English in Madrid

Image Source: Wikipedia (Felipe Gabaldón) MADRID. What does it mean to you? What's your favourite neighbourhood? Why? What advice would you give to a visitor? What changes have you seen? How would you compare it to other cities that you know? Have a look at some of these extracts from the * Wikitravel guide to Madrid .  Do you agree with them? What advice would you add? * Text in Wikitravel may be edited. Madrid  is the capital of Spain, as well as the capital of the autonomous community of the same name (Comunidad de Madrid). The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million with a metro area population of almost 6.5 million.  Madrid is best known for its great cultural and artistic heritage, a good example of which is the El Prado museum. Madrid also  boasts  some of the liveliest nightlife in the world. Image source: Wikipedia   Culture The culture of Madrid was dominated by its religious and royal history. Enormous, monoli...

Source: Sarah777 (Wikipedia)  It's a puente for some this weekend and many people will be driving somewhere. I wonder how many times I've been asked how to say puente in English. un día festivo   = a holiday If the holiday lands on a Friday or a Monday, then we can say it's a long weekend . If, like now, the holiday is on a Thursday, we can take Friday off . Otherwise , it's a normal, working day . So really puente doesn't exist in English - we just have a day off . Did you go away this weekend? What was the journey like? Here is an A-M list of driving vocabulary. You can also refresh your memory by reading N-Z . to accelerate - acelerar He likes to accelerate quickly when the light turns green. the accelerator - el acelerador Press the accelerator gently to start moving the car. an accident - un accidente There was an accident on the main road this morning. an airbag - un airbag The airbag deployed during the collision, saving her life. th...

Source: Emily Liang on Unsplash Source: You Tube (ABC News)  Key Words: Egypt 2011 Tahrir *Video now unavailable. Here are some phrases from the video to help you understand it: Journalist : … ships stand idle … chairs stacked up … not a customer in sight … keep these places afloat with the money they spend … heading home … the unrest has been catastrophic. Restaurant owner : Our restaurant didn’t rely on tourist clients as much as Egyptian ones… Taxi driver : … a bank loan … feed my family Journalist : Normal life has ground to a halt Finance minister : … the height of the tourist season … ramifications for the Egyptian economy (because) of what’s going on Journalist : … that the unrest will spread to oil producing countries… Have you ever been to Egypt? If so, what were your impressions? What do you think of what is going on in Egypt? What will happen next? Egypt unrest : Banks reopen after week of closure Some banks in...

Source: You Tube (Mark Johnson)   Key Words: BBC hologram UK airports Vocabulary : to place them in the tray provided to work something out an audible gasp to unveil first of all to deal with a laptop a gimmick remarkable to enhance compellingly to wheel out no matter how successful After looking up the words above, listen to the report and answer the following questions: What all do you have to do before going through the security check? Why are the two newest members of staff called Holly and Graham? What was the reaction of the audience when they saw them for the first time? Why? Who does the reporter speak to? What are Holly and Graham doing at the airport? When are they going to start work? In what way will they make the passenger experience better? How will Holly and Graham be used in the future? How many people work in security at Luton airport? What won't they be doing in the future? Spotlight on vocabulary : A gimmick is something, which is...

Spain under state of alert over air strike chaos The Spanish government has declared a state of alert after a strike by air traffic controllers grounded flights, stranding thousands of travellers. The measure will allow widldcat strikers to be charged with a crime under the military penal code. About half of the controllers showed for their shift on Saturday morning but most refused to work, in a dispute over hours and conditions. National carrier Iberia has cancelled all flights until 0500 GMT on Sunday. There are huge crowds of passengers at Spain's airports, many hoping to get away at the start of a national holiday, many of them frustrated and angry, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Madrid. The army was called in to take charge of the country's air space on Friday, but cannot direct air traffic. Announcing the state of alert, Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the air traffic controllers were trying to protect "unacceptable priv...

6.7 million journeys to be taken on Spain's roads this weekend Tuesday 12 is a National Fiesta for the Puente de El Pilar The DGT traffic authority in Spain is forecasting 6.7 million journeys will be taken on the country’s roads this bank holiday weekend, despite the forecasts of poor weather and heavy rain in many areas of the south on Sunday. The DGT special controls will run from 3pm on Friday until Midnight on Tuesday for the El Pilar bank holiday. Busiest traffic is expected on the roads which lead to the Valencia and Aragón regions, which are both celebrating their regional fiestas. More than 600 people will be working at the DGT to keep the traffic flowing  and 10,000 Tráfico Guardia Civil will be patrolling the roads. The DGT advises travellers to check their route before departure, using the internet, mobile phone, or teletext services, or to check local radio stations. However note that calls to the DGT traffic information number, which are currently ...

Source:  Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash   I always get nervous before flying because something often goes wrong . Either I miss my connection or I lose my luggage or something eventful happens. So because of past experience, I didn't expect an easy journey this time either . I had an early morning flight on the 26th and I made it to the airport in plenty of time . There was a slight delay but that didn't matter because I had a four hour stopover in London. So far so good . There were more security checks than normal in Gatwick airport but I had time to do some shopping. It was a smooth flight to Inverness with clear skies. There were spectacular views of the white landscape below. It 's been ages since I saw so much snow. As we approached Inverness airport, I could make out a bank of fog along the coast. The flight attendants made the usual preparations for landing. The plane started to descend through the thick fog that was surrounding the airport bu...

