overnight train from malaga to stay with couchsurfer martí and his flatmates. so generous, so welcoming, such a great family that kept me busy busy busy and going and going all over the costa brava for two days...and an absolutely necessary and worth-it 3 day extension! xavi, shanti, martí, girma, & ramon-- i miss you! can't stop thinking about my catalan paradise! more photos here
day 1: bicycle tour and walking the walls of medieval girona; lentil and pa amb tomàquet lunch; evening swim in banyoles estany (not a lake!)
day 2: snorkeling off the rocky coast; throwing myself off of a 25ft rock into the turquoise mediterannean!!! (SO proud!!!); beach boys cruise back to girona; picking up berkeley melissa, another couchsurfer; eating anchovies-in-olives and olives-with-anchovies while watching sunset firecracker war in l'escala; delicious rainbow coca cake for san joan followed by midnight swims under fireworks at an all-night ska beach party....topped with neon sherbet sunrise....
day 3: french toast brunch and youtube party; nap; giant tasty sandwiches and music festival in banyoles; late-night girona stroll and epic discussions of fairy tales, languages, and how to escape earthquakes
day 4: veggie/vegan brunch feast at the cafe next to shanti's flat; aborting beach plans for rainy mountain plans; mini-lake full of mini-tadpoles and mini-frogs; skipping stones to barcelona-based rhythms; palotes!; hot chocolate, honey-roasted peanuts, and stroll through drizzly stone besalú (location for the perfume!); back to banyoles for more music fest; patatas bravas and tuna sandwich in girona; yet another epic discussion of grandparents, the world, the wars, our lives, and our futures; trying unsuccessfully to watch ryanair planes land; bidding adieu to new berkel friend melissa
day 5: the end of the line! INCREDIBLE drive to the coast; waiting out the rain at cap de creus; stunning stumble down to a small bay for snorkeling (so many sea urchins!!!) and post-swim cheesecake; MINDBLOWING muted beach colors/shapes/textures/patterns of all proportions!!! exploring chic cadaques; bob dylan drive back to shanti's for roy's special chinese dinner and sea-urchin-spine-from-toe-removal; goodbyes and an early morning ryanair flight that i should have never taken!!!!!!!!!!!! hasta luego!!!!!
