Buzz Gnosis

A short break from the English winter to the warmer climate of Barcelona, Spain in February 2006 sounded like an excellent idea.

After leaving London Luton Airport on a dull day to then fly to Barcelona and just before landing you look out of the window and see the end of the Pyrenees Mountains, the Mediterranean coat and the city itself.

The airport is located by the sea, but unlike Nice in the South of France you actually taxi around the airport for a considerable time before the plane arrives at one of the two terminals.

There are excellent bus connections to bring you into the city centre. You need to allow plenty of time to make your connections, particularly in the rush hour or if there are road works as there were in February.

Barcelona is the capital ofCataloniaand one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean; it’s an eclectic mixture of Gothic, ‘modernist’ and contemporary architectural treasures.

Once there whenever possible try walking around, the place is so beautiful with elegant buildings. When you need to see the tourist attractions further from the city centre take the underground rail network or the bus.

All around are excellent view points and in the centre at the Placa Catalunya (where the Tourist office is located and a stop for the airport bus) is the Department Store El Cortes (National chain of Spanish department stores). Take a trip up the escalator to the 11th floor restaurant and enjoy the panoramic views.

A short bus ride will take you to its most famous landmark is the Sagrada Familia church. Although not consecrated as a cathedral yet, no doubt when completed it will become one. The fairy-tale like building in the northern part of the city centre. Its creator, Antoni Gaudi, commenced work on it in 1882 and concentrated all his energies on it until his untimely death in 1926, when he was run-over by a tram. The Sagrada Familia is still under construction and may take another 50 years to complete. You can visit its interior and take a lift to the top of the building and enjoy even more panoramic views

Gaudi was born in Reus, in the province of Tarragona in 1852 and was the undoubted leader of the ‘modernist’ movement that began in the second half of the 19th century.

If you want to see some of the most original buildings, which took the art nouveau concept to new heights, head for the L’Eixample area, to the north-west of the Ramblas (La Rambla) in the Barri Gothic area (Barri Gtic), a stone’s throw from the port.

The Barri Gothic ‘quartier’ is the oldest part of the city; a mix of narrow streets and beautiful squares and for lovers of Tapas bars, a paradise. The Taverna Del Bisbe, close to the Gothic cathedral, serves wonderful grilled fish such as calamars, which you can wash down with excellent Rioja. Jardi is a 2-star hotel in this area, which is clean, welcoming and won’t burn a hole in your pocket. It’s located in Plaa Sant Josep Oriol 1,Barri Gtic.

Just of La Rambla in a small square is very interesting restaurant called the Taxidedermista that apart from having excellent cuisine has a part glass floor between the ground floor and the basement below. It is spacious, comfortable and welcoming. It’s unusual to find memorable risotto outside of northern Italy but this eatery has found the formula. The pumpkin soup with spinach and mushroom garnish is magnificent, too.

If you are staying centrally unless you are full of energy for a long walk is a must to visit GUELL PARK in the north ot the city has wonderful views of Barcelona and the sea beyond. Another Gaudi masterpiece appeals to kids of all ages and, importantly, includes the house where Gaudi lived for many years, replete with the original furniture also created by the master architect/designer.

LA BARCELONETA at the sea was a shanty-beach before Barcelona was awarded the 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES. It was part of the Olympic Port area for the water sport activities of the Games and is close to the Olympic Village. There is a cluster of good, medium priced tapas bars and restaurants on the beach, including Agua, a neat restaurant that serves delicious food just a metre or so from the beach. There are two “twin towers” (but not identical twins) that are by the Port Olimpic that formed part of the Olympic village. You can also take a cable car ride from this location.

After a good evening meal whilst wandering around the Barri Gtic try and find the L’Ascensor bar in the middle of the Barri Gothic quarter is an intimate little bar, ideal for a nightcap to finish the day’s visits. Named after a “Lift – Elevator” you actually enter the premises via an old static wooden and glass lift from the 1930’s

L’Eixample, north of the Barrio Gothic and west of Las Ramblas, is the district where most of the ‘modernist’ buildings of Gaudi and his contemporaries Puig and Domenech i Montaner created their original buildings for their clients in the second part of the 19th century. Definitely worth visiting.

