FC Barcelona football tickets - it's going to get worse before it gets better

There are two very good reasons for redeveloping FC Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium, although it'll take some time to get used to the new facade.

• The first is that a roof for everyone is long overdue as it's not much fun being there when it really pours - and in Barcelona it knows how to rain sometimes

• The availability of Barcelona football tickets should get better because at the moment it can be difficult to get good seats, especially if you want to be seated together.

The problem is that the the number of seats will surely go down while they are working on the project, so it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Chicken curry recipes and Indian Restaurants in Barcelona

Usually the chicken curry recipes offered by Indian restaurants in Barcelona aren't spicy enough for me, but last week I was talking the the owner of one and he told me why.

The reason is simply that they don't use chillis in the cooking because Spaniards, on the whole, don't like it. He did also tell me that if I asked for chilli to be put in any dish I asked for they would do it.

I'll try it sometime soon, but it sounds like it could be ass-searingly hot.

Numbers in Spanish on Ezine Articles

Just to let you know that Ezine Articles has published the first of a series on numbers in Spanish. Part II should appear some time next week.

The Normandie Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico

The Normandie Hotel in Puerto Rico's San Juan is ideally situated between the historical old town and the business district of Condado. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the art deco style of the hotel dates the hotel clearly to the 1930s and a few steps down to the beach mean it is ideal for pleasure, even if your trip to San Juan is business. Just off the beach are some reefs that are worth a look at and you can arrange to dive from the beach with a local diving guide. The visibity can be poor, but the dive is very shallow and ideal for beginners.

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Piazza San Carlo, Turin

Piazza San Carlo in Turin is one of the biggest squares in the city and home to the Caval 'd Brons, a bronze statue of Emanuele Filiberto right in the centre. Round the edge the square is lined with arcades and one of the most famous cafes in Turin can be found there, the Caffé Ristorante Torino.

Learning numbers in Spanish

Many people find that learning numbers in Spanish is relatively straightforward, perhaps because of the patterns repeated throughout, or perhaps just because they have more of an opportunity to practice both listening to them and speaking them.

If you travel to Spain or Latin America you're bound to go to a supermarket at some point, even if you don't shop anywhere else. And when you're asked for the total amount listen carefully - repeat it back if necessary and count your money out.

It's really that simple to learn the Spanish numbers and you'll probably find you can memorize them, speak them and understand them in no time at all.

Puerto Rico Accommodation doesn't start and end with resort hotels

One of the things that really struck me when I visited Puerto Rico a couple of years ago were the number of resort hotels where people were able to completely isolate themselves from the island and the islanders.

Staying for 6 weeks in San Juan and traveling around the island at weekends, we found Puerto Rican's to be unfailingly polite, courteous and friendly, and to have missed that experience would have made the trip much less enjoyable.

Sure, Puerto Rico does have social problems and you do need to be careful. But staying in a big hotel resort where everything is provided and everything is safe is far too sterile an environment for me.

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