“EL FINDE”

Tossa de Mar

The weekend in spanish is “ el fin de semana”, so as part of my aprenticeship and transition, I’m learning the widely spread current slang, so if someone asks : como te fue el finde? it translates to: how was your weekend?

Mine was good, thank you very much. Friday morning I took Wilbur for a quickie to the park, because Victor picked me up at 9.30am, as I asked to accompany him to Tossa de Mar, in order to visit the art gallery where Victor is going to have a show starting April 30th through the month of May. This was going to be a short visit, because we needed to be back for lunch, as Mari was preparing a traditional fava been dish for lunch, which usually takes place between 2-3pm. So I left Wilbur home with Laura, this way I would be able to take the metro back home after lunch, because I believe I mentioned, while you are allowed to take dogs on the train, they are not allowed on metro and city bus unless of course it is a service dog.

Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar is one of those beautiful beach towns, about an hour away, and despite the proximity it is still quite charming, because while all the other surrounding towns like Blanes and Lloret de Mar have sprawled so much, and have enormous popularity with the summer foreign tourism, Tossa is a bit harder to get to, as the train doesn’t not reach, or the freeway doesn’t have an exit to. 

See http://www.tossademar.com/

We parked the van, called Joan, the owner to let him know we arrived and went searching for the gallery. Joan was dressed in a painter jumpsuit as he was in the midst of painting some walls in his hotel, which he later took us to see. First we talked about the gallery, the artists he represents, his buyers and his private collection. Joan likes to talk...a lot, but I must say I liked him, he just seems very grounded and honest, and he loves what he does, and he’s a good expert and source. He told us stories of the town, corruption and deception around art exhibits. We went around the corner to a coffee shop for a drink, and then the hotel, which is closed while he’s finishing up, contemporary and filled with his private art collection, mostly large art pieces, due to the fact that he’s had many pieces stolen from the walls; he even had a terribly heavy bronze sculpture taken by three tall Irish guys.

sign on church door above

Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar

So much talk, it was already 2pm, we had to leave as we were late for the fava beans, but first we went for a brief stroll to the beach, and as soon as I saw the castle on the beach, I had a flash back memory of a romantic weekend with my ex, as he notified me that he in fact was my boyfreind, which filled my heart at the time.

Later in Horta (my neighborhood) that evening around 8.30pm, I met at Plaza Ibiza with Carmen Villuendas, with Wilbur and my weekend bag, we went to Cabrils to meet Alicia at the Bar Concordia, where we met more people, had some hot “bocatas”(sandwiches).

Saturday it rained hard all day and all night, so Wilbur only went out for potty and stayed home, while Alicia and I went to a family event. It was a 5 year old birthday of one of her nieces, a table for 15, lots of drinking and food and laterwe played a card game named “podrida” which I had never played before. The elders (Alicia’s mother, father and 92yr old aunt) were surprised as I came in second the first game and actually won the second game, a little over 1 euro.

Later we met Carmen as we planned on going out, but ended up chatting until very late, and looked up camping bungalows to rent the night of the 26th, and settled for one in Montseny.

Sunday morning my friends were still sleeping, it was 10am, such a beautiful sunny day, I took Wilbur out for potty and bought some breakfast stuff at the corner market; I was not fully awake yet, so I didn’t realize the man standing at the register talking to the cashier was my ex. I heard “what are you doing here?” and then I recognized the voice. Completely startled, I wished I had looked at myself in the mirror before going out; oh well. He showed me where to get some fresh churros and as we parted I asked when he would have time for me, I just want to understand why he’s avoiding me “now”.

After a good breakfast, we went to meet up with Araceli and her dog Bruna, Carmen went to fetch her dog Nala, and the four of us and three dogs went to hike up to Castell de Burriac, and Araceli talked us into going through the woods rather than up the trail. It got very dense and we even climb up and around boulders, but we kept going up till we made it. I was scratched all over. We took the regular path on the way down, it was quick and easy.

Later that night, around midnight, Laura came home from Italy with Miquel, who I met for the first time. He was so excited to meet Wilbur and me, and begged me to play Mario Bros on his WII console. He is so damn cute!