-tah-SYOH theh trehn? )
 * ...the bus station? : ...a l'estació d'autobusos? (ah lehs-tah-SYOH dow-too-BOOS?)
 * ...the closest bus stop? : ...la parada més pròxima? (luh pah-RAH-duh mehs PROH-ksee-muh?)
 * ...the airport? : ...a l'aeroport? (ah luh-eh-ROH-pohrt?)
 * ...downtown? : ...al centre? (uhl THEHN-treh?)
 * ...the youth hostel? : ...a l'alberg de joventut? (uh LAHL-behrg deh zhoh-BEHN-toot?)
 * ...the _____ hotel? : ...a l'hotel _____? (uh LOH-tehl____?)
 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : ...al consulat d'Estats Units/Canadà/Austràlia/Regne Unit? (ahl kohn-SOO-laht dehs-STAHTS OO-neets/kah-nah-DUH/ows-TRAH-lyah/REHG-neh OO-neet?)
 * Where are there a lot of... : On hi ha molts... (ohn ee ah mohlts)
 * ...hotels? : ...hotels? (oh-TEHLS)
 * ...restaurants? : ...restaurants? (rehs-tow-RAHNTS?)
 * ...bars? : ...bars? (bahrs?)
 * ...sites to see? : ...llocs per visitar? (lyohcs pehr bee-see-TAH?)
 * Can you show me on the map? : Pots indicar-me al mapa? (pohts een-DEE-kahr-me uhl MAH-puh?)
 * street : carrer (kahr-REH)
 * road : carretera (kahr-REH-teh-ruh)
 * avenue : avinguda (ah-been-GOO-duh)
 * highway : autopista (ow-toh-PEES-tuh)
 * boulevard : bulevard (boo-LEH-vahrd)
 * Turn left. : Tomba a l'esquerra. (TOHM-bah uh lehs-KEHR-ruh)
 * Turn right. : Tomba a la dreta. (TOHM-bah uh lah DREH-tah)
 * left : esquerra (ehs-KEH-rruh)
 * right : dreta (DREH-tuh)
 * straight ahead : endavant (ehn-DAH-bahnt)
 * towards the_____ : cap a_____ (cuhp ah_____)
 * past the_____ : després de_____ (dehs-PREHS deh____)
 * before the_____ : abans de_____ (uh-BAHNS deh____)
 * Watch for the_____. : Vigila el/la/els/les _____. (bee-ZHEE-luh ehl/luh/ehls/lehs____.)
 * intersection : intersecció (een-tehr-sehk-SYOH)
 * north : nord (nohrd)
 * south : sud (sood)
 * east : est (ehst)
 * west : oest (OH-ehst)
 * uphill : cap amunt (kahp AH-moont)
 * downhill : costa avall (KOHS-tah ah-BAH-lyee)

Taxi

 * Taxi! : Taxi! (TAHK-see)
 * Take me to _____, please. : Porta'm a _____, si us plau. (pohr-TAHM uh_____, syoos plow)
 * How much does it cost to get to _____? : Quant costa anar a _____? (kwant KOHS-tuh AH-nuhr uh_____?)
 * Take me there, please. : Porta'm allà, si us plau. (pohr-TAHM ahl-LUH, syoos plow)

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : Teniu alguna habitació disponible? (tuh-NEE-oo ahl-GOO-nuh ah-bee-tah-SYOH dees-poh-NEE-bleh?)
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : Quant costa una habitació per una/dues persona/persones? (kwahnt KOHS-tah OO-nuh ah-bee-tah-SYOH pehr OO-nuh/DOO-ehs pehr-SOH-nuh/pehr-SOH-nehs)
 * Does the room come with... : L'habitació té... (lah-bee-tah-SYOH TEH...)
 * ...bedsheets? : ...llençols? (LLYEH-sohls?)
 * ...a bathroom? : ...lavabo? (lah-VUH-boh?)
 * ...a telephone? : ...telèfon? (teh-LEH-fohn?)
 * ...a TV? : ...televisió? (teh-leh-bee-SYOH?)
 * May I see the room first? : Puc veure l'habitació, abans? (pook BEH-oo-ruh lah-bee-tuh-SYOH, uh-BAHNS?)
 * Do you have anything quieter? : No hi ha res més silenciós? (noh ee ah rehs MEHS see-lehn-SYOHS?)
 * ...bigger? : ...més gran? (MEHS grahn?)
 * ...cleaner? : ...més net? (MEHS neht?)
 * ...cheaper? : ...més barat? (MEHS buh-RAHT?)
 * OK, I'll take it. : D'acord, l'agafo. (dah-KOHRD, lah-GAH-foh)
 * I will stay for _____ night(s). : Em quedaré _____ nit(s). (uhm keh-duh-REH ____ neet(s))
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : Em podeu suggerir un altre hotel? (uhm poo-DEH-oo soog-zheh-REE oon UHL-treh oh-TEHL?)
 * Do you have a safe lockers? : Teniu caixa de seguretat? (TEH-new KAI-shuh deh seh-GOO-reh-taht?)
 * Is breakfast/supper included? : L'esmorzar/el sopar està inclòs? (lehs-mohr-ZAH/ehl soo-PAH uhs-TAH een-KLOHS?)
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : Quan s'esmorza/se sopa? (kahn sehs-MOHR-zuh/seh SOH-puh?)
 * Please clean my room. : Si us plau, netegeu la meva habitació. (see oos plow, neh-teh-GEH-oo luh MEH-vuh ah-bee-tah-SYOH)
 * Can you wake me at _____? : Em podeu llevar a les _____? (ehm poo-DEH-oo lyeh-VAH uh lehs____?)
 * I want to check out. : Vull marxar. (vooly muhr-SHAH)

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : Accepteu dòlars americans/australians/canadencs? (ahk-THEHP-teh-oo DOH-lahrs ah-meh-REE-kahns/ows-TRAH-lyahns/kah-NAH-dehnks?)
 * Do you accept British pounds? : Accepteu lliures esterlines? (ahk-THEHP-teh-oo LYOO-rehs ehs-tehr-LEE-nehs?)
 * Do you accept credit cards? : Accepteu targes de crèdit? (ahk-THEHP-teh-oo TAHR-zhehs deh KREH-deet?)
 * Can you change money for me? : Pot canviar-me diners? (poht KAHN-byahr-meh DEE-nehrs?)
 * Where can I get money changed? : On puc canviar diners? (ohn KAHN-byahr DEE-nehs?)
 * Can you change a traveler's check for me? : Pot canviar-me xecs de viatge? (poht kuhm-bee-AHR-muh shehks duh bee-AHT-zhuh?)
 * Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : On puc canviar xecs de viatge? (ohn pook kuhm-bee-AHR shehks duh bee-AHT-zhuh?)
 * What is the exchange rate? : Quin és el canvi? (keen EHS ehl KUHN-bee?)
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : On hi ha un caixer automàtic? (ohn ee uh oon KAI-shehr ow-toh-MAH-teek?)

