Travel Plans, Accommodation Preferences, and Spanish Hometown Profile

Arrival and Accommodation Plans

Hello Sally,

Thanks for your email. I am very happy for this opportunity and I am grateful. I hope to learn with you and improve my spoken English.

I am going by plane on the 25th of July. My flight details are:

• Departure: Croatia, 24th of July, midnight.
• Arrival: Heathrow Airport, approximately three hours later.
• Flight Number: CON 4563.

It is not necessary for you to come to pick me up, as it will be very early. I will take the train directly to Stansted. When I arrive, I will call you by phone and wait at the station.

I am scheduled to return to Croatia on the 26th of August at eleven o'clock from Stansted Airport.

Regarding food and drink, I have no problems; I can eat everything. I prefer to share a room with another student.

See you soon. Best wishes.

My Hometown: Collado Villalba, Madrid

I live in Collado Villalba, a town located about 40 kilometers from Madrid.

Geography and Demographics

The town has approximately 57,000 people, but the population increases significantly during the summer. Collado Villalba serves as the focal point of the northwest Madrid area, offering many public services, shopping, and leisure centers.

Climate and Local Industry

The climate in Collado Villalba is continental. It is cold in winter, cool in spring and autumn, and in the summer, it is quite pleasant compared to Madrid, where temperatures often exceed 40ºC.

The town is known for working with the materials of the surrounding mountains, particularly granite. There are several companies dedicated to its extraction and processing. I even bought a kitchen counter from one of them. Collado Villalba is also known for the quality of the local beef.

Nearby Attractions

While Collado Villalba has no significant monuments itself, we are close to major historical sites:

• El Escorial
• El Valle de los Caídos

We are also only 25 minutes away from the popular ski resorts of Navacerrada and Cotos.

I enjoy living in Collado Villalba despite working in Madrid; the town is quieter, and the weather is much better in summer. Plus, Madrid is close to everything.

Hobbies and the Story of the Broken Tree

I like to take photos. I use different types of cameras: analog and digital. I have thousands of photos—paper prints, slides, and digital files, of course.

One specific photo is particularly meaningful: it shows us looking at a broken tree. My friend Julio took the photo when we were traveling in my car around Poland. He was studying in Poland for three years.

Julio is a talented painter, and he later transformed that photo into a picture drawn by him. This artwork is now hanging on the wall in my house. Every day, this picture reminds me of my friend Julio.