Conference location. Local information

• Galicia is an autonomous community, with the status of historic nationality in the northwest of Spain. The spoken languages are Galician, the local national language derived from Latin, and Spanish, in common with the rest of Spain. The region’s capital, Santiago de Compostela, gave rise to medieval Europe's most famous pilgrimage route, the Way of St James.
  
  
• Geographically, one of the most important features of Galicia is the presence of many fjord-like indentations on the coast, estuaries that were drowned with rising sea levels after the ice age. These are called rías and are divided into the Rías Altas and the Rías Baixas. Most of the population live near the Rias Baixas, where several large urban centers including Vigo and Pontevedra are located.
  
  
• Pontevedra council (pop. 80.000) extends from the end of the estuary of its name, southwards along the Lérez and Tomeza river valleys until the outflow of the river Verdugo at Ponte Sampaio.
  
  
• Click here for a city map (the red arrow at the top marks the conference building, which is just out of the picture).
  
  
• Click here for a google satellite picture of the city. The conference building, the Forrestry School, Forestales, is the J-shaped one in the red circle at the top right. It is located at the University campus, locally known as Xunqueira.
  
  
• Health. Please check that your health insurance is valid in Spain. Registration fee doesn't include any kind of health insurance. A cellular telephone number to contact the organizers in an emergency will be provided.  +xx xxx xxx xxx
  
  
• Weather.Like much of the western coast of Galicia, Pontevedra has a temperate, rainy climate. Temperatures are pleasant for most of the year (mild winters and summers). Click here for detailed statistics (in spanish). Last August, 2005, the average for the maximum daily temperature was 27 Celsius, average of minimum daily temperature was 15 Celsius, and we had 4 days of rain.
  For a seven day weather forecast click in PONTEVEDRA in the following weather forecast page.
  
  
• Voltage. Electricity in Spain is 220 volts. Foreign appliances could require an adapter.
  
  
• Local currency. The Euro (€) is the Spanish currency. (Euro (€) 1 = 1,19 US $ as per March 2006).
  
  
• Bank and exchange. Most Spanish banks will change traveller’s cheques as well as cash. Banking hours in general are Monday to Friday 09:00 – 14:0h.
  
  
• Credit cards / Cash machines. Major credit cards are accepted by hotels, restaurants and most shops. Please note that American Express credit cards may not be accepted everywhere in Spain. Cash machines are located throughout the city.
  
  
• Passports and Visa. Passport-holders from countries in Western Europe as well as from North America and Australia will not need a visa to enter Spain. Others may have to apply before. If in doubt, please check with your nearest Spanish embassy or consulate.
  
  
• Safety. Pontevedra and Santiago are very safe cities. Anyway be careful about pickpockets at touristic places or crowded places.