Eating

 * A table for one person/two people, please. : Una taula per una persona/dues persones, si us plau. (OO-nah TOW-lah pehr OO-nah pehr-SOH-nehs/DOO-ehs pehr-SOH-nehs, see oos plow)
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : Puc veure el menú, si us plau? (pook beh-OO-reh ehl meh-NOO, see oos plow?)
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : Puc veure la cuina? (pook beh-OO-reh luh koo-EE-nah?)
 * Is there a house specialty? : Teniu cap especialitat de la casa? (TEH-new kahp ehs-peh-THYAH-lee-taht deh lah KAH-sah?)
 * Is there a local specialty? : Teniu cap plat típic? (TEH-new kahp pluht TEE-peek?)
 * I'm a vegetarian. : Sóc vegetarià. (SOHK beh-jeh-tah-RYAH)
 * I don't eat pork. : No menjo porc. (noh MEHN-zhoh pohrk)
 * I don't eat beef. : No menjo vedella. (noh MEHN-zhoh beh-DEHL-lyah)
 * I only eat kosher food. : Només menjo menjar kosher. (noh-MEHS MEH-nyoh MEHN-zhahr KOH-shehr)
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : Pots fer-m'ho més lleuger, si us plau? (amb menys oli/mantega/llard)
 * fixed-price meal : menú de la casa (meh-NOO-der-ler-KAH-zer)
 * à la carte : a la carta (ah lah KAHR-tah)
 * breakfast : esmorzar (ehs-MOHR-zahr)
 * lunch : dinar (DEE-nahr)
 * tea (meal) : tè (TEH)
 * supper : sopar (SOH-pahr)
 * I want _____. : Vull _____. (vool)
 * I want a dish containing _____. : Vull un plat que tingui _____. (vool oon plaht keh TEEN-kee______)
 * chicken : pollastre (pohl-LYAHS-treh)
 * beef : vedella (beh-DEHL-lyah)
 * fish : peix (paysh)
 * ham : pernil o cuixot (...)
 * sausage : salsitxes (...)
 * cheese : formatge (foor-MAT-zhuh)
 * eggs : ous (...)
 * salad : amanida (...)
 * (fresh) vegetables : verdura (fresca) (...)
 * (fresh) fruit : fruita (fresca) (...)
 * bread : pa (...)
 * toast : torrades (...)
 * noodles : fideus (...)
 * rice : arròs (...)
 * beans : mongetes (mohn-ZHEH-tehs)
 * May I have a glass of _____? : Em pots dur un got de _____? (ehm pohts door oon goht deh____?)
 * May I have a cup of _____? : Em pots dur una tassa de _____? (ehm pohts OO-nah TAHS-sah deh____?)
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : Em pots dur una ampolla de _____? (ehm pohts door OO-nuh ahm-POH-lyah deh____?)
 * coffee : café (kah-FEH)
 * tea (drink) : tè (TEH)
 * juice : suc de fruita (sook deh FROOI-tuh)
 * (bubbly) water : aigua amb gas (I-gwah ahmb gahs)
 * water : aigua (I-gwah)
 * beer : cervesa (ser-BEH-sah); (informal) birra (BEER-rah)
 * red/white wine : vi negre/blanc (bee NEH-greh/blahnk)
 * May I have some _____? : Podries dur-me una mica de _____? (POH-dryehs door-meh OO-nuh MEE-kah deh______?)
 * salt : sal (SAHL)
 * black pepper : pebre (PEH-breh)
 * butter : mantega (mahn-TEH-guh)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): Perdoni, cambrer? (pehr-DOH-nee, KAHM-brehr?)
 * I'm finished. : Ja he acabat. (yah eh uh-KAH-baht)
 * It was delicious. : Estava deliciós. (ehs-TAH-bah deh-lee-SYOHS)
 * Please clear the plates. : Pots endur-te els plats. (pohts ehn-DOOR-teh ehls plahts)
 * The bill, please / The check, please. : El compte, si us plau. (ehl KOHMP-teh, see oos plow)

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : Teniu alcohol? (...) Almost every bar in Spain serves alcohol and some people could think that you are asking for rubbing alcohol.
 * Is there table service? : Hi ha servei de taules? (...)
 * A beer/two beers, please. : Una cervesa/dues cerveses, si us plau. (...)
 * A glass of red/white wine, please. : Un got de vi negre/blanc, si us plau. (...)
 * A pint, please. : Una pinta de cervesa, si us plau. But most likely a pinta will not be understood, in Catalan speaking Spain it is better to ask for a quinto (KEEN-too) (20 cl), a mitjana (meet-JAH-nuh) (33 cl) or a canya (KA-nyuh) (tap beer).
 * A bottle, please. : Una ampolla, si us plau. (oonuh uhm-POH-lyuh sees-PLOW)
 * _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. : _____ amb _____, si us plau. (...)
 * whiskey : whiskey (...)
 * vodka : vodka (...)
 * rum : rom (...)
 * water : aigua (I-gwuh)
 * club soda : aigua amb gas (...)
 * tonic water : tònica (...)
 * orange juice : suc de taronja (...)
 * Coke (soda) : coca-cola (KOH-kuh-KOH-luh)
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : Teniu alguna cosa per picar? (...)
 * One more, please. : Un altre, si us plau. (...)
 * Another round, please. : Una altra ronda, si us plau. (...)
 * When is closing time? : A quina hora tanqueu? (...)

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : Teniu això en la meva talla? (...)
 * How much is this? : Quant costa això? (...)
 * That's too expensive. : És massa car. (...)
 * Would you take _____? : Agafaries _____? (...)
 * expensive : car (...)
 * cheap : barat (...)
 * I can't afford it. : No puc pagar-ho. (...)
 * I don't want it. : No ho vull. (...)
 * You're cheating me. : M'estàs timant. (...)
 * I'm not interested. : No hi estic interessat. (...)
 * OK, I'll take it. : D'acord, me'l quedo. (...)
 * Can I have a bag? : Em pots donar una bossa? (...)
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : Feu enviaments (a l'estranger)? (...)
 * I need... : Necessito... (...)
 * ...toothpaste. : ...pasta de dents. (...)
 * ...a toothbrush. : ...raspall de dents. (...)
 * ...tampons. : ...tampons. (...)
 * ...soap. : ...sabó. (...)
 * ...shampoo. : ...xampú. (...)
 * ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : ...calmant. (...)
 * ...cold medicine. : ...medicina per el refredat. (...)
 * ...stomach medicine. : ...medicina per l'estómac. (...)
 * ...a razor. : ...una fulla d'afeitar. (...)
 * ...an umbrella. : ...un paraigües. (...)
 * ...sunblock lotion. : ...crema protectora pel sol. (...)
 * ...a postcard. : ...una postal. (...)
 * ...postage stamps. : ...segells. (...)
 * ...batteries. : ...piles. (...)
 * ...writing paper. : ...paper per escriure. (...)
 * ...a pen. : ...un bolígraf. (...)
 * ...English-language books. : .. llibres en anglès. (...)
 * ...English-language magazines. : ...revistes en anglès. (...)
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : ...diari en anglès. (...)
 * ...an English-Catalan dictionary. : ...diccionari anglès-català. (...)

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : Vull llogar un cotxe. (...)
 * Can I get insurance? : Puc obtenir una assegurança? (...)
 * stop (on a street sign) : para (...)
 * one way : un sentit (...)
 * yield : cediu el pas (...)
 * no parking : no aparcar (...)
 * speed limit : límit de velocitat (...)
 * gas (petrol) station : benzinera (...)
 * petrol : benzina (...)
 * diesel : gas-oil (...)

