Extremadura
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[edit] Debconf9 in Cáceres (Extremadura), Spain
[edit] Overview of Cáceres
Extremadura is an autonomous community in western Spain. It includes the provinces of Cáceres (province) and Badajoz (province). Extremadura borders Portugal to the west, and it is an important area for wildlife, particularly with the major reserve at Monfragüe, which has recently been recognised as a National Park, or the project of International Tagus River Natural Park (Parque Natural Rio Tajo internacional)[1].
Cáceres (pronounced like Katheres, with an accent on a) is the capital of Cáceres Province. There have been settlements near Cáceres since prehistoric times. Evidence of this can be found in the caves of Maltravieso and El Conejar. The city was founded by the Ancient Romans in 25 BC [2].
The old town or Ciudad Monumental still has its ancient walls; this part of town is also well known for its multitude of storks' nests. The walls contain a perfect Medieval town setting with no outward signs of modernity. For this reason many films have been shot here. The Universidad de Extremadura, and two astronomical observatories are also located in Cáceres.
Cáceres was declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1986 because of the city's blend of Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance styles, fruit of the many battles fought here throughout history. An amazing 30 towers from the Muslim period still stand in Caceres, of which the Torre del Bujaco is the most famous.
[edit] History
The origins of Cáceres go back to prehistoric time, as evidenced by the paintings in the Cuevas de Maltravieso (Maltravieso Caves) which date back to the late Paleolithic period. The best way to savour this unique city is to leave your car in one of the carparks located outside the historical center, and stroll around the historical quarters at your leisure, admiring the numerous buildings, towers, palaces and plazas, most very well conserved or recently restored, dating from the Middle Ages and Rennaissance. Visitors will be able to see remnants of Medieval times, Roman occupation, Moorish occupation and Jewish influence. Cáceres has four main areas to be explored; the historical quarter, the Jewish quarter, the modern center, and the outskirts.
As mentioned above, the first evidence of humans living in Cáceres is from the Late Paleolithic era, around 25,000 B.C. Cáceres started to gain importance as a strategic city under Roman occupation, and remains found in the city suggest that it was a thriving center as early as 25 B.C. Some remains of the first wall built around the city by the Romans in III and IV A.D. still exist, including one entrance, Arco del Cristo.
After the end of the Roman Empire, the city was occupied by Barbarians and Visigoths and entered a period of decline and decay until the Arabs conquered Cáceres in the seven hundreds. The city spent the next few centuries mostly under Arab rule, although power did exchange between Moors and Christians several times. During this time, the Arabs rebuilt the city, including a wall and various towers, including the Torre de Bujaco, and palaces. Cáceres was reconquered by the Christians in the 13th century. During this period the city had an important Jewish quarter: in the 15th Century when the total population was 2,000, nearly 140 Jewish families lived in Cáceres. The Jewish population was expelled in 1492, but many remnants of the Jewish influence during this period can still be seen today in the Barrio San Antonio.
Cáceres flourished during the Reconquest and the Discovery of America, as influential Spanish families and nobles built homes and small palaces here, and many members of families from Extremadura participated in voyages to America where they made their fortune. In the 19th Century Cáceres became the capital of the province, marking a period of growth which was halted by the Spanish Civil War. The headquarters of the University and several regional government departments are to be found in Cáceres which today has a population of 90,000.
[edit] Monuments
Cathedrals and Churches: Iglesia y Convento de San Pablo, XV Century church and convent; Convento de la Compañía de Jesus barroque style which today is used for art exhibitions; Iglesia yConcatedral de Santa María, cathedral built in XXIII, Gothic period; Iglesia de San Mateo, XV Century church built on the site of a former mosque; Iglesia de San Francisco Javier, Baroque period, XVIII century; Iglesia de San Juan, large magestic church which took five centuries to complete, from 13th to 15th Century; Ermita de San Antonio Iglesia de Santo Domingo; Ermita de la Paz; Iglesia de Santiago
The Wall: Torre de Bujaco XIIc; Arco de la Estrella XVIIIc; Torre de Sande, XIVc-XVc; Torre de los Púlpitos; Torre de la Hierba; Arco de Santa Ana; Torre del Horno; Torre del Postigo; Torre Redonda; Torre Desmochada; Arco del Cristo; Arco del Socorro
Palaces and stately homes: Palacio de los Golfines de Arriba; Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo - one of the most spectacular. The Reyes Católicos, Isabella and Ferdinand, lived here; Palacio del Comendador de Alcuescar; Palacio-Fortaleza de los Torreorgaz, today a Parador hotel, Palacio Episcopal; Palacio de Carvajal XVc; Palacio de Godoy; Palacio de Mayoralgo; Mansión de los Sande; Palacio de las Veletas; Palacio de los Cáceres-Ovando; Casa del Mono; Palacio de los Toledo-Moctezuma; Casa del Sol; Casa Mudejar; Casa de Carvajal y Ulloa.
