Victor Mateo

Victor had left with his van loaded with paintings early last Friday morning to the gallery in Tossa de Mar, to have enough time to unload and arrange the hanging for the exhibit, and then drive back to Blanes to pick up Mari and Adelina at the train station.

I think that the fact that the train doesn’t reach Tossa is probably the reason it remains a charming town, and had not been overbuilt like many of the beach towns. Some people refer to it as the Southern Cadaques.

Edward and I drove up Saturday, not to early, as I had gone out for dinner with Leah on Friday, and Edward, well he was out that night too.

Leah was staying at a small hostel in the Ramblas, and was overwhelmed with the changes this city has been through. She wanted to eat something typical, and I suggested a Catalan restaurant by the Passeig de Gracia; we shared a “trinxat” and a salad, she had cod fish “a la llauna” and I had galtes, and we also shared a crema catalana for desert. We parted ways in the middle of Placa Catalunya.

Edward and I arrived in Tossa around 2pm, and after an hour searching for our family members, we decided to have lunch, and we discovered “sim i tomba”, a traditional dish from this quaint town. The fishermen would place a few potatoes, tomatoes and peppers onto the pan, then toss whatever fish they had caught on top, flip it, and it’s ready to eat, simple and yummy.

A siesta at the beach sounded like a great idea, and although we did get to enjoy about 45 minutes, while Wilbur was chasing a large kite, we were asked to leave quite nicely, as it turns out you’re not supposed to have dogs on the beach after April 1st. As a matter of fact, I met Susanna today, a german woman who’s been here for 30 years, while she was wlaking her dog in the park, and we talked for a couple of hours; and she mentioned that a while back there was a case in Tarragona that was in the news; she took her dog to the beach as it was a rainy day and there was nobody there, but the guardia urbana saw her and gave her a ticket for 500 euros.

After we left the beach we found a large arcade, played a game of pool and pinball, then took another walk, saw some roman ruins, and hiked up the castle walls.

At 7.30pm we went back to Joan Planelles Gallery, and this time the gang was there, Victor, Mari, Adelina, Henry, Maria, Robert, and some of Victor’s friends. Henry is Edward’s older brother, and Maria is his wife, Robert their son whom I had never met before, because I had not seen them for 28 years. Time just flies, doesn’t it?

Ava Gardner forever watching the sea from the castle in Tossa, after having spent some time I was told on a film shoot.