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : No he fet res de dolent. (...)
 * It was a misunderstanding. : Ha estat un malentès. (...)
 * Where are you taking me? : On em porteu? (...)
 * Am I under arrest? : Estic arrestat? (...)
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. (masculine) : Sóc un ciutadà americà/australià/britànic/canadenc. (...)
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. (feminine) : Sóc una ciutadana americana/australiana/britànica/canadenca. (...)
 * I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian consulate. : Vull parlar amb el consulat americà/australià/britànic/canadenc. (...)
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : Vull parlar amb un advocat. (...)
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : Puc simplement pagar una multa ara? (...)

Other Resources

 * Cursdecatala.com - Online free Catalan course
 * DACCO Creative Commons Catalan-English Dictionary in català and English
 * Catalan-English Exchange Discord Server Resource list - Contains a lot of very helpful resources
 * Diccionaris.cat - multilingual Catalan dictionary, including English-Catalan and Catalan-English
 * Verbs.cat - verb conjugation reference
 * Verbix verb conjugator - Allows conjugating any verb

title: Catalan phrasebook


text:
Catalina Island

Catalina Island (officially Santa Catalina Island) is near the southern end of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. It is part of Los Angeles County, and is a popular day trip and vacation destination for locals and tourists.

Understand
Santa Catalina is 22 miles from the mainland, despite the lyrics of the Four Preps' song.

 * Twenty-six miles across the sea Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me Santa Catalina, the Island of Romance -- "26 Miles", The Four Preps, 1958

Catalina is a world unto itself, a distant asylum from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Southern California. 88% of the island is owned by the Catalina Conservancy which is chartered with protecting its environment.

Many visitors to the island come from cruises offered by Carnival.

The area codes for Catalina Island are 310 and 424 (these are both shared with Los Angeles).

Cities
"City" is a relative term on Catalina - neither Avalon nor Two Harbors are particularly large. Avalon became a city in 1913 and has about 4,000 permanent residents. Two Harbors is considerably smaller with about 150 residents. Two Harbors is primarily a boaters' destination, the company manages 720 moorings around the west end of the island along with campground, restaurant, dive and recreation rentals, 12-room bed and breakfast and a general store.

By boat

 * Private boat - Avalon and Two Harbors have mooring facilities and services. There are also many coves around the island that have moorings or anchorages. A sailboat should make the crossing in no more than seven hours; a ski boat would take about an hour.
 * Private boat - Avalon and Two Harbors have mooring facilities and services. There are also many coves around the island that have moorings or anchorages. A sailboat should make the crossing in no more than seven hours; a ski boat would take about an hour.
 * Private boat - Avalon and Two Harbors have mooring facilities and services. There are also many coves around the island that have moorings or anchorages. A sailboat should make the crossing in no more than seven hours; a ski boat would take about an hour.
 * Private boat - Avalon and Two Harbors have mooring facilities and services. There are also many coves around the island that have moorings or anchorages. A sailboat should make the crossing in no more than seven hours; a ski boat would take about an hour.

Get around

 * Walking - Most visitors to Catalina usually do their touring on foot.
 * Bicycle - There are several bicycle rental agencies on the island or you may bring your own bicycle over with you (usually for an extra fee). You can rent bicycles at Brown's Bikes. They have electric bikes, mountain bikes, beach cruisers and tandems. 107 Pebbly Beach Road, 310-510-0986 www.catalinabiking.com
 * Carts - Golf carts are commonly used by residents and may also be rented on the island.

See
There are Bison on the island which were brought over for a 1920s film and left behind. Some of the island's tours will take you to see them.

Snorkeling and SCUBA diving
Catalina is a haven for SCUBA divers in Los Angeles area. The main SCUBA diving site from Avalon is Casino Point, right next to the Casino building. Concrete steps have been created, so divers (and snorkelers) can step down a few steps and enter the water. Since Casino Point is north-pointing dive site, it is mostly protected from the heavy surf and waves most of the year. Casino Point is a protected area and nothing can be removed from the area. There is an air refill station and tank/weights rental right next to the entry point. Common sightings are garibaldi, bat rays, octopus, giant black sea bass, kelp bass, lobsters and horn sharks. Additional snorkeling can be done at Lovers' Cove, south of the ferry terminal. Dives are by harbormaster's permit only.

Many dive boats depart from various ports in LA area, such as Long Beach and San Pedro, for a day diving trip to various parts of Catalina Island that are otherwise inaccessible via car from Catalina Island. The typical cost is $110–150 and includes breakfast, lunch, and three dives with air fills. Some boats have nitrox at additional cost.

Known shipwrecks in the waters off the island include the Diosa del Mar ( 33.462770, N  ), which was sunk July 30, 1990 near Ship Rock, and the famous Su-Jac (among others) just off Casino point. The yacht Valiant burned and sank a couple of hundred yards out from Descanso Beach. It had about $75,000 worth of jewelry on board which has never been recovered. The oldest shipwreck known on Santa Catalina Island is that of a Chinese smuggling ship off Ballast Point on the west side of the island.

Sea Trek uses high tech diving helmets that allow anyone (no diving or swimming skills needed) to discover Catalina's beautiful undersea environment on a guided underwater walking tour.

Glass-bottom boats
For those who don't want to snorkel or dive, there are many alternatives to viewing the underwater life - semi-submarine ride and glass-bottom boat rides. Tickets can be purchased from Catalina Discovery Tours in Avalon. Other unique attractions to Catalina Island are the Semi-Submarines there design is unique and allows visitors to see the underwater life, sitting 5 feet underwater, day and night. These custom-built vessels are operated by Discovery Tours "Ocean Expeditions" or Adventure Tours.

Tours
Classic to Catalina Island are the interior trips that take you to see the Bison that make part of Catalina Island their home. Other tours offered by Discovery Tours include Avalon Scenic Tour and Casino Tour.

Boating
Catalina is home to many yacht clubs: Catalina Island Yacht Club is headquartered in Avalon Bay and Isthmus Yacht Club is headquartered in the 1864 Union Army Barracks at Two Harbors. Many mainland yacht clubs maintain Catalina stations.

 * 4th Of July Yacht Club at 4th of July Cove (island-based club)
 * Balboa Island Yacht Club has club facilities at Whites Landing
 * Balboa Yacht Club has club facilities at Hen Rock
 * Blue Water Cruising Club at Big Geiger Cove
 * California Yacht Club in Catalina Harbor(Cat Harbor) at Ballast Point—may close due to lease increases
 * Catalina Island Yacht Club at Avalon (island-based club)
 * Del Rey Yacht Club in Catalina Harbor (Cat Harbor)—may close due to lease increases.
 * Fourth of July Yacht Club at Fourth of July Cove
 * Isthmus Yacht Club at Two Harbors (island-based club)
 * King Harbor Yacht Club (gave up lease on historic beach location in Isthmus, now have smaller land parcel in Two Harbors.
 * Los Angeles Yacht Club at Howlands Landing
 * Newport Harbor Yacht Club has club facilities at Moonstone Cove
 * Offshore Cruising Club at Little Geiger
 * San Diego Yacht Club has club facilities at Long Point
 * West End Cruising Club (virtual web yacht club based in Two Harbors. Run by Santa Catalina Island Company)

Go next

 * Channel Islands National Park - Channel Islands National Park includes the majority of the Channel Islands and is home to incredible marine life, beautiful and rugged scenery, and the wily Channel Islands fox. The islands are remote with very limited services, attracting hikers, backpackers and scuba divers to explore both the above and below-water wilderness.

title: Catalina Island


text:
Catalonia

Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya, Spanish: Cataluña, Occitan: Catalonha) is an autonomous community in the east of Spain.

