Plenary Sessions | Parallel Sessions | Map | Presenters | Do you provide invitation or visa letters? | Barcelona | Language | Banks and Currency | Restaurants | Electricity | Transportation | Shopping | Taxes | Time

The 2009 Learning Conference will be held at the University of Barcelona, Spain from 1 to 4 July 2009.

Plenary Sessions

On 1, 2 and 3 July, Plenary Sessions will be held at:

Historical Building
Universitat de Barcelona
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 585
08007 Barcelona
http://www.ub.edu/

On 4 July, Plenary Sessions will be held at:

Facultat de Geografia i Historia
Montalegre, 6
08001 Barcelona
Map: http://www.ub.edu/ubicat/mapes/geografia.html

Parallel Sessions

Facultat de Geografia i Historia
Montalegre, 6
08001 Barcelona
Map: http://www.ub.edu/ubicat/mapes/geografia.html

Directions from the Historical Building to the Facultat de Geografia I Historia building.

IMPORTANT: There will be a pre-conference registration day on 30 June, 17:00-20:00, at the Historical Building (see above). This is a very large conference this year, and we ask that, if you are able, to please come to this pre-conference registration. Upon your arrival, you will be given the final conference program, name tag and conference bag.


Conference Venue/Hotel Area-Map

Please click here for a map showing the location of the Historical Building, the Facultat de Geografia i Historia, and the Conference hotels.

Presenters

Data projectors with computers will be provided in all of the parallel session rooms. We recommend that you bring your PowerPoint presentation on a USB memory stick. In addition, your presentation will need to be saved with the file suffix ‘.ppt’, not ‘.pptx’. The computers in the presentation rooms will not ‘recognize’ a PowerPoint presentation saved in the 2007 format (.pptx).

Barcelona

The University of Barcelona is located near the Barcelona city centre. Barcelona is a Mediterranean city that mixes the local tradition with the latest cultural tendencies that come from different places across the world. It is a city open to every innovation and is welcoming, plural and diverse. Barcelona deserves to be visited with great care. The traveller should not miss places like the Gothic Quarter, the Ramblas and the Modernist Route, to name just a few of Barcelona attractions.

Language

In Barcelona, the official languages are Catalan and Castilian. As a tourist destination and cosmopolitan city, personnel in hotels, restaurants and cultural centres are able to attend to you in other languages, particularly in English.

Banks and Currency

Spain’s currency is the Euro (€). Foreign currencies may be exchanged at hotels, airports, main railway station, banks and saving banks. Banks are open from 8.15 to 14.00, Monday to Friday.

Restaurants

Barcelona’s multicultural population is reflected in the wide variety of excellent restaurants offering a diversity of cuisine from around the world. Spanish and Catalan specialties are recommended, including the traditional Paella, Fideuà (noodles), Pa amb Tomàquet (bread with tomato), Botifarra amb Seques (Catalan sausage and beans) and Escalivada (baked mixed vegetables), to name just a few of the local dishes.

Electricity

The electrical supply in Spain is 220/240 volts, 50 Hz. Most hotels provide 110-volt outlets for shavers.

Transportation

Various modes of transport operate throughout Barcelona. An extensive bus, train and subway network enables visitors to enjoy many areas of the city in a fast, economic and safe way. The Aerobus (Blue Bus) http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/airport/barcelona-airport-transport.html#aerobus and the Regional Train (RENFE) http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html link are available from Barcelona Airport to various points throughout Barcelona. Barcelona Metro Map http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/maps/barcelona-metro-map.html.

The average cost from the airport to the city centre is around 20-25 Euros.

Shopping

Shops in Barcelona open from Monday to Saturday between 9.00 and 10.00 in the morning, and generally close for lunch at 1.30 or 2.00. They open again in the afternoon between 4.00 and 5.00 and remain open until 8.00 or 8.30 in the evening. Shopping centres and larger establishments do not close at midday.

Taxes

A Value Added Tax (VAT) of 7% or 16% applies to all consumer goods and is included in retail prices.

Time

Local Barcelona Time during July is Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour.

For all inquiries please email the Conference organisers, Common Ground, by clicking
this link.