1 comments about Pocket Map and Guide Madrid (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I recently spent one day in Madrid and bought this guide to help me get the most out of my 24 hours. And it was great! The book touches on the major sights organized by the city's 3 areas. It has a metro map as well as an excellent fold-out street map of the city center. This is not a book I would necessarily purchase for a longer trip, although it would be a very good supplement.

5 comments about The DANGEROUS SUMMER.

1. I am not one for bull fighthing but Hemingway, as always puts things in such wonderful words. I felt, I was a fan of the sport. Very wonderful book about his friendship with a bull fighter, Papa does a wonderful job explaining to someone whom knows nothing about bullfighting and allowing us to see it through his eyes.



2. The Dangerous Summer is an easy read (I understand a lot of EH's writing was removed before publication). In addition to introducing the reader to bullfighting and the life of a bullfighter, it offers a minor travelogue. It includes brief references to cities they visited and bull rings where the fights were held; as well as hotels where they stayed and restaurants where they ate.
   
   Written at age 60 during the summer of 1959 (EH describes his birthday celebration herein - complete with photos), this book is EH's return visit to bullfighting. Death in the Afternoon was his first, which I have not read. In this book, EH portrays himself as a close companion and confidant to a couple of famous bullfighters. Fairly good descriptions of bulls, what to look for during the fight, crowd reactions, gorings and wounds...and good portraits of what it is like to be a bullfighter.
   
   The book includes Glossary of bullfighting terms - both in James A. Michener's lengthy intro and at the end.
   
   One revealing paragraph is the first one in Chapter 11 where EH describes his feelings toward people.



3. What was Dangerous about this summer? Two matadors, related by marriage, entered the ring to establish himself as the greatest of Spain's matadors and, in so doing, each performed an increasingly risky set of moves. Hemingway fretted over both, but he could not choose to ignore the display. It was, he said, tragic to watch the two of them, and tragic not to watch. There is precious little introspection in these pages. Still, I read with envy, wishing I could have been along for the ride. This book is now as much history as literature. The New York Times reported recently that the Madrid hotel favored by Matadors will soon be demolished to make way for a new, Hard Rock Cafe Hotel. And, the bullfight itself, for any number of reasons, is a ghost of what it once was, generating revenue of around $1 billion dollars per year from approximately 17,000 contests. I doubt the Matador will disappear anytime soon, but the era covered in The Dangerous Summer is long past. What Hemingway left us is the active participant's guide to another time and place.



4. Have you ever pulled a big, bitter pickle fron a barrel and enjoyed it? Munched fresh garlic gloves and savored them despite the pain? Downed Bloody Marys with 3 times the ordinary dose of pepper, and with tabasco sauce thrown in? If you said yes to all 3, chances are you will greatly enjoy this book.
   
   By the end of his life, it is now clear, Hemingway had developed a loose, jocund, even cheery reportorial writing style as a sort of second mode. He first really loosened up his sentences and paragraphs in this manner in the major novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, then went back to tautness (modified) in Across the River, Old Man and the Sea (straight old stuff), and The Moveable Feast (new high marks in the original style). But this, like the recently published Under Kilamanjaro, is a development of the second mode. Way too many scholarly bios and criticism, early after EH's death and to date, have just called the later writing a slackening and a self-charicature, as if the most careful writer of modern English took a 15 year vacation. A lot of this kind of talk was and remains resentment, of course, against the stature of the writing and the man's public clowning. But to come to this close to final product with such misconceptions is a big mistake.
   
   EH once personified Nostalgia as a beautiful woman, and if the opener here doesn't move you -- EH returning to his beloved Spain after years away -- you ought to check your birth record and be sure you were born on this good earth. After the drive in, EH seemingly opens up the second relaxed mode big time, fun and adventures on the road chasing down a mano a mano between the 2 biggest bullfight rivals of the day. There are gags and funny business and personal trivia, even, that the earlier writer avoided, for sure, but boy, don't get suckered into those traps. The old man with the pen is menacing as ever, and in a whole new way. Just when you're set up like a bowling pin he takes you with a sucker punch -- an absolutely deadpan observation about Dominquin's statue of himself in his own house, the way a spooky wind rises at dusk in a vagrant bullring, spelling menace. The jolts are as real, however different, from what hits you in In Our Time. And they have a heavy gravity and patina of sadness that only an old fellow can deliver. Indeed, the effects can be quite emotionally draining in their potent truth.
   