Roman ruins stand as a testament to Catalonia's long history, and the Mediterranean beaches and spectacular mountains draw visitors from around the world. Even as the region has become more cosmopolitan, with the capital Barcelona one of the powerhouses of Europe, Catalans remain fiercely proud and protective of their distinct language and culture.

Catalonia has produced world-famous artists like Salvador Dalí, the curvy architecture of Antoni Gaudí, and Barça football club; not to mention a wide range of natural scenery and unique festivals and traditions.

Cities

 * — extremely vibrant capital which is a must for architecture buffs and foodies
 * — botanical gardens, beaches and modernist buildings
 * — home to the Dalí museum
 * — nice old town with an impressive Jewish quarter, close to the Costa Brava
 * — door to the west Pyrenees mountains, has a Cathedral
 * — millions of visitors come to this beach resort each year
 * — a centre for rock-climbing and the birthplace of architect Antoni Gaudí
 * — another popular beach resort in Catalonia
 * — Roman age capital, has beaches, close to Costa Daurada

Other destinations

Catalonia has a great variety of different landscapes very close to each other, mountains on the Pyrenees (at the border with France), green hills on north of the country, agricultural plains on the west and beaches on the east.

 * — rocky cliffs and a mix of pebble beaches and sandy beaches
 * — lots of sandy beaches near Salou and Tarragona. Also, you can visit Port Aventura
 * — monumental mountain towns and ski resorts
 * — with two national parks and a river delta, it's a quiet place with traditions and nature
 * — the largest ski resort in Spain, with nearly 100 runs, 1,000 m of elevation and a longish season
 * — an unusual rock mountain with the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery on top, very popular among Catalans

There are 20 Nature Parks in Catalonia, where you have mountains, rivers, scenic views and interesting places to visit.

Understand
Catalonia borders France and Andorra to the north along the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, Valencia to the south and Aragon to the west. Its capital is the famous city of Barcelona.

Catalonia is today an autonomous region within Spain, but in fact was part of the Crown of Aragon which historically predates Spain itself (the Crown of Catalonia-Aragon and the Crown of Castile-León united to form Spain). Even today, the flag of Catalonia uses the colours of standard of the Crown of Aragon. In 1714, after the War of the Spanish Succession, Catalonia had all its institutions, language and rights suppressed. The region gained its current autonomous status first during the era of the Second Spanish Republic (1930s), but would lose its autonomous status again following the rise of Francisco Franco to power in 1936. Franco was a fascist who desired a strong unified Spanish identity, and proceeded to ban expressions of regional cultures, as well as regional languages, thus making it illegal to speak the Catalan language from 1936–1975. Following Franco's death and the transition to democracy, the local languages and cultures were legalised once more. Catalonia once again gained autonomous status, and the Catalan language gained co-official status with Spanish within the region. It continues to press for more political and economic autonomy, mainly in defence of its culture and language and in the form of the right of the Catalan government to collect its own taxes and spend them as it sees fit.

Catalonia has seen many demonstrations in favour of its independence from Spain; such as the 2013 Catalan Way, 400 km long. A consultation on independence was deemed illegal by Madrid in 2014. A referendum in 2017 got 90% vote in favor of independence on a low voter turnout, but this was again declared illegal by the Spanish government, which attempted to suppress it with police violence at various polling places, and by blocking access to websites with referendum information. After the referendum, the Catalan Parliament declared an independent republic, and on the same day the Spanish Senate voted to enforce direct rule over the region, suspending the regional government. The future political status of Catalonia is uncertain, but so far the pro-independence movement poses no threat to any tourist, and should not discourage travel to the region.

Tourist information

 * Catalonia Tourism website

Talk
The main languages of Catalonia are Catalan, Spanish and Occitan (Aranese), official language in the Aran Valley.

Catalan (català) is the own language of Catalonia, co-official with Spanish (and since 2006 with Aranese). Catalan is also spoken in Andorra, the Balearics, Valencia, La Franja (the eastern strip of Aragon), L'Alguer-Alghero (a small coastal city on the Italian island of Sardinia), and Roussillon (an area in the south of France sometimes called Catalunya Nord that corresponds roughly with the department of Pyrénées-Orientales). In everyday use, 11.95% of the population claim to use both Spanish and Catalan equally, while 35.54% mainly use Spanish and 45.92% mainly use Catalan. There is a significant difference between the Barcelona metropolitan area (and, to a lesser extent, the Tarragona area), where Spanish is more spoken than Catalan, and the rest of Catalonia, where Catalan clearly prevails over Spanish.

Visitors who speak Spanish should note that it is called castellano (Catalan castellà) and that while most people in Catalonia are bilingual in Catalan and Spanish, and are required to learn both languages in school, some people may be reluctant to answer in Spanish, due to the fact that speaking Catalan was strongly discouraged or even illegal during many eras, not least the Franco era and speaking Catalan is something of a statement of Catalan identity. Even Antoni Gaudi, the world-famous architect of Sagrada Familia, was arrested for demonstrating for Catalan linguistic and cultural rights under the Primo de Rivera dictatorship. Nevertheless, most locals would be willing to speak to foreigners in Spanish. Replying in Catalan to a question asked in Spanish is the way to inform the other party that the conversation may continue in Catalan if desired. If you do not speak Catalan, just politely say that you do not understand, and there will be no problem in most cases. Spanish is the first language of almost half of Catalonia's population and virtually all Catalans speak the language fluently. At any rate avoid disparaging comments towards the Catalan language or even insinuating it might be a "dialect" rather than a language. Learning a few words of Catalan will certainly endear you to Catalan speakers.

Aranese, a subdialect of Gascon (Occitan), is a minority language and only spoken by a couple of thousand people in Val d'Aran in northwest Catalonia. In 2006, it gained official status.

As in the rest of Spain, English is not widely spoken, though staff working at major hotels and the main tourist attractions know enough English to communicate. French is widely spoken as a second or third language in the areas near the border with France. By necessity, Catalan speakers tend to be more multilingual than their peers in most of Spain which tends to show even in languages other than Castilian or Catalan. Don't be surprised to hear some light Andalusian tinge to the Spanish of some, especially those working in tourism. Catalonia has attracted economic migrants from the rest of Spain ever since it industrialized and continues to do so to this day.

By plane

Other airports in Catalonia are:

By train
The main train station in Barcelona is called Estació de Sants, but the most central ones are Plaça de Catalunya (most local and regional trains) and Passeig de Gràcia (serving some local and most long-distance lines).

The Spanish train company is called RENFE. Barcelona is very well connected by train with Madrid, Valencia (City), Zaragoza and the Basque Country in particular and with the whole country in general.

Inside Catalonia, there are frequent trains from the other three provincial capitals (Lleida, Tarragona and Girona).

A few trains travel across the Pyrenees, but it's possible to reach the eastern part using the train to Tour de Carol (France).

Going by train to the Costa Daurada beaches is the best choice, using the line to Tarragona. The Costa Brava isn't well connected by train.

There's also a Catalan train company Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), which serves destinations near Barcelona, and some tourist routes. It also operates a funicular service in the Pyrenees.

By bus
Buses and coaches connect the principal cities to many national and international locations, and it's the only public transport to get to many local places in Catalonia.

