Charleston, S.C.: Partially aided by your wonderful book, I fell in love with Barcelona during a visit this past May. So much so, that I want to live there for the first 4-6 months of 2008. Any suggestions for pursuing volunteer and internship positions there? For decent, inexpensive housing? For Spanish language classes? For tutoring English on the side? (I'm a college English instructor.) Un mil gracias.

AnneLise Sorensen: Hola--and gracias for the kind words about my book. I can well understand falling in love with Barcelona--that seems to happen to me every time I'm in the city. I think it's a wonderful idea to live in Barcelona--you may even find your six months turning into a year, and then two years, and, well, you get the idea. You'll find plenty of decent, inexpensive housing, and to start out I suggest that you peruse the university bulletin boards, which are littered with offers for rentals and flatshares. There are six universities in Barcelona, but try the central branch first--which has a lovely, leafy courtyard--on Placa de la Universitat, near the Universitat metro stop. In addition to the classifieds in all the major papers, pick up Barcelona Metropolitan Magazine, which is the city's oldest English-language magazine, and has plenty of tips for finding an apartment and on other aspects of "ex-pat" life in the Catalan capital. Check out their webpage as well--barcelona-metropolitan.com--to find useful resources. Also worth perusing is loquo.com, a type of "Craig's list" for Barcelona, with numerous listings.

As for tutoring English on the side, with your credentials, I think you're very well poised to do so--and you can make a decent living at it as well. There are several routes you can take: The Institute of North American Studies is a great first stop, as they are often looking for qualified teachers. Do note, however, that they require you to have a work visa. Another option--and this works remarkably well--is to post a short ad about yourself and your qualifications on the bulletin boards of English-language bookstores, such as BCN Books (Roger de Lluria 118) and Come In (Provença 203). Once you have a few students, word of mouth will usually carry you on to more teaching jobs.

Best of luck with your Barcelona adventure!

_______________________

Qualicum Beach, British Columbia: We are hoping to travel to Barcelona next Spring Break for a week after staying in Nice, France. My husband, 12-year-old son and I definitely travel in "budget" style. We are hoping to rent an apt. for the duration of our stay. Is there one area that you would recommend for a family without a car?

Thanks so much,
Sandy

AnneLise Sorensen: First of all, it's a great idea to rent an apartment, especially if you're traveling in budget style. For furnished apartments for both for short- and long-term stays, try the friendly, local agency Habit Servei (C Muntaner 200, 93/209-5488, habitservei.com); the general cost is usually around 700 Euros and up per month. Note that you'll also see "aparthotels," around town; while central and well-appointed, these apartment-style hotels generally cater to upscale business travelers, so they may be out of your budget range. And speaking of budget, do also note that the city is crammed with cozy, very reasonable "hostales", which may be a good option for your family. Make sure to ask if they have discounts for longer stays, as many places offer cheaper rates if you stay for more than three nights. The cheerful, family-run Hostal Oliva (Pg de Gracia 32, 93/488-0162, lasguias.com) sits in a Moderniste building smack in the middle of stylish Passeig de Gracia--and you'll be paying just a fraction of the price of those staying in the nearby upscale hotels.

As for where to stay in the city: Barcelona is marvelously compact, so if your apartment is anywhere near the city centre--in or around the Old Town, Las Ramblas, Placa Catalunya, the Eixample, and Gracia--you can walk to many of the top sights and shopping areas. Note, however, that even if you stay further afield (say, in the "zona alta", or "upper zone") you'll almost always find a metro line or an FGC train (these are local Catalan trains) near you. Both the metro and FGC run until midnight Sun-Thur, and until 2am Fri-Sat.

Best of luck with your budget adventures!

_______________________

Charlottesville, Va.: My family of four--2 adults and 2 teens (ages 15 and 17)--would like to plan a trip to Spain next March (21-30). High on the list is a soccer match. If we visit 3 cities (i.e. Madrid, Barcelona & Valencia), will the season be in progress? How do you get tickets in advance?

Thanks,
Futbol enthusiasts

AnneLise Sorensen: As futbol enthusiasts, you've picked the right country--and your timing works well, too. The soccer season is between mid-September and mid-May. FC Barcelona, or Barça, plays its matches, as I'm sure you well know, at the legendary and massive Camp Nou stadium, and to watch a match here is a memorable experience, especially if it's against their arch-rivals, Real Madrid. To buy tickets in advance, check the FC Barcelona website, fcbarcelona.com, which has details on buying tickets online, and also at the stadium itself. Note that they sometimes offer same-day tickets. Try Real Madrid's website, realmadrid.com for tickets to their games.