   The estate kept putting out these edited versions, buying the scholars' line, poor Miss Mary not wanting to impair "the reputation." Well, ladies and gentlemen, its intact. Dear Scribners or whoever you are now, please publish the whole ball of wax or let Kent State do it, the long manuscript that EH told his friends was after "Proustian effects." This book, a calculated risk to "the reputation," pays off quite well and stands up easily to repeated reading. EH's inborn talents were in the acuity of his eye and his ear (he had to learn writing the hard way) and if the finale found him struggling with sentences once more, the eye and the ear had only magnificently and spookily ripened.



5. For fans of Ernest Hemingway's 1932 classic account of the art of the bullfight, "Death In The Afternoon", the posthumously published (in 1985) "A Dangerous Summer" would seem a must-read. And they will enjoy it, as will fans of Hemingway and Spain. But passion this time is something readers must bring for themselves.
   
   Based on a two-part Life magazine feature published in 1960, "A Dangerous Summer" marks Hemingway's return to the land of the bullfight after his painful exile following his side's defeat in the Spanish Civil War. At its heart is the real-life tale of two rival matadors, brothers-in-law, who square off mano-a-mano in bullrings across the country to discover for themselves and everyone else which is the great torero of the day.
   
   "Luis Miguel [Dominguin] would consider himself a bigger draw at the gate than Antonio due to his longer fame and service and Antonio [Ordonez] would consider very strongly that he was a better matador than Miguel and would be out to show it every time," Hemingway observes. "It looked very hard on family life and very good for bullfighting. It also looked very dangerous."
   
   That it was, for both men, and for Hemingway too, as he got caught up in the drama of the occasion and a rooting interest in Ordonez that takes over the narrative after a few chapters and never lets go. Advocates of Hemingway as a repressed homosexual get a lot of grist for their viewpoint in Hemingway's heavy man-crush for the dashing young Antonio, but those like me who remember and enjoy the broad sweep of "Death In The Afternoon" will feel a bit claustrophobic at the narrowness of Papa's lens here.
   
   In his windy and self-important introduction to this otherwise thin book, James A. Michener claims Hemingway misrepresented the true situation on the ground that summer of 1959. Ordonez was great, but not so great as Hemingway made him out to be. While Hemingway depicted the bullfight with fresh variety in "Death In The Afternoon", here the words tend to repeat: "beautiful" "classic" and "dangerous" with Ordonez; "disappointing" and "difficult" with Dominguin.
   
   There are still great moments of narrative, though despite what Michener says, they aren't found in accounts of the bullfights themselves. Rather it is Hemingway lighting upon a pitcher of sangria, its glass beaded with moisture from the winds of the Levant, or describing his mad, scenic drives through the country. When he is not involving himself in the matador match, Hemingway offers us amiable companionship, filling in various details with a heartiness that belies his physical and mental illness (he would kill himself less than two years after "the dangerous summer" was over).
   
   But then Hemingway returns to the bullfights, and the sad true state of affairs becomes all too apparent. He simply isn't able to engage the reader or himself, even while presenting himself as a central character, cheering Ordonez on. "We got him!" Hemingway tells his young charge after one successful afternoon. Though he claims friendship with Dominquin, he offers little evidence of this, except once when Ordonez's rival is caught by a horn and Hemingway cradles his head en route to the infirmary.
   
   "What a man Ernesto would be if he could only write," Dominquin says later in his bed. Perhaps he was just making a quip, but it feels like the old matador was onto something. For all its strengths, "The Dangerous Summer" better depicts Ernesto's weaknesses.

1 comments about Portuguese: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. Lonely planet never fails to provide the best travel books. This tiny book provides a wealth of useful information. What I like about this book is that it focuses specifically on communicating in Portugal, rather than Brazil. It is well organized into several handy cagetories such as directions, shopping, lodging, etc. The front contains standard info such as numbers, days of the week, and survival phrases, while the back contains a mini-dictionary.
   
   The best part about this book is the fact that it not only gives the Portuguese phrase with its English equivalent, it also provides a spelled-out phonetic pronunciation. Out of all the study material I have, these simple phonetic spell-outs have been the greatest help in my pronunciation, and I now have nearly perfected my portuguese accent.
   I've seen similar Portuguese pocket books, and they just don't compare to this one.