The most important bus stations are: Estació de Sants (Barcelona), mainly for international routes, is next to the train station and very well connected; and the Estació del Nord (also in Barcelona), close to Passeig de Sant Joan, is the main bus station for medium and long routes - the nearest metro (Line 1) and RENFE station is Arc de Triomf.

The routes inside Catalonia are held by different companies, which leave from different places. Every town has normally only one company, so you should ask at some information point, or check online which, although in Catalan, is quite easy to use (put the origin at the left, the destination at the right, and gives the name of the company and its telephone number).

By Boat
Catalonia has many ports. The main commercial ports are:

See

 * Barcelona is a modern city with lots of historical heritage including magnificent examples of Gothic and Modernist architectures. Home of the Sagrada Familia and other Antoni Gaudí buildings such as Parc Guell and La Pedrera. Barcelona is also well known for its museums and cultural events.
 * The Roman ruins including the complex and colosseum in Tarragona and the ruins in Castelló d'Empúries.
 * Enjoy the long fine sand beaches of Costa Daurada and the grain beaches on Costa Brava
 * See the volcanoes near the city of Olot, and La Fageda d'en Jordà, a very nice forest and extinct volcanoes.
 * Castells, human towers made by castellers who stand on each other's shoulders, forming six, seven, eight, or even more layers of people. An incredible and distinctively Catalan tradition popular at festes and friendly competitions. Not often publicised for visitors, but if you have a Catalan friend or can puzzle through the online information in Catalan, it's well worth your while.

UNESCO listed sites
UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves:

UNESCO World Heritage List sites:

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage:

UNESCO creative cities:

UNESCO Geoparks:

Itineraries

 * Catalan Way of St. James – one branch of the Way of St. James pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
 * Ebro Way of St. James – another branch, which partly coincides with the GR 99 Camino del Ebro

Adventure sports
Water activities are practiced in a lot of places in Catalonia like Llavorsí in the Pyrenees.

Catalan "Festes" or Festivals
Catalonia has hundreds of "festes" that go on around the region every week of the year. The closest word in English to translate "Festa" would be "Festival" but this is inadequate to describe the type of celebration that exists in Catalonia. "Festes" are ritual like celebrations that have been passed down through generations of people for more than 700 years. They are organized by the people of a town for their own enjoyment, and not for any commercial interest. "Festival" (which also exists in the Catalan and Castilian languages) denotes an event that is usually organized by a specific group of people for a particular market, and is often motivated by economic interest.

“Festes” have ritual like sequences of events that usually involve Giants, Devils, Human Castles and processions. A magical atmosphere is created at the “festa”, almost like a type of Catharsis. “Festes” stem from Medieval Times when fantastical dragons and Giants were created to instruct people about religion in church services. Shortly after the fantastical creatures became a part of the Corpus Christi processions that paraded through the town during the summer. The importance given to these folkloric elements has gradually increased over time and now they have assumed a national importance. Nowadays, these traditions are associated with Catalan identity as something that is individual and separate from the rest of Spain.

These “festes” are not greatly publicized by the Catalan government for visitors.

Birdwatching
Because of its geographical location and terrific range of habitats, including dry steppes, rocky coastlines, mountains and some of the most important wetland sites in Europe, Catalonia has a greater variety of bird life than anywhere else on the peninsula, with 95% of Iberia's and 50% of the whole Palearctic's recorded bird species.

Some of the most sought-after are the bearded vulture, black woodpecker, wallcreeper, Bonelli's eagle, lesser grey shrike, little bustard, pin-tailed sandgrouse, Audouin's gull and lesser crested tern. The most important sites are Cap de Creus Natural Park, Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park, Barcelona's Llobregat Delta, the Parc del Garraf, Ebro Delta, the Steppes of Lleida and, of course, the Pyrenees.

There are a few companies that will organise tours for you, or even offer free advice, including Catalan Bird Tours and Oliva Rama Tours. There is also the Birdinginspain.com web site which offers birding sites and itineraries and lots of other useful information to help you plan your ornithological trip to Catalonia.

Eat
There are lots of good places to eat. At lunch time (13-15:00 approx.), many restaurants (and some bars) offer a menú del migdia / menú del día (menu of the day), which usually means a three course meal (a first plate often a salad or rice-based or pasta-based dish, a second plate usually a meat or fish, and a drink; plus a dessert or coffee), 3 or 4 options for each course, for €12 to €20, depending on the restaurant. The portions may be quite generous, or rather small. Some bars also offer "Plats Combinats" which are a few items served together at reasonable prices - e.g. Hamburger, egg and chips.

In all the medium-sized cities, you can expect to find a large range of possibilities.

In the 21st century, Catalonia has also emerged has one of the world's premier fine dining hubs, with an exceptionally high concentration of celebrity chefs.

Catalan cuisine
Usually announced as Cuina Casolana, based on the purposes of the Mediterranean diet: soups, salads, meats, fish and seafood, snails (especially in Lleida during "L'Aplec del Cargol" by early May), desserts, pastries...
 * Pa amb tomàquet: "bread with tomato". Many people in Spain are surprised when discover the Catalan way to prepare "pa amb tomàquet", because instead of being sliced tomato with bread, the tomato (sometimes with garlic) is squashed and spread in the bread slice, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and small cuts of a very Catalan specialty: cured pork meat, that is, the famous Iberian ham (Spanish jamón, Catalan pernil), fuet, chorizo (xoriço), botifarra (spicy cured sausages), sobrassada, or other stuff like cheese or larger pieces of cooked meat. "Pa amb tomàquet" is a very deeply rooted meal in Catalan houses.
 * Paella - Typical rice dish from the Catalan Lands. Catalan paella is with seafood, while Valencian paella is without seafood. There's also a variant of paella which is made up with little noodles called "fideuà". In addition, paella and fideuà can be prepared with black squid ink, then it's called "fideuà negra" or "arròs negre" (black fideuà and black rice respectively).
 * Botifarra amb Mongetes - grilled sausage with beans. The butifarra is made of fresh pork meat with spices and is grilled. The beans are boiled and then fried with bacon. Usually served with all-i-oli (cold garlic and oil sauce)
 * Calçotada is a full meal, available from Christmas until mid April, based on the calçot, a kind of young onion grilled and eaten with a sauce. Usually the dish comprises assorted grilled meats, and some dessert after that. Although from Tarragona (province), today it is available in most of Catalonia, usually at countryside restaurants. This is usually a group meal, but is also available for couples or families.
 * Escudella i carn d'olla is a traditional meat and vegetable stew or soup. It is characterised by the use of a pilota, a very big meatball seasoned with garlic and parsley; it also contains vegetables such as celery, cabbage or carrots, depending on the season. Escudella is typically served in two parts: the escudella proper is a soup consisting of a broth with pasta, rice or both. The carn d'olla is all the meat used in the broth, served afterwards in a tray along with the vegetables used. When both parts are served mixed together, it is called escudella barred. A version of this soup called escudella de Nadal (Christmas soup) or sopa de galets and is very popular on Christmas Day.
 * Caragols a la llauna is a simple dish of snails either grilled, or oven-roasted in a llauna (tin pan). They are served with aioli or vinaigrette. The dish is particularly favoured in Lleida, where it has been promoted since 1980 by the Aplec del Caragol de Lleida.
 * Trinxat is a food from the Pyrenees, principally Andorra and the Catalan comarques of Cerdanya and Alt Urgell. It is made with potatoes, cabbage and pork meat, and resembles the English dish bubble and squeak.
 * Escalivada consists of roasted aubergine and peppers with olive oil and sometimes onion, tomato, minced garlic, and salt. Usually served cold, like a salad.
 * Coca cookies in four main varieties: sweet, savoury, closed and open. All of them use dough as the main ingredient, which is then decorated. Coca de recapte is a widely-available savoury coca with a variety of different ingredients, usually including sausage and vegetables (aubergine, pepper, onion). Coca de Sant Joan is a sweet coca with fruits eaten on Saint John's Eve (23 June)
 * Crema catalana, similar to a crème brûlée, is a custard made from egg yolks, milk, sugar, cornflour, and aromatics, typically lemon zest, cinnamon, or vanilla, with a crisp caramel crust. The first known recipe dates back 14th century.
 * Mona de pascua, is a cake with a Chocolate egg on top, traditionally eaten on Easter Monday. It is customary for godparents to give a mona to their godchild. Sometimes the chocolate egg is replaced by a large chocolate figure, and sometimes this even replaces the cake.
 *  Tortell is round, made of puff pastry, and stuffed with trufa (a mixture of cacao, chocolate and cream), whipped cream or crema catalana. It is typically bought and eaten after Sunday lunch, in family or with friends.
 * Braç de gitano (gypsy's arm) is like a Swiss roll made of whipped cream and sponge cake.

