Population: 1,505,581 in the city and a total of over 4,000,000 in city and suburbs.

Elevation: On the plain the elevation is only about 12 feet, but the city's highest point, in the Collserola Hills at Tibidabo Amusement Park, is 1,680 feet above sea level.

Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour: Time in Lisbon is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in New York. (7 hours ahead of central time in Chicago, etc.) Barcelona uses the 24 hour clock, so the numeral 1 on a US watch would be read as 1in the early morning or 13 in the afternoon, etc. Transportation timetables and schedules will use this method of representation of time. (designations of am and pm are unnecessary)

International Dialing Code: All numbers for Barcelona begin with 93 and have 7 additional digits. The country code is 34. (use the country code only when calling Barcelona from another country). Phone booths take coins. Some take credit cards and phone cards. To call the US from Barcelona using your telephone calling card, please check with your card issuer as each company has its own codes.

Emergency: General: 112 police: 346 61 41; fire: 080; ambulance 061 Tourist Police 93 301 9060 Lost Property 93 402 3161 Directory Assistance/Operator: 1003

Accessing email and the internet: El Cafe de Internet Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 656 Tel.(+343) 4121915 / or 93 302 1154

Currency: Throughout Spain the medium of currency is the euro. The notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euro. The denominations of coins are 2 euro, 1 euro, 50 euro cent, 20 euro cent, 10 euro cent, 5 euro cent, 2 euro cent, and 1 euro cent. The easiest method of securing cash at the best exchange rate is to make withdrawals using a US credit card from the ATM machines found at the major banks and stores. As in the U.S., some banks charge a fee and a transaction tax, so check with the banks to find the best value.

Customs Regulations: Telephone Tourist information in New York City (212) 265-8822 for information. Average Temperatures (In Fahrenheit): High Low January - March 59 41 April - June 75 50 July - September 82 66 October - December 70 46 Winter evenings in Barcelona can be chilly. From mid April through mid June and from September through mid October, the weather is mild and pleasant. August often becomes so hot and humid that many businesses close for vacations. Rainfall is moderate throughout the year.

Useful Measurements: Equivalent Weights and Measures 1 cm - 0.39 inches 1 meter - 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards 1 km - 0.62 miles 1 liter - 0.26 gallons 1 inch - 2.54 cm 1 foot - 0.39 meters 1 yard - 0.91 meters 1 mile - 1.60 km 1 gallon - 3.78 liters

National Holidays: Jan. 1 New Year's Day January 6 Feast of the Epiphany (Els Reis) March 19 Feast of St. Joseph Good Friday (date varies - March or April) Easter Monday (date varies - March or April) June 24 Feast of St. Joan June Midsummer's Eve August 15 Feast of the Assumption September 11 La Diada: Catalan National Day September 24 La Mercé Festival October 12 Hispanitat: Spanish National Day November 1 All Saints' Day December 6 Constitution Day December 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception December 25 Christmas Day December 26 St. Stephen's Day

Religious Services: Roman Catholic: tel. 93 204 4962 (at Paroisse Françoise (Mass in French and English)

Anglican: tel. 93 417 8867 (St. George's Church)

Jewish: tel. 93 200 6148 (Sinogoga de la Communidad)

Public restrooms: Public restrooms are difficult to find in most places. It is best to ask for els serveis (Catalan) or los aseos (Spanish) in a café, hotel or department store and be directed to the employee rest rooms. Always carry toilet tissue, as that is usually not provided.

Smoking: Many people in Spain smoke and very few restaurants have no smoking areas or tables.

Electricity: The electrical current in Spain is 220 volts, 50 cycle AC, and outlets have openings for two round pins. Some older buildings still have 125v systems, but plugs look the same for either system. The difference is that appliances such as heaters which require higher voltage should not be plugged into the 125v system. American appliances will need a plug adapter and will require a three tier standard travel converter if they do not have a dual voltage capability.

Visitors with disabilities: Spain is attempting to accommodate the needs of travelers with disabilities, but so far progress has been slow. Telephone Federació at 93 451 5550 for additional information.

Post Office: Spain's postal service is called Correos. it is quite slow, but express (urgente) mail is available. Stamps can be purchased from tobacconists (estanc) Main Correos are open from 8-9 Mon.-Fri. and 9-7 on Saturday. In Catalan addresses, the street name is written first, followed by the number. Zip codes have 5 digits.

How to get around: Barcelona has an excellent bus and Metro system. A map of the city and transportation systems is essential for ease of travel.

Metro: There are 5 color coded metro lines which are also numbered 1-5. Tickets are inexpensive. The best value is a T-1 card which gives 10 rides for the price of 5 1/2 and can be used on all forms of public transport (bus, Metro, and FGC lines)

Bus : Service is efficient and regular.

Trains: Estacío de Sants is the city's main train station, for national and some international arrivals. The Estació de França (or Estació Terminal), next to the Parc de la Ciutadella, is the terminal for long-distance Spanish and European express and inter-city trains. FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Cataluña) travels into the hill country and around the city.

Ferries: Ferries Tickets for Balearic ferries from Transmediterránea, at the Estacío Maritima tel. 93 443 2532. Book in advance in July and August.

Taxis: Black and yellow Barcelona taxis are metered and fares are reasonably priced. Luggage is extra. A small tip is appreciated.

Air Travel: The airport, 12km southwest of the city, is linked by a half-hourly train service. Many trains from the airport also run on to Plaça de Catalunya, a more direct way of reaching the Barri Gòtic. Alternatively, there's the efficient Airbus (Aerobus; Mon-Fri every 15min, Sat-Sun every half-hour; 6/6.30-11; 450ptas), which departs from outside the terminals on a circular route and runs into the centre via Plaça España, Gran Vía, Plaça de Catalunya and Passeig de Grácia.