5 comments about The Spanish Pearl.

1. SPOILER ALERT*** Please do NOT read any further if you don't want to know what happens. I am absolutely shocked by the lesbian community of women who have reviewed this book giving it kudos and glowing reports. Frankly, it appalls me that the complete destruction of Luis at the end of this book is considered well written and, oh yes, dangerous. First we have Kate who is transported back in time. She spends much of her time fighting off men who want to rape her. Then further into the book she is captured and tortured by Gudesto Gonzalez, her former attempted rapist. He wants her to think he is keeping the king from killing her but it's just a ploy to get her to go to his bed willing. Luckily, she escapes but later Luis is captured by Gudesto. Luis is being tortured by Gudesto the same way that Kate was. Ok, so it's not Luis rescuing her but the other way around, which I found refreshing, the femme saving the butch. I was rooting for Kate;waiting for her to find and rescue Luis. As the days past, however, I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach she wasn't go to save Luis in time. WHY? My heart sank. What she finds when she locates this beautiful butch woman left me feeling angry and disgusted at this author. What was the relevance of what happened to Luis to the storyline? And why on earth would you think I'd want to read that?
   Yes, it is well written, I'll give you that but a story where the main lesbian characters are tortured and raped is not the kind of lesbian fiction I want to read. I know it's reality. The fact is I don't buy lesbian fiction to read THAT kind of reality. There are a few books out there that involve rape and it's relevant to the storyline. Exactly what was the point of completely destroying the character of Luis? I, for one, will not support this author. I'm sorry I purchased the book. Anyone who agrees with this please hit the favorable review button. I'd like to see if there are other lesbians out there in the community who feel the same way.



2. This book has it all. It is an adventure novel flavored with romance, science fiction, fantasy, and historical travelogue. There is edge-of-the-seat danger, passion, greed, humor, and loads of spice.
   
   Readers who follow my reviews know that I seldom do novels. Furthermore, I should confess right here that the gay and lesbian culture is foreign territory for me. However, Catherine Friend is a favorite author that I can't resist. This book is a perfect example of why that is true.
   
   She is an artist with words. Many of my own experiences rushed to mind when the heroine Kate confessed, "...when it came to kids, my usual confidence withered into a hard, tiny raisin rattling around inside my body."
   
   The writing shows unusual depth in terms of detail and feeling. Each phrase or sentence has work to do. There are few words along for a free ride. The emotional portrayals go deep. The reader has no trouble seeing and feeling life through Kate's eyes. For example, "I wandered through the labyrinth of small rooms, narrow hallways, frustrated with my sore heel. Up narrow staircases, then back down. Empty fountains graced the larger rooms. A lingering scent of lemon floor cleaner bit the air. I stopped and imagined people living here - smells of burning oil lamps, cinnamon and cloves, spicy lamb stew, sandalwood, eucalyptus."
   
   The preceding is a description of a Moorish castle surviving from eleventh century Spain, the time and place where most of the story takes place. Even when taking time for such portrayals, the narrative moves along at a smart pace, only noticeably slowing in a couple of spots while the author is setting the stage. Kate seems to sum up the story when she says, "I rode a supersonic fate train, swept along on a ride I was powerless to stop."
   
   The editing is very good. The story is sufficiently complex that one might expect a mistake in context or consistency; but there doesn't seem to be a single goof of that type.
   
   This is a skilled writer and we can only hope to see much more of her books in the future - both fiction and non-fiction. The final pages of the book promise as much. Watch for the thread that pulls you into the sequel, "The Crown of Valencia."



3. I thoroughly enjoyed The Spanish Pearl and thought that it was a great page turner. However, I have been a great Diana Gabaldon fan for many years and found that though the time was different there were many similar ideas in this book that were found in the Outlander Series.