Books to read
Consider checking books by Carmen Casas, a restaurant critic and a world-renowned expert on Catalan cuisine.

Other cuisines
Cuisines from other regions can be readily found in cities of Catalonia:
 * Tapas - Typical Spanish
 * Basque food
 * Italian food - Pasta, pizzas, ...
 * Chinese food
 * Japanese food
 * Fast food

Drink
Don't miss the Catalan wine and Cava. Catalonia has a very rich tradition of wine makers, and today it is a producer of world famous wines. "Penedès", "Priorat", "Costers del Segre", "Alella" and "Terra Alta" are good "DOP"s ("Denominación de Origen Protegida" or designation of protected origin, the Spanish administrative division to control and preserve wine producing areas). Vermouth, a fortified wine, is a very popular local drink, usually drunk as a late morning / midday aperitif. Sangría is also served in most restaurants, with large variations in quality, and mainly made for tourists.

Stay safe
Catalonia is usually a safe place. Be aware of pickpockets in crowds and don't leave your car unwatched in motorway rest areas. Tourist areas such as Las Ramblas in Barcelona city attract many petty thieves so you should be vigilant. As a tourist, you are a target for thieves. They can spot you and you cannot spot them. Do not carry all your money and documentation in the same bag or pocket. If you have been robbed, always go to the police.

If you are driving, follow traffic regulations or you may be fined. If you are fined, you will have to pay in cash immediately; otherwise, your car will be removed from the road. Therefore, have at least €200 with you, just in case.

Ever since the 2017 independence referendum which many opponents of independence view as illegal and the subsequent trial of pro independence figures involved in the referendum which handed down lengthy jail sentences, there have been widespread mass protests in Catalonia, sometimes involving police violence or violence by protesters. While you should be fine if you keep out of politics altogether and the Catalan population is pretty much evenly split in pro- and anti-independence camps, even peaceful protests can become violent without much advance notice so as a visitor, you are advised to just stay away from protests. Protesters also sometimes block major highways or airports to communicate their displeasure and draw attention to their cause, so be prepared to make alternative arrangements if this conflicts with your travel plans.

Respect
You should always be fully clothed away from beaches and swimming pools. It is very annoying for local people to see tourists wandering around half-naked. Try to remember that you are a guest in another country and respect the fact that even though you are on vacation, most of the people around you live here and are trying to go about their normal lives. For example, avoid making a lot of noise late at night, as people will be sleeping.

Be aware that people usually have breakfast at 9AM, lunch at 2PM and dinner at 9PM or later. This schedule may seem a little weird but it is like this because of the sun hours. Traditionally, people worked the fields when the sun was least strong, which is early morning and late afternoon. So after working from dawn, they had a snack at 9AM or 10AM, ate lunch at 2PM, then back to work between 3PM and 4PM, after which they would come home and eat dinner at 9PM. The tradition as a whole is gradually disappearing, due to increased urbanization and the abandonment of traditional farming practices, but people have largely kept the eating schedule.

Catalonia has an active independence movement, and Catalan society is deeply divided on this issue. As a visitor, tread lightly in discussions of the issue.

Go next

 * Andorra — a tiny mountainous country in the Pyrenees, famous for its beautiful views, ski resorts, and low taxes
 * Aragon — with close historical ties to Catalonia, this autonomous community to the west has a distinctive culture and picturesque countryside.
 * Balearic Islands — a tourist hotspot in the Mediterranean, including the world-famous party destination Ibiza, a short ride from Catalonia by plane or ferry
 * Pyrénées-Orientales — also known as "Northern Catalonia", a department of France with historical, linguistic, and cultural ties to Catalonia
 * Valencian Community — an autonomous community to the south of Catalonia, with beautiful weather and extensive beaches

title: Catalonia


text:
Catanduanes

Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines, located in the Bicol Region, off the eastern coast of the Bicol Peninsula.

Municipalities

 * Virac - the capital and largest town in Catanduanes.
 * San Andres (Calolbon)
 * Caramoran
 * Viga
 * Pandan
 * Bato
 * San Miguel
 * Baras
 * Bagamanoc
 * Panganiban (Payo)
 * Gigmoto

Understand
Catanduanes is at the center of the typhoon belt, and it is not unusual to experience a typhoon at any time of the year. However, its geographic location facing the open Pacific Ocean makes the island exposed to moist air that cause unpredictable rainy, overcast conditions, aside from those due to typhoons, all year.

Catholicism is the main religion; most big events and festivals center on religious holidays.

Talk
Two dialects of Bikol are spoken in Catanduanes: However, Tagalog and English are both widely spoken and understood.
 * Pandan Bikol or Northern Catanduanes Bikol and
 * Southern Catanduanes Bikol.

Get in
Transportation options to the rest of the Philippines all connect through Virac.

By plane
The island's only airport is in the capital at Virac.

By ferry
There are regular ferries that connect Virac to the port of Tabaco, from where one can take an overnight bus to Manila and to other destinations in Luzon.

Get around
The primary mode of transportation in and around Catanduanes is by tricycle, which are motorcycles with an enclosed sidecar for passengers and are prevalent throughout the Philippines. Many roads, especially those away from the major towns, are unpaved and are subject to wash-outs and mudslides during and after heavy rains.

Natural attractions

 * Puraran Beach - Located on the eastern coast of the island, Puraran contains the famous Majestics surfing spot, which can have some very impressive waves but can also be dangerous, so it is only for the experienced surfer. There are several thatched-roof huts to sit at and enjoy the beach.
 * Igang | Twin Rock Beach Resort is located just south of Virac. There is a entrance fee.
 * Marinawa Falls is a set of cascading cataracts about 7 km north of Virac. It is possible to swim and bathe in the pools at the base of the waterfalls, and there are picnic areas.
 * Mamangal Beach is another white sand beach close to San Andres town.
 * San Miguel River Park The San Miguel River Park (SMRP) is a nature preserve & water adventure park and resort in Catanduanes. San Miguel River Park offer tubing, kayaking, white water rafting adventures and waterfalls hopping. SMRP is located at bgy. Kilikilihan, municipality of San Miguel. The San Miguel river is the longest freshwater stream in Catanduanes.

