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Francophone Festival
March 11, opening of collective art show by Belgian artists, 9:30 a.m., Registry Building, UCR, San Pedro; talk by Belgian Embassador M. Grégoire Vardakis, 10 a.m.; talk about TransAtlantic bridges, by Victor Valembois, 11 a.m.; talk about Belgian beer and beer tasting, 11:30 a.m., all at Education Faculty, UCR, San Pedro; French dictation for juniors, 4-7 p.m., and seniors, 6 p.m., Auditorium, Central Bank Museums, register by March 8 (2222-2283, jleniniven@afsj.net); film, “Jeudi bla bla bla,” 7 p.m., Alliance Française, Barrio Amón; concert by the Franchutes, 7:45 p.m., Crêperie Cocorrico Verde, San Pedro. March 11-24, collective photography exhibit, Alliance Française, Barrio Amón.

Concert and Talk
By Dionisio Cabal, author of “Agüizotes,” March 11, 6:30 p.m., Librería Internacional, Terramall, Curridabat.

2010 Monteverde Music Fest
Milton Masciadri and Parque del Espacio, March 11, 7 p.m., Monteverde Amphitheater, Bromelias Café, across from CASEM, Monteverde. Info: 2645-6272, www.bromelias-cafe.com.

Concert by Sabina
Spanish singer, March 11-12, 8:30 p.m., Palacio de los Deportes, Heredia.

Recent tremors and the release of incandescent gases at the Turrialba Volcano, about 35 kilometers northeast of San José, could be indicative of magmatic activity.

Experts from the National University's Vulcanological and Seismological Observatory of a (OVSICORI) last Sunday night photographed a “long, reddish vapor trail” seeping out of the crater of the Turrialba Volcano, moving west and extending up to 60 kilometers from the mouth of the volcano.

According to an OVSICORI report, the gasses in the vapor trail, composed mostly of sulfur, reached temperatures of 320 degrees Celsius.

The trail's searing, reddish tint might be explained by small lava particles that have mixed with the gasses inside the volcano.

Elicier Duarte, a scientist with the OVSICORI, said that red fragments could be coming from a cavity deep inside the volcano. The presence of the particles, though, could also be due to rising lava inside the mountain.

“Really, it's hard to say,” Duarte said. “No one knows what is happening in the depths of the volcano.”

This week, seismologists also recorded small tremors and heard “deafening, jet engine-like noises” at the volcano. On Tuesday, a 1.5 magnitude tremor rattled the area briefly at 9:18 a.m.

Duarte said that these shakes and sounds are also signs that the volcano is “likely magmatic.”

The Turrialba Volcano began showing increased signs of activity in early January when ash eruptions forced dozens of evacuations in communities around the volcano's skirts. Scientists described the activity as the first such display in more than 140 years.

Since then, teams of experts have monitored the volcano closely, measuring gases and looking for possible signs of additional eruptions or eventual lava flows.

Drivers will enjoy a drop in gas prices in March, as a 6 percent drop in Super and Plus gasoline and an 8 percent drop in the cost of diesel is expected to come into effect at the beginning of next week. According to the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP), the drop in gasoline prices is a result of the variation in international prices and the appreciation of the value of the colón between the dates of Jan. 28 and Feb. 11, the time frame used to assess the need for a price adjustment. On Wednesday, the Regulator General, Fernando Herrero, approved the price decreases.

The prices for Gasoline Super will fall ₡ 34 per liter, while the price for Gasoline Plus will fall ₡ 33 per liter, or around $0.06 per liter. The price for Diesel fuel will fall ₡ 40 per liter. The price adjustments are expected to go into effect next week.

Source: ARESEP

San José's outdoor public spaces are set to come alive with arts and culture this weekend with the return of the big “summertime” Transitarte festival.

The event celebrates its seventh edition March 12 through 14 and, judging by the program, organizer San José Municipality has learned how to squeeze in a ton of activities. Weather permitting, festivalgoers will quickly learn why Ticos refer to the dry season as “summer.”

The festival officially kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. in Parque Morazán, one of San José's public spaces that will be used as Transitarte's stage throughout the weekend. But, starting at 9 a.m. and throughout the day, book fairs, art sales, concerts and other events will take place in various venues around the city, including Parque Nacional, Parque España, Plaza de la Democracia, Jardín de Paz, Plaza de la Libertad and more.

Saturday gets rocking early in Parque Morazán, starting at 11 a.m. with the folkloric group Areito and featuring other bands such as Sincrónico and Parque en el Espacio through to the night, until the last act, rock ska band Percance, takes the stage at 9 p.m. Jardín de Paz, near the Edificio Metálico, will get jumping tomorrow, too, with activities ranging from miniature golf to the popular Afro-Brazilian dance-combat form capoeira.

Sunday offers mini golf again at the Jardín for anyone who missed out, as well as a host of musical acts, including electronic tango outfit Nottango, dub reggae group Moonlight Dub Experience and the self-proclaimed “psychotropical” Sonámbulo.

The festival finale is set for 7 p.m. Sunday at Plaza de la Democracia with a street performance entitled “Rêve d'Herbert” (Herbert's Dream) by French troupe Compagnie des Quidams.

For a program of events, see the Calendar on pages W6 and W7, or visit www.transitarte2010.com.

Beaches might be a little more crowded during this year's Semana Santa vacation.

Breaking from normal practice, President Oscar Arias has decided to reward government employees with an entire week off instead of only Thursday and Friday.

The decision to extend the vacation was unanimous, according to a press statement from Casa Presidencial, as leaders felt the extra time was important “for the public sector to share with their respective families and loved ones.”

As a result, public offices will be closed from Monday, March 29 until Friday, April 2.