4. Although I don't normally review books I couldn't stop myself from letting others know what a beautiful story Catherine Friend has written. I usually don't enjoy reading books with a historical settings that I know nothing about, but I was captivated by the way Ms. Friend made 1025 Spain come alive for me. I saw the people, the buildings and landscape so perfectly that I wished I was there. I felt I was there at times watching Kate and the situations she went through and when she and Luis finally found each other, I felt the love between them and was so happy for them. Toward the last of the book, I started to read a little slower and I kept putting the book down because I didn't want it to end. And when it did, I couldn't wait to start on the Crown of Valencia.
   Catherine Friend is a wonderful new writer and one I hope continues to write for a long time. I know that I, for one, will read everything she writes if they all have the freshness and feeling that are in the Spanish Pearl. Well done, Catherine Friend, well done



5. This novel has everything. The wit and humor, slang and sarcasm of the 21st century to the violence and rape, the opulence and mystique of the 11th century.
   
   I adored Luis, the author really captured and made real this character to me.
   
   If you enjoyed this novel don't miss the sequel 'The Crown of Valencia'.
   
   From the publisher's website - When Kate Vincent and her partner travel to Spain, Kate is accidentally transported back in time...way back in time...to 1085. What does a woman like Kate do in a world of no antibiotics, no feminism, no Diet Coke? She denies it as long as possible, then sets her mind to getting home. Tricky with her now useless twenty-first century skills.
   
   Things don't go well. Kate is captured by a band of mercenary soldiers and becomes an unwitting pawn in the violent conflict between the Catholic kings and the Islamic Moors. In her struggle to stay alive and return to the future, Kate must flee exotic harems, filthy dungeons, and treacherous Moorish courts. But when a sword-brandishing woman with an astonishing secret sweeps into Kate's life, Kate is suddenly torn between two women, and between two centuries.
   
   The Spanish Pearl is an epic adventure spiced with humor, lust, and danger--a story with surprising twists that will capture your imagination just as Kate's dilemma captures your heart.

5 comments about The Alhambra (Wonders of the World).

1. This little book is packed with the author's detailed opinions about the history of this marvel. It's good reading to prepare one for a visit, but it left me wondering if the legends that the author debunks may not be a prophecy of what tomorrow's scholars may think of this work.



2. Visiting the Alhambra is a once in a lifetime, must do event. See it first from the plaza adjacent to the little church of St. Nicholas across the valley. And when you do finally go in to the Alhambra, bring this guide.
   
   It's the sort of guide one might have had when visiting this place two hundred years ago--more Baedeker than Lonely Planet. It emphasizes the wonder of the place rather than entrance prices and opening times. Written in a narrative style that plays up the history of this magnificent palace, it is a joy to read both before and during one's visit. In fact, a careful reading of the book prior to visiting the Alhambra is bound to enhance the visit tremendously (as, after all, the Alhambra is so popular you'll be limited to a 15 to 30-minute window to make your entrance into the most stunning part of the complex, the Nasrid palace.) For that reason you'll want to know ahead of time what you'll be looking at, because once you're inside the rooms and courtyards go by in a blur--a gorgeous procession of delicate columns and sparkling fountains. If you're trying to read your guidebook for the first time in the midst of it all, you'll miss most of it. Once you are inside, you're much better off just using the book for a quick consultation as you enter each new room, gallery, or alcove.
   
   Irwin's 'Alhambra' tells you what you really need to know about this place (one of Europe's most magnificent palaces) including the unfortunate fact that much of what you will see (or are seeing) has been recreated; the presumed use of each area of the palace is at best an educated guess (and at worst, a shot in the dark). Even some of the carved inscriptions are misleading (assuming you can read medieval Arabic). As Irwin notes: "...Contreras, who knew no Arabic, rearranged them [the inscriptions] in such a way that it is no longer possible to make sense of them" (p. 47, hardbound). Regardless, there is beauty in this truth, and this book has it in spades. Your standard tourist guidebook will not confront you with such sincerity (although you'll need it for the basics mentioned above: entrance prices, opening times, etc., as Irwin is not concerned with those).
   
   The hardbound version of Irwin's 'The Alhambra' makes a great keepsake to remind you of your visit, and you can put it on your shelf next to the copy of Washington Irvings' 'Tales of the Alhambra' you picked up in the gift shop. Bottom line--if you are going to visit the Alhambra, do it right: bring this book, and read it ahead of time.



3. The good: debunks some of the myths, gives a good background to some of the names and how the appearance was radically altered by perceptions of what people thought (and what they wanted to think) represented Moorish architecture.
   