Churches

 * Bato Church - one of the earliest churches built by the conquering Spaniards.
 * Virac Cathedral - in the center of Virac

title: Catanduanes


text:
Catania

Catania is a city of 310,000 people (2019) on the eastern coast of Sicily at the foot of Mount Etna, the biggest volcano in Europe. It is the second largest city in Sicily with the metropolitan area reaching one million inhabitants, a major transport hub, economic centre and a university city where you will enjoy a busy downtown and an active nightlife. Catania is also well known for its particular baroque architecture and urban design (the downtown area is a World Heritage Site, along with all the Val di Noto area), consequences of the great earthquake of 1693 after which the city had to be rebuilt, like most of eastern Sicily.

Understand

The city has a history dating back 2,700 years, dominated by several different cultures (Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, etc.) and was a rich commercial centre, mainly due to its port. Again, since the 1970s, the city economy is growing as the urban area and the suburbs, making Catania a large metropolitan centre, mainly between the volcano and the sea. Today, even if you can find there most of the biggest commercial centers in Europe (especially Etnapolis), the 17th-century downtown area is still the centre of the day-to-day life.

Catania sits under the most major active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna, and has been destroyed many times in the past. As a result, Catania is a city where you can find a great variety of landscape and architecture, a lot of dirty buildings and also a lot of abandoned houses, especially in the mountains. However, since the city is a World Heritage Site, a lot of renovations have been made.

Today, you will feel in Catania a mix of nostalgia and joie de vivre, especially at night or during festivals.

Sicilian Baroque
The major feature of this city is its architecture, which is predominantly baroque.

The major characteristic of Baroque architectural is its theatricality. This style dominated Europe in the 17th century as a result of the reformation/counter-reformation where the statement given was one of grandeur. The preceding style was Renaissance, while the succeeding was Neoclassicism. The three major features are a near excessive amount of detail (statues, lots of gold, columns and pilasters, garlands and wreaths, etc.), façades which are taller than the nave (to fool the viewer of the size) and frescoes often featuring trompe-l'œil.

Baroque from Catania has several unique features such as use of dark lava stone (basalt), the Bell in the façade itself and grotesque masks and putti.

Climate
Catania has a hot summer-mediterranean climate with long hot, dry summers and short, mild winters. Summer experiences a pronounced aridity with a strong prevalence of stable, sunny conditions whereas winter presents more interchangeable weather. Temperatures of 35°C are usual in summer and temperatures in winter generally revolve around 17°C during the day. Springs and autumns enjoy warm day temperatures, ranging from 20°C in March to 31°C in September.

Tourist information

 * Info point of the province of Catania at the via Etnea.
 * Info point of the province of Catania at the via Etnea.

Talk
Sicilian used to be the common language here for centuries, as the Sicilian culture is isolated on an island. Even in Catania, you will notice Italian and Sicilian (as Palermo, Catania has its own dialect) in some neighborhoods, especially in inner areas, while most people speak mainly Italian in the city center.

By plane
Eruptions of Mount Etna and Stromboli can cause disruptions of the flights, such as in July 2024.

The simplest way to reach central Catania is on the

Because the airport is so close, the inter-city buses running to Catania also call here, so you can usually get a direct connection: see listings below. Buses to nearby towns and villages (run by AST) mostly don't call here, so you'll have to go downtown to change. However the local buses to Donnalucata, Modica and Carlentini do call here, as the airport happens to be on the route. Buy bus tickets from the kiosks by the east exit of the Arrivals hall.

By bus
The transport hub of Catania is the big roundabout Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII (that's "Pope John 23rd" for non-Latins). The metro station is right here, as is the main railway station, and just north is the bus station

The main bus companies running from here are:

By train
Trains run roughly hourly along the east coast via Taormina-Giardini to Messina (90 min to 2 hr). Three of these per day are direct services to Naples (7-8 hours) and Rome (10 hours), via the Straits ferry. Five trains per day run inland via Enna (1 hour) to Palermo (3 hours). 12 trains a day run south to Syracuse (one hour); two of these connect with onward trains to Pozzallo (2 hr 30 min); 2 trains a weekday run the scenic inland route to Caltagirone (1 hr 30 min) and then with the replacement bus to Gela (1 hr more) (as of Feb 2020).

There are two small stations to the north, Catania Europa and Catania Ognina. Visitors are unlikely to use them. To the south, there is the stop "Catania Aeroporto Fontanarossa", by which the airport can be reached via a short walk or a shuttlebus.

By ferry
Most travellers from mainland Italy use the 20-minute shuttle between Villa San Giovanni and Messina; there are also frequent ferries from Reggio to Messina. A car ferry runs every night between Naples and Catania: it's run by TTT lines and takes 12 hours. Other ferries sail from the mainland to Palermo.

A car ferry runs twice a day between Pozzallo (90 km south of Catania) and Valletta, Malta. It's run by Virtu Ferries and takes one hour 45 min, return fare €80 low season rising to €160 mid-summer. Day-trips are possible from Malta every day, and from Sicily on Wednesday and Friday. On Friday, Saturday and Monday there's a connecting coach between Catania and Pozzallo. This is timed for day-trips from Malta, so if you want to day-trip from Sicily you need to make your own way to Pozzallo.

By foot
Catania has a compact centre and it is most convenient just to walk around.

By bus
To reach outlying accommodation or the university, you'll need the bus, run by

By train
Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE) is a narrow-gauge railway that loops around the west flanks of Etna then back to the coast and mainline at Giarre-Riposto, 28 km north of Catania. The terminus in Catania is Borgo, with a metro connection to Centrale railway station and downtown. Trains run from Catania Borgo M-Sa hourly, all as far as Paterno, most as far as Adrano, and eight per day reach Bronte and Randazzo (2 hours) where these south-side trains terminate. To complete the circuit, you change to the north-side train Randazzo-Linguaglossa-Giarre-Riposto, taking 70 min. There are 3 or 4 of these per day in summer but only one or two in winter. At Giarre the Circumetnea and mainline stations are side by side, with Circumetnea trains continuing for a final km to terminate at Riposto. There is no Sunday or public holiday service on the Circumetnea line.

By Metro
Visitors to Catania can use the metro to reach the Circumetnea railway. It's one of the shortest metro systems in the world, just under 9 km long, and it's run by the same company. The line starts from Stesicoro in midtown Catania, runs east to the transport hub of Giovanni XXIII, then turns west. Get off at Borgo for the Circumetnea railway. The metro line ends at the suburb of Nesima, which has Park & Ride. The metro runs M-Sa 06:50-21:00 every 10-15 min; no service Sundays or public holidays. Single ticket €1 (valid 90 min), Bus+Metro €1.20 (valid 120 min), day pass €2 (metro only).

By car
Driving in the centre is difficult because of congestion, one-way systems and pedestrianised areas. The town center has a small limited traffic zone (ZTL) (map and hours), and most vehicles are prohibited from accessing it at any time. There are ten main parking lots around the city, and a slew of others serving the airport. Park & Ride is available at the airport, and at Nesima metro station west of the city.

