1.

a tour guide talking to some tourists who are going on a walking holiday in Spain
Well good evening everyone. My name is Gary Payne and I'll be the leader for your Walking Holiday in
Spain. And the purpose of this evening's meeting is for us all to get to know each other in advance and
for you to ask any questions you may have about the holiday. So I'll begin by telling you a little bit about
what to expect. Now the ferry crossing from England to Santander in Spain takes about 24 hours. We'll
be sailing on the Prince Regent, which was first launched in the 1980s, as well as the crew of 160. It can
accommodate about 2,000 people and 600 cars. And it sails at an average speed of 37 kilometres an
hour. There'll be an on-board map on one of the decks which charts the ship's progress during the
voyage. Although our mini bus will be on one of the vehicle decks in the boat, access to these decks is
prohibited during the crossing, so when you leave our bus you'll have to take everything that you're
likely to need with you, like toiletries or books and magazines. In fact it's probably a good idea to put
these things in a separate bag beforehand. You shouldn't need snacks on board as meals are provided
and they're quite substantial. And if you don't feel well or get a headache, you can get tablets from me. I
always carry an adequate supply. Now once we're in Spain, we'll be based at a hostel in a small village
called La Vega de Libana, about 120 kilometres from Santander. It's a very picturesque area that's
retained a lot of its traditional industry and culture. The hostel accommodation's fairly simple. There are
bunk beds and each room holds four to eight people. But the bathrooms and showers are of a high
standard. The hostel residents have the use of tennis courts nearby, if you feel like a game. We'll be
given breakfast and an evening meal at the hostel. In general the hostel is relaxed, but there are a few
rules which the owners enforce strictly. Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the building and food
and drink is banned in the dormitories. Any chairs or tables which you take outside into the gardens
must be returned every evening to their original place. And finally the doors are locked after midnight
out of consideration for other guests who are trying to sleep.

Now that's enough about travel and accommodation. But before I move on, I should say something
briefly about equipment. There's a list in the guidebook you've been sent, but I'll just elaborate on one
or two items. First, boots. Make sure that the ones you bring have thick soles. That's the most important
thing. Don't bring trainers for walking in, apart from anything else they're dangerous because they slip.
It's important to bring spare socks. Then about waterproofs, I'd strongly advise you not to come with
anything heavy, you know, with a thick lining. The ideal things are those lightweight ones because they
fold up small and although they do keep the wind out, they don't make you too hot. Right? Next, sun
cream. This is absolutely essential. And regarding the strength, make sure you get what's known as total
block. Even Factor 25 isn't good enough for those latitudes in July. Then, let's see, bring a folder to keep
your map and other papers in, you know, one of those plastic ones. It's not very likely to rain, but if it
does, you'll find it soaks everything. So, that's the practicalities over. Now let me tell you a little bit
about the area in Spain where we'll be walking. The Picos de Europa. It's a very popular area for tourists
because of its spectacular peaks. Although there are only 25 kilometres from the sea, the highest peaks
are more than 2,600 metres high and have year-round snow caps. On the highest peaks, you've got
alpine plants that are only free of their snow cover for a few months a year. Then you've got meadows
that are full of wildflowers at certain times of the year. Then the northern slopes are covered by
woodlands, giving homes to rare species such as wolves and bears. And because of the variety of plant
life, which survives in that part of Europe due to the traditional way of life there...