Source: NeONBRAND on Unsplash   Now and again airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight safety presentation and their other announcements a bit more entertaining . Here are a few of them I have found on the web: Pilot: " Folks , we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off . Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land. It's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the flight pattern ." After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms , a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced: "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted ." From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight XXX to YYY. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle , and pull tight .. It works just like every other seatbelt ...

Source: Filip Bunkens on Unsplash Snow and ice delay Christmas getaway Snow and ice continues to cause travel chaos in large parts of the UK, a day after thousands of motorists were stranded   by wintry conditions. Flights from Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are still disrupted. Eurostar resumed a limited service on Tuesday, after being closed for three days due to extreme weather in France. The freezing conditions are affecting parts of England and Wales, with the south east and London worst affected. BBC forecaster Chris Fawkes said ice was the major problem, and there would be more snow in northern Scotland and north-west England during the day. He said Aberdeen might have a white Christmas but the rest of the UK could expect dry conditions. Christmas service Roads in south-east England were brought to a standstill   on Monday, forcing thousands to spend the night in their cars or emergency rest centres. Many flights were als...

What's the difference between trip , travel and journey ? Source: yousef alfuhigi on Unsplash We often use travel as a verb : He travels a lot for work and so he likes to relax when he has the chance. I love travelling . I'd love to visit India next year. He's going to travel round the world during his gap year . Travel can also be used as a noun: They say that travel broadens the mind but I don't necessarily agree. He is going to write a book about his travels around Africa. Air   travel is getting more and more stressful. But while we can talk about someone's travels (all the journeys they make), we can't talk about a travel: A travel by train is relaxing.  😡  Travelling by train is relaxing.  😍  Train journeys are relaxing.  😍  Souirce:  Esther Tuttle on Unsplash A journey is one single piece of travel . It is the time you have spent in the form of transport . You make journeys when you t...

Source: Markus Winkler on Unsplash How To Fly With Ryanair Withou t the Extra Cost Ryanair is famed for offering incredibly cheap flight fares, sometimes as little as £1. But beware of being caught out by their hidden additional costs. These days finding a cheap deal on flights is easier than it used to be , with airlines like Ryanair offering such low prices to get from A to B . However, what looks like a £1 flight can often inflate to £100 when you factor in extra charges and fees . We take you through these charges so that you can see for yourself how much your bargain Ryanair flight is really going to cost you. Booking your flight Unless you pay by Visa Electron to book your flight, you will be charged £5 per person, per one-way flight, when you pay by debit or credit card. ‘Priority boarding’ will cost £3 per flight. You must specifically de-select this when booking to avoid pay ing the fee if you don’t want it added to your flight cost. Make sure that yo...

Source:  Carter Baran  on  Unsplash   Easyjet stops girl, six, taking teddy bear on flight A mother has c riticised Easyjet for stopping her six-year-old daughter taking her teddy bear on a flight because it was classed as "excess baggage". Alba Aprciado-Peris was told by a check-in worker that Bebe the bear was banned from joining her on the flight from Glasgow to Stansted. The bear, which was given to Alba as a present, was wrapped up in a carrier bag which the check-in attendant classed as an extra piece of luggage. The worker then told Alba's mother Amparo Peris-Bordes, 38, she would have to pay £9 to put the teddy in the hold. After a * h eated discussion Ms Peris-Bordes decided to post Bebe to their house in Willingham, Cambridgeshire. She said the incident had ruined a weekend break in Scotland earlier this month. "I was totally stunned when they said Alba couldn't have the bear in the cabin with her," said Ms Peris-Bordes, a p...

Source:Wikipedia (Emilio Rodriguez Posada)   Here are a couple of reviews of hotels in Madrid to readers of an English newspaper. Do you agree with the description of hotels in Madrid? Hotel El Prado (a wine-themed retreat in Madrid's Bohemian literary quarter): Location In Madrid’s buzzy  and Bohemian literary quarter, close to the Thyssen and a short walk from Atocha station for high-speed trains to Seville. Character Not its strong point , despite the owners’ decision to give this 48-room hotel a wine theme (their second, marginally more upscale hotel, Lope de Vega, has a literary motif). Rooms Spotless and functional, with compact bathrooms. Some rooms have balconies, small plasma TVs and wifi connection. Room quality does vary. Room 407 is more attractive than most. Food Skip the hotel breakfast and go to a local bar for a café solo con churros. We like The young and perky all-female staff. The fun location, with endless tapas bars on the do...

Source:  Dimitry Anikin en Unsplash German tabloid mocks UK tourists Germany's tabloid newspaper, Bild, has printed a list of holiday resorts to avoid - those dominated by the British. This comes after a British man was awarded £750 (953 euros) after suing his travel company over a holiday at a resort filled with Germans. Bild quotes a German legal expert saying that Germans holidaying in all-British resorts would not have the same opportunity of suing. It goes on to poke fun at British cuisine, drinking-habits and sport. David Barnish, 47, was awarded compensation last week for a holiday in Greece which he argued had been spoilt by the number of German tourists and the fact that all the activities were organised in the German language. Penalty jibe Bild points out that Germans will find it hard to get their money back if they find their hotel overrun with Britons. "Even if the travel company announces in the brochure that the resort is 'fa...