World Heritage Sites

Do

 * - Walk the main shopping avenue, running north from the Piazza del Duomo has most of the city's imposing building and is busy throughout the day and evening. Lots of churches. This road is the equivalent of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, so in the evenings the local people put on their Sunday clothes and walk at a relaxed pace along this avenue.
 * La Plaja, sandy beaches south of the city along the bay
 * The Riviera dei ciclopi, a rocky, volcano coast north of the city, stretching almost to Taormina
 * Visit a minor religious festival, but avoid Sant'Agata on the 5th February due to the excessive crowds.
 * A vintage self-drive excursion or a themed tour on a classic Fiat 500, starting from Catania or Taormina/Giardini Naxos. The most popular excursions are themed on the Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather movie and on the Etna Wines Road. You can reach villages like Savoca, Forza D’Agrò and Taormina. Contact 500 Vintage Tour - Classic car hire & tours - Taormina - - Email: info@500vintagetour.com - Website: 500 Vintage Tour

Buy
Pizzo means protection money extorted by the Mafia. Addiopizzo Catania is a movement of shopkeepers who refuse to pay - please support them by shopping in their stores. They also run educational and cultural outreach activities.

Every morning except Sundays, try haggling at:

Eat
Catania is proud of its specialities. A famous speciality is pasta alla Norma which consists in pasta (generally macaroni) dressed with tomato sauce and topped with fried eggplant slices, grated ricotta salata (salty ricotta) and fresh basil. The fish is also good, as Catania is a large port. The city is also known for horse meat, especially in some areas around the "Benedictine Monastery".

Typical Catanese pastry include the world-wide famous cannolo alla Ricotta, cassatella di Sant'Agata (a small cassata) and pasta di Mandorla (based on almond meal).

Fast food
Like in most of Sicily, you can get a freshly made cold panini in a salumeria, where you choose whatever you want to put in (prosciutto cotto/crudo and cheese are probably the most popular ones), for €1-3. Don't forget that most of salumerias are closed 13:00-16:00 and on Sunday afternoon.

You can also have some tavola calda (“hot bite”) meal, most of them made with cheese and meat, fried or baked. You will normally pay €1.50 for one piece.

Another Sicilian speciality is arancino, which are deep fried rice balls with various fillings, meat or eggplant or spinach, that sell for €1.50 at most places. They make a good lunch snack.

Also, especially in the evening, some big kiosks sell hot, tasty and fat panini, some even horse meat filling. Most people add fries into the sandwich. Usually, it's about €2.50-3.00 and they are very popular among teenagers. Because its quite cheap, there is normally confusion at these kiosks.

In summer, a typical breakfast consists of "Granita" (a kind of sorbet of almond or black mulberry) served with a brioscia (sweet round small loaf): it is a nourishing and refreshing combination that can be found in almost any bar of the city.

Drink
You'd find all kinds of kiosks in the city which sell various refreshments, such as coffee, limoncello or popular local drinks such as seltz al limone (soda water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice) or mandarino al limone (soda water with tangerine syrup and fresh-squeezed lemon juice).

Mid-range to high

 * The Parco degli Aragonesi, Viale Kennedy, on beach and the Catania Centro, 13 Piazza Trento, downtown, are the two NH hotels in Catania.
 * The Parco degli Aragonesi, Viale Kennedy, on beach and the Catania Centro, 13 Piazza Trento, downtown, are the two NH hotels in Catania.
 * The Parco degli Aragonesi, Viale Kennedy, on beach and the Catania Centro, 13 Piazza Trento, downtown, are the two NH hotels in Catania.

Stay safe
Catania is the safest major city in Sicily, even during the night as there are a lot of students and people around throughout the city centre.

Be careful not to look conspicuously touristy, exposing jewelry, large bags or photo gear that might entice fast pickpockets or robbers. They are abundant all around the city and they recognize immediately anyone who is not from around here. However using common sense is more than enough the avoid all problems.

You may encounter some people asking for money. Just ignore them and say "Non ho niente, mi dispiace" (I don't have anything (=money), I'm sorry).

As in any other city avoid the station area, especially at night.

San Cristoforo is the most dangerous neighborhood in Catania and is located near the city centre, at the end of Via Plebiscito. Do not wander the streets alone at night. Another dangerous neighborhood is Librino, but of no interest for a tourist.

Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next

 * Mount Etna is an eerie volcanic landscape, with a black terrain of pumice ash and rivers of solidified lava. The top is 3329 m high, so it's always cold, and if the city weather is iffy, then it will be beyond miserable up there. There is a daily bus service via Nicolosi to Rifugio Sapienza ("Etna Sud"), the usual approach to the summit. You need your own car to reach the northern approach at Piano Provenzana ("Etna Nord"). You can also explore the surrounding villages on the narrow gauge Circumetnea train, but you can't approach the summit that way.
 * The Riviera dei Ciclopi is a chain of three villages on the coast north-east of Catania. In Homer's legend, Odysseus (Ulysses) landed here but a one-eyed giant trapped him and began eating his crew; Odysseus got the giant drunk, blinded him and escaped. The furious giant hurled rocks blind at the escaping ship, narrowly missing.
 * In Aci Castello see
 * Aci Trezza is a little fishing port known for Isole dei Ciclopi — giant rocks offshore, supposedly those thrown by the Cyclops at Ulysses.
 * Acireale has a big carnival end of Jan to beginning of Feb. Riserva naturale orientata La Timpa is located along the rocky coast of the village. There are a few panoramic trails across the reserve - check their site.

 * Aci Castello and Aci Trezza are in a 30-min bus ride from Catania. Take AMT urban bus 534 (Catania – Acicastello) which starts from Piazza Borsellino or AST regional bus from Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII. For Acireale take either AST, Interbus or Zappalà & Torrisi buses (50 min).

 * Further afield by public transport you can day-trip to Taormina and Syracuse. With your own car you can day-trip to Modica and Ragusa, Piazza Armerina, Enna, Militello in Val di Catania, Caltagirone, and Agrigento.

 * To reach the north coast, the quickest way is to blat along the autostrada A18, or take the A19 past Enna. A more attractive route SS185 winds through the hills from Taormina, with views back over Etna, and through the picturesque medieval town of Novara di Sicilia. On the north coast either turn west for Palermo, or go a little way north to Milazzo the port for the Aeolian Islands, or turn east to the ferry port of Messina.

title: Catania


text:
Catania (province)

The Metropolitan City of Catania (Italian: Città metropolitana di Catania) is an administrative division on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy. It replaced the former Province of Catania on 1 January 2015.

Cities

 * — a busy city with a UNESCO World Heritage Listed Baroque centre. It's a university city and economic center, great for nightlife, the gate to Mount Etna
 * — a World Heritage town, famous for its ceramics
 * — another World Heritage town
 * — fisherman village on the coast of Catania
 * — Marina di cottone, it reserves natural neighbor very beautiful river that flows in a splendid sea
 * — the closest town to the summit of the Mount Etna
 * — a seaside town at the other end of the Circumetnea railway.
 * — a seaside town at the other end of the Circumetnea railway.

Other destinations

 * — Europe's tallest active volcano
 * with its Gole dell'Alcantara, deep impressive gorges carved by the river flow on the edge of Etna

By train

A narrow-gauge commuter railway line runs clockwise around the Mount Etna.

Stay safe
Watch out whenever walking on the streets on the center because drivers can drive over your feet if you're not careful. Also, make sure you follow the main roads to and from your place of stay so that you don't wind up in some ghetto, because they don't seem so safe especially if you're a female or a solo guy. Otherwise, the main streets seem pretty safe, full of friendly Italians of whom a lot know basic English.

title: Catania (province)