Part 2

Section 2
You will hear a tour guide talking to some tourists who are going on a walking holiday in
Spain.
First you have some time to look at questions 11-14 on page 3.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 11-14.
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.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15-20 on page
4.
Now listen and answer questions 15-20.
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...
That is the end of section two.
You now have half a minute to check your answers.
Now turn to section three on page five.

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