TOUR AGBAR, CATALAN MUSIC MUSEUM Musica Hall is another superb piece of modernist architecture, created in the early 20th century by Lluis Domenech i Montamer. Although in February there were tours and concerts being held, it is too hot to be open during the hot months of the summer.

PLACA REIAL, close to the Ramblas, is elegant with its palm trees and elegant arcades.

CAMP NOU is home to the FC Barcelona club, currently the best in Spain and also winners of the 2006 UEFA Champions League in Europe in May. On the flight back from Barcelona there were several fans going to the match against Chelsea in London that night – A very cold west night, but they had left the warmth of this great city for the cold of London with high spirits and in good voice and even the immigration officers at passport control at London Luton had smiles on their faces. Maybe not had they been Chelsea fans as Barcelona beat them and also another London club – Arsenal in Paris to become the UEFA Champions of Europe.

Several days away in February – fantastic. To be eating out (admittedly under a gas heater and wearing a coat) at 11.00 at night in February. Drinking the Spanish version of a gin and to nice. Plenty of gin with ice and some tonic! Wearing a short sleeve shirt at lunch at the beach restaurant at La Barceloneta and the one time it rained it dried up within a few minutes and then to return to a wet and cold South of England.

While eating out at least once a week obviously isn’t recommended when trying to lose weight, there are healthy choices you can make if you get stuck going out to lunch with your boss or meeting your family for supper at their favorite restaurant.

Don’t feel you have to finish everything on your plate to be excused! The days of your mother forcing you to finish your meal are over. As soon as you feel full, stop eating and ask your waiter for a doggy bag to take home.

Losing weight is enough of a challenge without the temptation of quick and delicious food made while you wait. It won’t seem so challenging once you change the way you eat out and make smarter choices.

Cassandra Germsheid is a mother of 2 who has struggled with weight loss postpartum. She has shared the knowledge she has gained at her blog, http://realweightlossinfo.com where even more weight loss tips can be found.

If you find that you are not able to pay your creditors the first thing you need to do
is to talk to them. Never avoid them, thinking if they cannot reach you then it does
not matter. This will lead them to think that you are avoiding them, and they will
take further action to collect the debt. The best route to take is to call the creditor
ahead of time and explain your current financial situation if you are having
problems making payments. Creditors are usually very helpful, and they will set up
an alternative plan so you can make the payment without them reporting a default
on your behalf to credit bureaus. On top of talking to them, send a letter to them
summarizing your situation. Send it return-receipt so you know they accepted your
copy for your further reference. It is also important to pay the debts, such as rent,
utilities etc. first. These debts are more important and can affect you immediately.
By following the outlined guidelines listed below, you will set up a process to help
you overcome your short-term debt.

Important Guidelines to Remember

1. Pay the most important bills first. These include rent, utilities, car loans, and
other loans. Other debts can wait for a while.

2. Compare interest rates on the credit cards you own, and pay off the higher ones
first. Also look to see which ones will significantly increase if you miss a payment.
By paying the cards off with higher interest rates, you will save money in the long
run.

3. Talk to your creditors to set up a new plan for paying off your debt. Most
creditors will work with you, lowering your monthly payment until you can catch up.

4. Get counseling help if you are having repeated problems. A professional who
works with cases similar to yours will always give you new ideas on how to reduce
your debt expenses.

5. Debt consolidation. You also have the option of obtaining a loan to consolidate
your debt. This is a great help because it will more than likely lower your interest
rate, and you will only have one payment to make per month. Be careful though
when using a debt consolidation company because you may end up paying a higher
interest rate. If you miss even one payment, your interest rate will go through the
roof. You will have to put up collateral such as a car or house when you use this
method.