[edit] Museums
Museum of Caceres - housed in La Casa de las Veletas y la Casa de los Caballos in the historical quarter. La Casa-Museo Árabe, between the Plaza San Jorge and the Arco del Cristo. Arab culture, art and remains. Museo Concatedral de Caceres, in the Plaza Santa Maria. Religious art.
[edit] Fiestas and festivals
Fiesta de los mártires in January; Fiesta de las Candelas and Fiesta de San Blas in February. The most important local fiestas in Caceres are in April, San Jorge, when on 22nd-23rd a dragon is burnt on a bonfire in the Plaza Mayor, accompanied by a fireworks display. Ferias de Mayo in May. Semana Santa processions are quite a spectacle as they wind around the narrow streets in the historical center. Semana Santa is Fiesta de Interés Nacional
[edit] Shopping, Cuisine and Restaurants
Shopping: The small streets in the historical center have lots of small shops selling typical products. The convents sell delicious homemade sweets and pastries. Wines from Extremadura are cheaper than many other wine-making areas and quite delicious if you like full-bodied red wine. Also try and buy some cherry liquor made with cherries from the nearby Jerte valley, or other original liquors such as chestnut or blackberry. Other local produce you can buy in most towns and villages in the province of Cáceres include goats cheese (Torta del Casar), fig cake, chestnuts, hams and other pork products, lamb, olive oil, paprika (pimentón de la Vera).
Cuisine: Cáceres is famous for its stews, roast meats (especially pork, lamb and game), fried breadcrumbs (migas), trout, pastries....
Restaurants in Caceres: Atrio, one of Spain's finest restaurants, innovative cuisine (Two Michelin Stars); El Figón de Estaquio, one of Caceres' oldest and most popular restaurants, traditional cuisine; La Tahona, local cuisine, impressive wineliest, good prices; Casa Claudio (Casar de Cáceres, 8km) very good cuisine and prices
[edit] Natural parks and rural tourism
Monfrague Natural Park: 85 km. 17,852 hectares, the Parque Natural de Monfragüe contains the following villages: Torrejón el Rubio, Serradilla, Malpartida de Plasencia, Toril, Serrejón, Jaraicejo y Casas de Miravete. With one of the largest forests in Spain with over 1,400 different species of trees. A favourite with birdwatchers, the park has the world's largest colony of black vultures and imperial eagles, and is also home to colonies of black storks, eagle owls, black-shouldered kites, grassland birds including great bustards, sandgrouse.... Camping is not allowed in the park. Monumento natural Los Barruecos - 14 km. curious rock formation. Los Llanos de Cáceres y Sierra de Fuente is a Zone Protected for Birds
[edit] Checklist
[edit] Local team
There is a [teaser video] <--(link is broken, please fix) showing the last organized meetings and conferences.
* Please name the main local team and describe their commitement (i.e. connection, work they have done before, how long...) in organizing events and working in Free Software projects. Are they perhaps even know inside Debian?