   The bad: He spends so much time explaining why this or that is not true that we almost learn about the Alhambra by what it is not. He never really gets has a together, narrative history here, which makes it difficult to get a 'grasp' on the place by just reading this book alone.
   
   Also He unfairly criticizes Irving's Tales of The Alhambra (apparently Washington Irving was at once dull, but too imaginative, prejudiced against Moors but sympathetic to Bobadil, cheering for the Spanish yet anti-Catholic - and yes Irwin contradicts himself on the same page!) while (strangely) praising movies like the 7th Voyage of Sindbad (which was filmed there). Shows a lack of understanding or depth about Orientalist Art, which doesn't stop him from talking about it.
   
   The guide he suggested to buy, available at the site and in Granada, is far better- (unfortunately not available in the US) its published by Ediciones Edilux, called "in focus' in English and available online if you google it.



4. The book gives a good overview of the history of Alhambra palace and Islamic Spain. Some minor translation problems as the author try to root some of the names of the various rooms in the palace to its Arabic origin. Nonetheless, the book is well written, and is an excellent source for beginners on the Alhambra palace.



5. Page one, paragraph one has two glaring errors. First, there are indeed figurative paintings in the Alhambra. They are painted on leather decorating the ceilings of the recesses in the Hall of Kings. Second, Columbus did not present his plan to cross the Atlantic to Ferdinand and Isabella at the Alhambra but at Santa Fe, their encampment several miles outside of Granada.
   I didn't bother to read further. This book promised to be worthless.

5 comments about Barcelona (City Guide).

1. My boyfriend and I had three days to spend in Barcelona and I'm so glad we had this book. It was super up-to-date (i.e., warning us ahead of time that the cable cars at Montjuic were under construction and non-operational) and the views on the suggested walking tours -- especially the Modernisme walking tour -- were gorgeous.
   
   Most importantly, the eating guide within was very helpful.



2. This is a nice, detailed map of the main part of Barcelona's city. It has all of the major sites labeled right on the map, and it includes all streets, even the very small ones. It also has a subway map, which is a necessity. It doesn't include much of the outskirts, but that is fine for a map of this size. The plastic covering on the map has come in handy, but it isn't completely sealed, so it did leak in a little water when I used it in the rain. Glad I bought it - I would buy it again!



3. I've always found LP guidebooks helpful - they fit our budget, have an interesting range of suggestions for sights to see, and are usually dead-on with descriptions. This was the first one that let us down on our travels. It is very frustrating for two people new to a city to make their way, starving at 3 pm, to a "highly recommended" restaurant and find it no longer in business. And this happened to us thrice! Two restaurants had closed down, and one had changed name and ownership. We had also taken DK's Real City Barcelona guide, and this was much more useful. Its choices were affordable (look for the check mark next to the listing that indicates a good deal), diverse and filled with locals - always a positive sign.
   I did still use Lonely Planet for planning itineraries for our days in Barcelona, but feel the book has lost some of the go-to quality that I once associated with LP guides. Time for a new edition, and one that thoroughly investigates what goes between the covers!



4. This book definitely needs to be updated. I was able to use it for general information, but when it came to actually getting around and practical advice for restaurants, hotels, etc., I found the Top Ten guide much more helpful. In retrospect, I would not have purchased this book.



5. This book is filled with helpful information about hotels, transportation and sights. I have found that I like Rick Steve's books even better. Both are helpful for travel planning.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Spain 2007 (Rick Steves).

1. Rick is cool. I love his stuff. Still, he didn't prepare me for the pickpockets in Barcelona. There is a real crime epidemic there with lax laws for petty theft that brings the world's best pickpockets to the streets of Barcelona, where you see everyone clutching to their wallets, purses, backpacks are worn in front and hugged, etc ....
   I also feel that Rick should consider getting out of the language teaching business and let a real
   Spanish language course do its great work like Behind the Wheel Spanish 8CDsBehind the Wheel Spanish/Complete Illustrated Text/Answer Keys/8 One Hour. Behind the Wheel Spanish/Complete Illustrated Text/Answer Keys/8 One HourHe does sometimes tend to oversimplify travel and now languages. The real problem with Rick is that he can't speak languages, admits that he can't and then he goes on to write books about how to speak them.
   Still, the 'blind leading the blind' has its advantages. Rick knows what works for a 'tongue tied American' and therin lies the advantage.
   You will never learn to speak Spanish with this book alone. It is a guide that will help you.
   I have gotten excellent results using Behind the Wheel Spanish 8 CDs
   in my car and reviewing Rick's book out of my car.Behind the Wheel Spanish/Complete Illustrated Text/Answer Keys/8 One Hour