6. Try to make as large of a payment as you can to lower your debt. You are going
to have to pay high interest for a period of time, but the faster you can get rid of
debt, the more money you will save in the future.

7. Contact and join a support group such as Debtors Anonymous to help you cope
with debt, and you will also be able to discuss and relate to people with similar
problems as yours.

It can seem like a never ending and confusing situation to not be able to pay your
bills. Remember not to panic, and seek help. Avoidance is not the key, and you will
find trouble by ignoring your creditors.

What Happens if You Can’t Pay

If you miss a payment, you will experience increasing pressure from your creditor to
pay. The sequence usually starts off with a courtesy letter reminding you to pay,
followed by phone calls until you pay. As time passes, and you still can’t make the
payment, the creditor will turn your account over to a collection agency. The agency
is just a third party who purchases your account from the creditor for a certain
amount. Collection agencies are usually very demanding, and can be quite rude
sometimes. They have been known to make threats and relay false information
about what can or will happen if you do not pay them. It is very important that you
know your rights and what can and will actually happen if you don’t pay the
collection agency.

Know Your Rights

While a collection agency will try to get you to pay your debt, you have certain rights
that they have to respect or they are liable for legal action against them.

1. Always identify the caller. Write down his or her name, the collection agency they
are with, the agency’s address, and the exact amount due. Record the date and
time of each call too.

2. Always remain calm no matter how the agency’s debt collector speaks to you. If
they use abusive language against you, record what is said each time. Do not speak
the same way to them. If they report that you used abusive language, you do not a
have a chance to stand up against them in court.

3. Always dispute your debt in writing well before the 60-day time period they give
you is up. If you believe that you do not owe the amount that is being collected
against you, write a letter to the agency stating exactly what the problem is and why
you think the debt information is false. They will then have to investigate your letter
before any measures can be taken against you.

4. If a creditor is harassing you, you have the right to write a letter to them
requesting them to stop calling you. Under law, they must stop immediately or they
can be sued for harassment. If calls continue, record the date, time, and who you
are speaking to for your records. If you choose to take action against the creditor,
you can sue for damages and lawyer fees.

Creditor’s Options

The sales contract you signed for your credit agreement has the specific information
about what the creditor can and will do if you do not pay your bills. If you do not
pay your bills your creditor has the option of acceleration. This will make your
whole bill due immediately with no payment options. Courts may be able to force
you to pay by filing a Writ of Execution against you, which will allow the creditor to
take some of your personal property and sell it. The property available to the
creditor differs from state to state. A creditor can also repossess the items you
bought or the property you put up for collateral.

Court

If you dispute your debt and the creditor still believes its’ claim is valid, the creditor
will more than likely have a lawyer contact you. You must answer the plaintiff’s
complaint letter within 20 days stating what you agree or disagree on. If you do
not, when the case goes to court, you will automatically have a judgment against
you, which may allow the creditor to garnish your wages and take some of your
personal property. The creditor has ten years to collect the debt from you, with one
more renewable ten-year period.

Other information can be obtained from the Federal Trade Commission:

Federal Trade Commission
Division of Credit Practices
Pennsylvania Ave. at Sixth St. NW Room 4037
Washington, DC 20580

They will help you by further explaining your rights as a consumer, and by referring
you to different counseling agencies located in your state and area, and dedicated to
helping you overcome debt.

To avoid the huge mess of going into debt, simply communicate with your creditors,
letting them know way ahead of time about financial problems you are or will be
having. This will save the huge headache of having to go to court to settle a debt
claim, and some embarrassment. It will also help to protect your credit score. A
credit report that has default judgments on it will not likely be a report that a lender
will be willing to work with. They do not typically stick out their neck for liabilities.

Aaron Ralston is the owner of The Financial Guru at
http://www.thefinancialguru.com. His website is dedicated to helping you solve
your financial problems by providing you with the free information you need to
get your credit straight, make investment decisions, and create your own
financial plan.