The Centre of New Initiatives has an extensive experience in organizing all kind of Free Software related events. These are the events of the period 2004-2007:
- Alan Kay Conference . January, 12th 2004. Venue: Mérida's Public Library
- Free Software International Conference . February,18-20th, 2004. Venue: Palacio de Ferias y Congresos of Málaga (Spain) (More than 2000 participants)
- Launching of the E-Pride Project . Febraury, 16th, 2004. Venue: Escuela de Administraciones Públicas of Mérida
- AULA 2004, Educative Offer Show . Assembly of the gnuLinEx stand. March, 9-10th, 2004
- International Congress of Technological Companies Creation. March, 25-26th, 2004
- I gnuLinEx Developers Meeting with the pressence of Ian Murdock . April, 14-15th, 200. Held in the Meliá Hotel in Mérida (Badajoz)
- Settimana libre delle Libertà . Toscana (Italy), April, 18-23th, 2004
- Brussels (Belgium) . Attention and support of the gnuLinEx Project in the stand of la Junta de Extremadura in the European Parliament. During the days of April, 19-23th, 2004
- Technical Support of the Congress of the Vodafone Foundation . Fundecyt - University of Extremadura. May, 2-3rd , 2004. National Library “Jesús Delgado Valhondo” Mérida (Spain)
- PRELUDE Final Conference. Ennis, Irland . May, 13-14th, 2004. Spreading of gnuLinEx and the extremenian model of Information Society
- Symposium "The impact of digital technology on learning" . Held at the Media Lab Europe, Dublin (Ireland) May, 19th, 2004
- La Albuera's Battle. Video streaming and webcam broadcasting of La Albuera's Battle Recreation during the days of May, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23rd, 2004
- Hispanic Guadec held in Almendralejo (Badajoz) . May,21-23rd, 2004. Venue: Palacio de la Aceituna y el Vino of Almendralejo (Spain) I Conference of Users and Developers of Hispanic GNOME
- MMBASE4, in Delft (Netherlands) . Developers and companies directives who work with software libre, specially in Holland. June, 9th, 2004
- Ianis Annual Conference 2004: Contributing to Cohesion in EU-25 . Budapest. June, 9-11th, 2004. Spreading of the gnuLinEx and the extremenian model of Information Society
- High-Level eGovernment Conference . June, 17-18th, 2004, Dublin, Ireland. Launching of the Global Strategy of the Extremadura's Information Society Model
- III Innovative Actions Meeting October, 28th, 2004 held in the Comfortel Hotel of Badajoz
- SIMO' 2004 (Madrid. November, 9-14th, 2004) 14.000 cd's of gnuLinEx were distributed. Stand with more than 100 PCs
- Futuex (December, 2004) Conference about the Accessibility of free software for disabled people.
- [ 1st Edition :: Tecnology / Creation / Society :: Extremadura ] Febraury, 21-23rd, 2005. Venue: Palacio de Congresos of Mérida (Badajoz)
- IV Free Software Conference of the Manizales University (Colombia) March, 16-19th , 2005
- IV edition of EDUCATEC, New Technologies and Education Show Centre, held in Don Benito (Badajoz) on April, 13-16th, 2005 in FEVAL where the gnuLinEx Games edition was launched
- La Albuera's Battle. Video streaming and webcam broadcasting of La Albuera's Battle Recreation during the days of April, 2005
- 49ª edition of the Spanish Chess Championship giving technical support and webcam broadcasting. August, 18-21st, 2006. Held in Baños de Montemayor (Cáceres)
- 49ª edition of the Spanish Chess Championship giving technical support and webcam broadcasting. September, 9-11th, 2006. Venue: Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones of Mérida (Badajoz).
- II Free Software International Conference held in the Palacio de Congresos of Mérida during October, 25-26th, 2005 (more than 1000 participants)
- SIMO' 2005. Stand with more than 200 PCs. Madrid.
- II Free Software International Conference held in Málaga (Spain) Febraury, 15,16 and 17th, 2006. (more than 5000 participants)
- La Albuera's Battle. Vídeo streaming and webcam broadcasting of La Albuera's Battle Recreation in April, 2006
- JuegaLinEx International Contest held in los Santos de Maimona (Badajoz) June, 2006
- Technological Literacy International Congress held in the Palacio de Congresos Manuel Rojas of Badajoz. November, 2006 (more than 2000 participants)
- e-Extremadura Programme Final Stage . Held in the Palacio de Congresos de Mérida (Badajoz) July, 7th, 2006
- SIMO 2006 where 20.000 gnuLinEx 2006 distributions were handed. More than 150 PCs in the stand.
- INSCit 2006 as collaborators giving technical support to this Congress during the days of October, 25-26th, 2006 held in the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones of Mérida (Badajoz)
- ExtremaduraVista Project carried out through 2007
- III International Conference of Free Software held in the Palacio de Congresos Manuel Rojas of Badajoz. Febraury, 2007 (more than 3000 participants)
- Stratos·2 Project Final Stage in Budapest (Hungary) October, 2006. Conference of the gnuLinEx Project and the Information Society in Extremadura
- 2nd Edition :: Tecnology / Creation / Society:: Extremadura ] March, 10-17th, 2007. Held in Riga, Irbene, Ziemupe, Karosta, Liepaja (Latvia)
- 2nd Edition :: Tecnology / Creation / Society:: Extremadura ] April, 9-15th.2007. Extremenian Syberia (Badajoz)
- La Albuera's Battle . Video streaming and webcam broadcasting of La Albuera's Battle Recreation. April, 2007.