2. I used this book for a month of traveling through southern Spain this past May. There are many good recommendations and useful maps in the book. I went to almost all of the recommended sights for the cities I stayed in and they were all worthwhile. As a student traveling on a budget I wish Rick mentioned something about student discounts. If you're traveling through Europe with a student ID make sure to ask for student discounts everywhere you go. Most museums such as the Prado offer half price tickets for students. I got into the Alcazar in Sevilla for free with my ID. Many flamenco shows and cathedrals also offer discounts. The book doesn't mention anything about Valencia, which is a bit odd since it's Spain's third largest city after Madrid and Barcelona. My ipod was stolen there and I heard many complains of pickpocket incidents so keep a very watchful eye on all your belongings, especially your passport. DO NOT show it to anyone unless you know for sure they are officials and it is absolutely necessary. Enjoy!



3. Having Rick Steves' Spain book in my bag on our recent trip was like having a good friend whisper tips and suggestions into our ears everywhere we went. His advice was specific and trustworty. We went off the beaten-path quite a bit on our own to places we wouldn't otherwise have dared to visit, but we did so with confidence because Rick never steered us wrong. Honestly, the only bad move we made using this guide related to some unexpected street construction that messed up his direction of where to turn upon exiting the metro station.
   
   Rick magically seemed to have similar tastes to ours, too. We liked his frank "don't bother with this place" sort of advice and his saucy bits of trivia that certain tourist locations don't readily share or want you to know when you visit.
   
   My daughter had purchased her own Spain guidebooks for her two-month study program there. When I later joined her in Spain for two weeks of travel, she eventually left her guidebooks in our hotel rooms and used my Rick Steves book instead.
   
   My only (minor) complaint is that the map pages at the front of the book started falling out. I got free local maps from the T.I.'s, as Rick suggested, but it would have been convenient to still have those ones in the book, too. Also, we would have liked some metro maps, but maybe the routes change enough as to become obsolete in a guidebook.
   
   Overall, a terrific guidebook--the only one you really need. Carry it in your day bag with a bottled water and a hat for the Spanish sun, and you'll be set for travel throughout the country.



4. First, some disclaimers: First, I did not do as Steves suggested in the introduction of this book and read it before traveling to Spain and then read it while traveling in Spain. I just didn't have the time. Second, I ended up traveling only to Barcelona, Madrid, and Mallorca, so there were huge chunks of the book I did not look at at all.
   
   That being said, I'm really glad I chose to bring the Fodor's 2007 Gold Guide to Spain along with Steves's book. I was pretty displeased with the restaurant choices that we tried on his suggestion. Some of the descriptions of the restaurants led me to believe that he'd just described them based on what he'd been told about them by the owners rather than having tasted the fare at any of them himself. I realize that these things are subjective, and that it'd be impossible to agree with all of the recommendations in any tour guide, but there really was a noticeable lack of breadth and truly helpful detail, if even a little, in the choice of restaurants. The Fodor's guide far surpassed Steves's book in this regard, offering a wide range of restaurants in different neighborhoods and price ranges, and its descriptions were much more illustrative. Most of the information on which we based our food choices when picking restaurants in the Fodor's guide was spot on.
   
   Also, the layout was cumbersome and the maps poorly and confusingly drawn. There was an inconsistency in the listing of the closest Metro stops for various attractions. That is, not all of the BCN and MAD sights were cross-referenced with the nearest subway stop. And when a subway stop was mentioned, sometimes it was right at the beginning of the listing; sometimes it was at the end. In addition, the maps in the book are described as being hand-drawn not necessarily to scale but to show just the necessary info. I appreciate the effort and the thinking behind the concept, but the lack of accurate scale on these maps really made walking around the city streets under the hot August sun crankifying. The maps need more detail than they have.
   
