- ACCOMMODATION
AT "Casa de Ejercicios San José". Our meeting site and residence
hall
provides
sufficiently large lecture rooms, as well as room and
full board for all those participants who may wish to stay there
(including
an accompanying person), along with some basic services. The building
has been remodeled recently. All
rooms are double and
have a private bathroom and shower. They will be cleaned every
day during
our stay there. Besides the
restaurant where
all meals will be served, there is a small cafeteria and vending
machines
for soft drinks or beer. Although some of the services available
are modest or limited, we (the organizers) found the place comfortable
and pleasant.
- However, the
participants are reminded that
"San José" is neither a research institute nor a hotel and
therefore does not offer some of the typical services one may expect.
For example, there is no library and the possibilities for computer
connections may be limited. There will be no TV or phones in the rooms
and no
wake-up calls either. We advise
you to bring with you an alarm clock, a hair dryer (adaptable to the
European electric current), and a shampoo.
Soaps and towels will, of course, be provided. The local organizers
will be
acting as intermediaries between the residence and the participants and
will take care of handing the keys out to the participants and
collecting them.
- Meal
schedule: Breakfast 9-9:45, Lunch 14-15, Dinner 21-22. We are supposed
to be on time as much as possible (that is, one may arrive with a 5
minute delay but should not get there with a 15 minute delay).
- The hallways of
"Casa E. San José"
are decorated by paintings and several typical objects that might well
find their place in a museum of ethnic traditions. There is a very
spacious and pleasant patio yard
with a nice view of the surrounding mountains (Monte Abantos and others
belonging to the Guadarrama central mountain range). There is also
plenty of
free space for car parking. A famous El Escorial park "La casita
del
Principe" is essentially next door and all important places in town are
within walking distance. The surrounding area is residential and quiet.
"Casa E. San José" itself is primarily being used
for scientific conventions or meditations by various religious
groups: christians, buddhists, and others, so in general it should
provide a very quiet environment and therefore we hope you will have a
pleasant stay.
- Each room can
be used in single or double
occupancy, depending on your preference. The price for room and board
will be the same for the participants in the
meeting and their accompanying
persons (be they
participants or not). Sharing a room will certainly reduce the cost per
person; also, in order to better economize the
space and make it available to a greater number of participants, we
would like to encourage the graduate students and other
participants who wish to share a room with somebody, to actually do so.
- Full meals at
the
residence hall can be purchased
at a rather economic price:
- The price of
the package is 210
Euros for the 4 days
(starting right before lunch time on Wednesday, October 5, and ending
after breakfast time on Sunday, October 9, 2005) for a double room in
single occupancy (including the meals for one person), and 320 Euros
for a double room in double occupancy
(including the meals for two people), that is 160 per person. Since
this is a package, a
reduced price may not be available should you decide to stay less than
4 days.
- For the local
participants who will be commuting (or for those who will be staying at
El Escorial but elsewhere), meals will be available at "Casa E. San
José"; for example, the price of a lunch is 13,50€. (If this
applies to you, please let us know by September 20 or so on which days
exactly are you planning to have lunch there.)
- Due to the way
"Casa E. San José"
operates (they tend to receive only one lump sum or a couple of
large payments from each group that visits),the local organizers will
have to collect the payment for room and
meals from you IN CASH upon arrival. This has been done in other
similar occasions in the past, too, and is beyond our control. We
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. You will be issued
a detailed receipt for all your expenses at the residence hall, as well
as an assistance certificate.
- BANKING
INFORMATION. It should be pointed out that banks in Spain usually open
from around 8:30 AM till 1:30 or 2 PM, and only Monday through Friday.
There exist two usual types of banks: one is a standard bank (called
BANCO) and another is a typical credit union (called CAJA, pronounced
as "kaha" in many languages). You can be attended at either one of
them. For a currency exchange, you need to present your passport.
Practically all bank and credit union offices have automated teller
machines (cash dispensers) that work 24 hrs a day, and you can use both
your credit cards and your debit cards there.
- CREDIT CARDS.
Most stores (with the exception of some smaller shops),
supermarkets, restaurants, bars, and other businesses in Spain accept
credit cards, though it is not so common that people pay very small
amounts (e.g., 5-6 €) using a credit card. Some taxi cabs may accept
debit cards.
- FURTHER
INFORMATION of possible interest is provided (just click on the
corresponding link).
- We hope to see
you soon in El Escorial and wish you a
pleasant stay if you are planing to come!
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