* Of these people, which have been present at a previous Debconfs and who have participated as organizers and/or volunteers (the line might be quite blurry at times) of a previous Debconf?
We have been present in the last DebConfs and we have been also organizing the Extremadura Worksessions during 2006:
- DebConf5: Darío Rapisardi and Pedro Perez were present and gave a talk in Debian Day.
- Debconf6: Darío Rapisardi and César Gómez were present and gave a talk.
- Debconf7: Vicente Romero, Antonio Ullán, José Luis Redrejo and César Gómez are present. César will take part in the derivatives round table and will propose Extremadura to host DebConf9.
- [D-I Extremadura Worksession]: Organized by Darío Rapisardi and César Gómez.
- [Debian Embedded Extremadura Worksession]: Organized by Darío Rapisardi and César Gómez.
- [DebianEdu Extremadura Worksession]: Organized by Darío Rapisardi and César Gómez.
- [I18n Extremadura Worksession]: Organized by César Gómez.
- [Debian QA Extremadura Worksession]: Organized by César Gómez.
[edit] Choice of city / town / whatever
* Are you suggesting a city, a town, a village, a spa in the middle of nowhere?
We suggest the city of Cáceres which is the capital of the Cáceres province and World Heritage Centre by the Unesco. Old Town of Cáceres
For centuries it has been one of the main Cultural Centres of Spain and is also a candidate to become the "European Capital of Culture" in 2016.
** How many people live there?
We currently are 91606 inhabitants
** How easy/convenient is the proposed place to get all strange and regular kinds of hardware?
There is no restriction in bringing any kind of hardware to Extremadura. See Emdebian Work Session in Extremadura. There is also a hardware list in the Debian Wiki
*** Electronic/electricity shops
There are plenty of them. Google Maps
*** Computer stores (A "media markt" like store for consumers doesn't count)
There are a lot of computer stores too. Google Maps
*** Supermarkets, etc.
There are lots of nearby local markets Google Maps, supermarkets like Tambo (8), Lidl (2), Plus (2), Eroki Center (2), Mercadona (2), Maxidía (2), Aldi, Supercor, etc., and also shopping malls like Carrefour or Eroski.
** How easy is it for handicapped people to get around there?
Cáceres is an old but modern city and all the public streets and buildings are prepared to deal with people with all kinds of handicaps.
* Which is the nearest airport?
Talavera la Real Airport (100 km away from Cáceres, connected via highway)
** Are there any cheap airlines flying near the chosen city?
Actually, the main low-cost airlines fly to the airports of Lisbon, Madrid and Seville. Cáceres is well connected by motorways, train and buses and is reachable within 3 hours.
** How long does the trip from the airport to the venue take?
From Talavera la Real about 3 quarters of an hour by road. From Lisbon, Madrid and Seville, less than three hours.
* How friendly is your country towards foreigners?
Spain is the 2nd. country in the world in the tourism earnings league (OIT qualification) after the US and before France, and Italy, being one of the favorite destinations of the Europeans seeking sun, nature, cultural heritage and of course, party and friendly people, one of the Spanish flags. Most of the people are very friendly, specially shop assistants and landlords. Cáceres is also a very tourist city and the people is very nice towards foreigners.
** Visas: Which/how many countries' citizens require getting a visa? How hard (bureaucratic, probable) is it to get it?
It is easy to get a Visa to Spain due to our tradition towards tourism and foreigners. We are experienced in inviting people from countries that require a visa to come to Spain. We can send invitations signed by an Extremaduran Minister and that is usually enough to get the visa. In the [Debian I18n Worksession of Extremadura] we didn't have any problem with visas and there were people from all over the world (Bangladesh, Brazil, USA, Israel, Romania, Lithuania, India, Japan, South Africa, etc.)
We have agreements with most of countries of America and Europe for not needing Visa to enter in Spain, just your personal ID card. There are also agreements to get tourist Visas with most countries in the World, making the access to Spain easy and comfortable.
*** Are there any import regulations, which might affect DebConf? (e.g. a limit to number of notebooks / DVDs / other media you can bring in; hard regulations for money transfers; etc.)
No, normally there is no problem.