   In addition, this book includes some walking tour guides meant to accompany travelers as they walk through, say, Gaudi's unfinished cathedral or the Picasso Museum in BCN. These guides are quite long, and may perhaps be useful for some. But unless you photocopy or cut out those pages to bring with you, it's really not worth it to lug a heavy guide book along with you as you're trying to enjoy the exhibits in front of you. Besides, many museums and other cultural sites have audio tour guides that you can rent for a nominal fee. Listening while looking is a lot easier than reading while looking.
   
   And finally, although this is perhaps a minor point, I was pretty appalled that the book did not include anything on the Balearic Islands (including Mallorca). As popular destinations in Spain, they deserved inclusion. This was another way the Fodor's guide "paid the rent" in my luggage. Based on the portions of the Steves guide I did use, I think I'll leave his guide home on my next trip to Spain.



5. This guy, Rick Steves... I owe him one. I guess I paid for the book so I all ready paid him back. Anyway, this is an excellent read. The only disappointment was the lack of discussion on hostels (he explains why fairly early) and the exemption of Valencia, which I believe deserves some mention somewhere in this book. Those are the only complaints I have thus far.

5 comments about Trekking in the Annapurna Region, 4th: Nepal Trekking Guides.

1. I found the information in the book was great help. The maps together with the estimated timings were particularly helpful in deciding the route to take.

   In addition to the treks Bryn Thomas also gives useful information on places to stay.

   We used the book when treking from Jomsom to Pokhara and it was invaluable.




2. This guide is all you need for the Annapurna. Beats the pants off Lonely Planet. Great maps, highlights, places to stay, etc.; small and lightweight; good gear list for preparing, info on when to go; bits on Kathmandu and Pokhara. We hiked the entire circuit and used Bryn several times each day.



3. I did the Annapurna Circuit trek (Around Annapurna) last September with this book. I was my bible.
   The book has very good chapters about Nepal in general, Kathmandu and Pokhara but it's strength lies in the trail maps and text.
   The maps are very very detailed (you can't get lost...), they indicate where is the next steep climbing and how much time does it takes to the next village. In the text you can find recommendations for eating and lodging (that never miss...).
   The book covers all the popular treks in the Annapurna region but also offer side treks for more adventrous trekkers.

   The bottom line : Worth every Penny!




4. I bought this fantastic little guide in a bookstore in Kathmandu. I used it during my trek around Annapurna and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Much better than the LP guide, and small enough that it doesn't get in the way.



5. This is definitely the best guidebook to carry while trekking in the Annapurna region: loads of maps with most of the teahouses labeled, accurate times for both directions, interesting cultural information, small so as to make it more portable, and fairly up to date. I used it in November 2007, so there are some changes as one would expect, but still is excellent. Highly recommend!

No comments about Fodor's Barcelona, 2nd Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

5 comments about Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day Series).

1. This text is either for the very beginning beginner or a good review for the person who has been away from Spanish for a time.
   It is done in a logical manner and in workbook form. It has stickers for nouns and cutouts for flashcards of the important beginning vocabulary in the book. It is fun to do and quick to finish.



2. I first checked this book out from the library. It is so good , I purchased a copy from Amazon. This book has the normal words used everyday. It is easy to follow and you do it at you own pace. You are learning how to speak in easy short sentences. It has flash cards that speed up the learning process. Of all the reference books I have, this is the one I pick up first. This book will be great if you are going on vacation and only need to know certain things :)



3. The seller misrepresented this workbook, and I was quite disappointed when I got it. It was advertised as being in excellent condition, and all of the flash cards were torn out of the back.



4. For those with basic but not great Spanish skills, this was a great book for refreshing your vocabulary for basic things you may need for travel. I'm sure my grammar is horrible and this book certainly did not focus of ensuring I spoke in the correct verb tense all the time, but it did enable me to communicate and transact basic needs , such as checking into a hotel, ordering at a restaurant, or getting directions. Hey, I'm just a gringo trying to show the decency and respect to speak a little bit of the language when traveling; for this purpose, this is an excellent resource.



5. This book got the "usted" verbs wrong starting on page 42. For example, "you speak" is supposed to be "usted hablas", not "usted habla". "el/ella habla" means "he/she speaks". Otherwise, this book is OK for tourists who hadn't studied Spanish before. For the "Spanish veteran" who wants a review, you might want to try Ultimate Spanish by Living Language, Rosetta Stone, or better yet, take a college Spanish class.