Tossa de Mar

The city was quiet on a Sunday morning. Along the way to Estació de Nord I saw many a Chinese import/export business. Looked like the Chinese were setting up here too.

The train to Blanes hugged the Costa Brava and passed many a unremarkable suburban beach. At Blanes I switched to a bus. Here the coastline becomes rocky and indented and the train line parts company with it. I changed buses at Lloret de Mar, which was crawling with tourists.

Tossa de Mar was in a beautiful bay with resort hotels. What made the trip worthwhile was the Vila Vella with the ruins of a castle overlooking the bay, from which one can see up and down the coast. Otherwise Tossa would just be another sea and sand resort with oily bodies.

I took a lunch at a local restaurant but found it oversalted. Restaurants were expensive in Catalunya. Also I was intimidated by the fine dress the Catalans wore while eating out. That's why I usually ended up at buffet restaurants or having street food. I wondered if they spent more on dining out because they didn't have much chance to pay towards a home, prices being what they were

A group of school children boarded the train on the return journey. I guessed that they were on an organised weekend excursion. Barcelona seemed well run; public amenities worked, the trains ran on time, etc.

Back at Estació de Nord, I learnt that there were two direct buses a day to Cadaques. So I booked by phone a room there for when I got back from the Canary Islands. I got a room at a Port Lligat hotel which was better than Cadaques because it was where Dalí had lived.

I missed having company. In a city like Barcelona, there were few chances to meet fellow travellers if one stayed in pensions or hotels. In Cuba there was the camaraderie forged from the hardship of travelling around.

I heard the residencia owner Thomas playing his guitar in the evening. He spoke very good English with only a trace of accent. If you want to know how the people of Spain speak, listen to an Almodovar film; they tend to pronounce the s like sh. Thomas played gigs around town. Apparently performing was his true passion and running the residencia made ends meet.