** Language: Do most people talk English? How hard is it for a foreigner to find their way around?
Cáceres is a city that lives from university and tourism. Due to this fact it is not difficult to be understood in English in almost every situation. In Spain most of the mid-age and young people of the cities are also able to speak and understand English.
[edit] Conference Facilities
* How much does it cost to rent these facilities?
It will be free of charge because the Cultural Institution in charge of the cultural complex wants to sponsor the rent of these facilities.
* How far away are the locations from each other? (auditoriums, hacklabs, restaurant, sleeping quarters, info desk)
There are a lot of sleeping quarters less than 200m away from the venue. The rest of the locations are inside the convent (cultural complex).
** What kind of places are available suitable for hacklabs, workshops, BoFs and talks? ** How many people fit in each of them? ** How flexible can that be handled?
There is a [video of the complex/venue] to clarify some of the doubts you may have (sorry for the quality of the video, it was captured from an old videotape).
These are the main places:
- [Main Auditorium]: It's a gothic church of the XV century. 700 people fit in it and can be easily converted to use tables instead of only seats (650 people). This is perfect for the Hacklab ;). Sound: 2000W. Lighting: 22 spotlights of 1000W.
- [Malinche Auditorium]: 290 seats and a talkers table for 7 persons and one stand, 5 stationary microphones, 3 wireless microphones. 1 SONY-SUPER BRIGHT projector, 1 SANYO 2.500 projector, 1 35mm cinema projector, 1 slide projector, 4 DSL connections, 4 cabins for automatic interpretation, etc.
- [Europa Auditorium]: It was the library of the monastery. 112 seats, 4 stationary microphones, 3 wireless microphones, 1 SONY-SUPER BRIGHT projector, 1 PHILIPS 2.800 LMS projector, 4 DSL connections, 2 cabins for automatic interpretation, etc.
- [Miguel Hernández Room]: It was the Golfines Chapel. 55 fixed seats, 54 stationary microphones, 2 projectors, 4 DSL connections, 2 cabins for automatic interpretation, etc.
- [García Matos Room]: 177 seats, a talkers table for 6 persons and a stand, 3 stationary microphones, 3 wireless microphones, 1 projector, 3 cabins for automatic interpretation, etc.
- [There are 4 cloisters] for the stands of the sponsors, exhibitions or whatever we may need.
- There are also 4 VIP rooms we can use for servers, workshops, BOFs, etc.
- The complex has also a lot of rooms we can use too.
*** ~-Can smaller auditoriums be merged into a bigger one?-~
No, this is not possible but the auditoriums are big enough to host all the talks.
*** Are tables/chairs fixed, or can we arrange them to fit more people/give more room to the people that we need?
It depends on the auditorium, there are two flexible auditoriums that can be easily converted.
** Is the venue ready for handicapped people? Note: Keep in mind that it's not only motion-handicapped - Is the area safe for people with any kind of handicap? (There are sight and hearing-impaired people, too.) Bonus: What people is it not good for?
Yes, the venue is prepared for all kind of handicapped people. There are elevators, ramps and all the rooms, auditoriums and cloisters are safe.
*** Access to all areas with ramps and/or elevators? (Note: carrying somebody over some steps is not usually an acceptable option.)
Yes, it is a public building and, of course, it is prepared with these facilities
*** Are there people with experience handling handicapped people, who checked that?
Yes, of course. It has been checked to comply with the spanish and regional laws of accessibility.
* Are blueprints with exact distances available to us (to be kept confidential on request)?
Yes, there is no problem.
* What kind of audio equipment is already present at the auditoriums?
All the auditoriums have a good and modern audio equipment, notice that the building is being used for concerts and it is also the conservatory of the city.
** Wireless or stationary mics?
Both.
** clip-on kind of mics or cary in your hand mics?
Both.
** How many of them?
More than 50.
* Will the hacklabs be allowed to stay open 24x7? What time schedule do they offer?
Yes, they will be open 24x7. We will have to hire security guards for the night but one of the possible sponsors is a security company that may lend 2 or more security guards for free.
* What kind of security will be there?
During the day the place have its own security company. During the night we will have to hire the security ourselves or we may have 2 or more security guards for free.
* Are there any limitations regarding the consumptions of food / alcohol? Where do what limitations apply?
There are no limitations regarding food or alcohol consumptions as long as we keep the place clean.
** How far is it to the nearest convenience stores / all-night restaurants?
300 meters
[edit] Food
* How much are the meals per person per day?
In the Conference Facilities Complejo Cultural San Francisco a huge tent (an in-place restaurant) is going to be assembled to host the meals for every participants. Meal is going to be everyday from breakfast to dinner in order to allow flexibility to all participants. Meal is going to be offered by the Goverment of Extremadura.
* Is the eating place near the talks place / the hacklabs?
The tent is going to be placed in the parking of the Complejo Cultural San Francisco
* What kind of food would be served?
All kind of food is going to be served, prevailing local products but with attention to the different needs of each participant (vegies, allergies or people with cultural issues) in order to make them feel fine about food.
Gastronomy of Extremadura is rich and traditional, been one of the most reputated of the world famous Spanish cuisine.
** In what fashion? (service to the table, limited buffet, open buffet, etc.)
Open buffet everyday.
* Would food for vegetarians / vegan / lactose-alergic / religious (of any denomination) people be available?
Yes, every kind of special needs are going to be addressed in order make the participants feel well.
** How much meals do we need to order to get those kind of "special" meals?
Offered by the Government
** Will it cost extra to get those special meals?
No.
* In a two week period, how many more or less equal meals can we expect?
Variated food is going to be served. Gastronomy of Exremadura is rich enough to foreseen a wide variety of fresh foods and meals.
montro
[edit] Network connectivity
* Is the area already wired with regular network infrastructure? (much preferrably: 100Mbps or 1Gbps switched)
Yes, all the complex is wired with 100Mbps switches. We will need extra switches for the hacklab, but they will be provided by the Regional Goverment of Extremadura. We can use 1Gbps switches where needed.
* How much does it cost and how difficult is it to get a big internet connection? (10/20 Mbits at least)
It is very easy, we can have all the internet connections lines we want. There is no problem in hiring 20 Mbits connections (we have hired more than 15 lines for some events like the FSWL 3.0). We can even hire special connections with a guaranteed upstream rate for video streaming. All the connections will be paid by the Regional Goverment of Extremadura.
* How much work does it imply to cover the area with wireless links?
The Walls are thick but it is very easy to install APs in all the places because there are ethernet sockets all aliong the complex. The Regional Goverment will lend us more than 30 APs.
* If we use someone else's infrastructure, how easy / flexible can that be handled, regarding routing / firewall / ip-range / public access / other stuff?
We will have full access to the network administration.
** Do we have restrictions on allowed ports?
No, the connections will be hired and administer by DebConf.
** Are we traffic-shaped? Or can we set a traffic shaper if we need so?
We can set a traffic shaper if we want.
* Would it be possible to set up the network before Debcamp? (a day or two, earlier would be nicer, in order to handle problems gracefully. Additional weeks for wireless.)
Yes, of course.
[edit] Special rooms
Both for server and video rooms: * General conditions for the rooms
There are more than 30 rooms inside the complex than can be used
** Size
The smallest rooms are bigger than 20m²
** Have they/do they need air conditioning?
The convent is quite fresh but more than 10 special rooms have air conditioning
** What electrical load can they handle?
There is no restriction. The complex have to deal with high electrical consumption almost every week and have electricians that can reset the electrical load when needed.
[edit] Accomodation
* How much does it cost per person per night?
The hall of residence will be less than 10 euros or maybe sponsored by the Regional Goverment. The hostals are from 15 to 25 euros.
* Is the place where people are going to sleep near the conference facilities?
Yes, there are a lot of hall of residence, hostels and hotel less than 300 meters away from the venue.
* Is it able to handle a varying number from 20 to 400 of people?
Yes.
* Is it able to handle non-native speaking people? (i.e. do the people at the sleeping facilities speak English?)
Most of them.
* Will there be a need of a "Debconf" info-desk, or would the local (hotel or such) people be able to handle that themselves? (See InfoDesk for details on duties)
They will be able to handle themselves.
* Will it be possible for couples to stay in their own rooms?
Yes.
* How many room keys would be available?
It depends on the hostel or hotel.
* Are there other hotels around?
Yes. Here is a list of hotels, hostels and campsites.
Campsite
- Cámping de Cáceres Tel: +34 927 233 100 Ctra. N-630, Km. 549,5 - Cáceres
Hostels
- Al-Qazeres Tel: +34 927227000 C/ Camino Llano, 34
- Argentina Tel: +34 927222854 C/ Argentina, 11
- Goya Tel: +34 927249954 Plaza Mayor, 31
- Hernán Cortés Tel: +34 927243488 C/ Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, 5
- La Rosa Tel: +34 927221754 C/ Sanguino Michel, 8
- Las Encinas Tel: +34 927291260 Ctra. N-630, km. 543
- Neptuno Tel: +34 927236423 Avda. de Alemania, 19
- Plaza de Italia Tel: +34 927627294 C/ Constancia, 12
- Hostal Alameda Plaza Tel: +34 927211262 Plaza Mayor, 33
- Albergue Turístico Las Veletas Tel: +34 927 211 210 C/ Margallo 36- Cáceres
- Albergue de Cáceres Tel: +34 927 102 001 Avda. de la Universidad, s/n (Edificio Fundación Valhondo)
1 star hotels
- Hotel ARA Tel: +34 927223958 C/ Juan XXIII, 3
- Hotel Los Naranjos Tel: +34 927243508 C/ Alfonso IX, 12
- Hotel Metropol Tel: +34 927225656 C/ Obispo Segura Saez, 5
2 stars hotels
Hotel Don Carlos (http://www.hoteldoncarloscaceres.net/) Tel: +34 927225527 C/Donoso Cortés 15
Alfonso IX Tel: +34 927246400 C/ Parras, 9
Don José Tel: +34 927212192 C/ Pintores, 28, 2º
Iberia- Plaza America Tel: +34 927210906 C/ Hermandad, 12
3 stars hotels
Husa Alcántara Tel: +34 927223900 Avd. Virgen de Guadalupe , 14
Los Barruecos Tel: +34 927276530 Ctra. N-521, km. 59
4 stars hotels
Barceló V Centenario (http://www.barcelo.com/BarceloHotels/es-ES/Hotels/Spain/Caceres/VCentenario/Home) Tel: +34 927232200 C/ Manuel Pacheco s/n
Extremadura Hotel (http://www.extremadurahotel.com) Tel: +34 927629639 Virgen de Guadalupe, 28
AH Agora Hotel Tel: +34 927626360 C/ Parras, 25
Gran Hotel Cáceres Golf Tel: +34 927234600 Carretera Merida, km 1
Melia Caceres Boutique Hotel Tel: +34 927215800 Plaza San Juan, 11
Parador de Turismo Cáceres Tel: +34 927211759 C/ Ancha, 6
Río Las Marinas Tel: +34 927214578 C/ San Pedro, 16
5 stars hotels
Hotel Fontecruz Palacio De Arenales (http://www.palaciodearenales.com) Tel: +34 927 620 490 Carretera N-521 Km 52
* Are there rooms ready for handicapped people? How many?
Yes, it depends on the hostel or hotel.
[edit] Fun and Free time
* What activities can be done during the free time?
There is a sports city 50 metes away from the venue where you can go to the swimming pool, play football, tennis, rugby, pelota vasca, basketball, volleyball, beach volley, and almosy any sport you can imagine. There are also a lot of museums, monuments, palaces and stately homes, cuisine and restaurants. And inside the province there are a lot of natural parks and a very enjoyable rural tourism.
* What would be a possible Day Trip?
We can visit the Old Town of Cáceres which is a World Heritage Centre, or we can also go to Mérida and visit the Archeological Ensemble of Mérida (65km away from Cáceres and connected via highway).
** Is the proposed location ready to receive people with disabilities?
Yes, they are.
* How expensive would that be?
It will be paid be the Regional Goverment.
[edit] Local Sponsors
* Do you have a list of prospective sponsors that might be interested in the conference? Money, hardware, connectivity, etc.
These sponsors might be interested in the conference since they have been sponsoring free software related events for years.
[CENATIC] [EDM Electronics] [Fundación Vodafone España] [FUNDECYT] [IBM] [INDRA] [Informática El Corte Inglés] [Infostock] [BME] [Intel] [Gabinete de Iniciativa Joven] [LinexNet] [Telefónica Movistar] [Sun] [Bull] [Everis] [Grupo ROS] ONO] Price Waterhouse Coopers] [Sadiel] [Sopra] [Sílice] [Andago] [Intecna] [ATICSA] [KM Extremadura] [Selta] [BBVA Gobernalia] [El Sendero Caymasa] [ESABE] [Sonido Rubio]
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact cesar(dot)gomez(at)juntaextremadura(dot)net
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremadura [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cáceres
