Celebrating "independence" and coastal beaches

At long last, we made it to UAB for Spanish class on our own with absolutely no drama. Ok, so we were 10 minutes late. But in Spain, that's like being early. While making our way through the bustling Plaça Catalunya Metro station, we saw a familiar sight. Please note the CASB students enraptured by the neon letters and baked goods.







The rest of the day has been one of planning. Tomorrow we have no school, thus marking our first real opportunity to travel. September 11 is the Diada Nacional de Catalunya, the day the region "celebrates" the fact that they LOST their independence. We're expecting less fiesta, and more raging fireworks and raucous protesting. There have been signs (like this one) displayed all over Barcelona for the past week or so.






Rather than stay and observe the dramatics, we (a rapidly growing group of about 25 of us) are fleeing the city for the beautiful sandy beaches of la Costa Brava for the weekend. We're staying in the quiet town of Tossa del Mar, about a 90-minute bus ride from Barca. (Conveniently, we live across the street from Estación Nord, the Port Authority, so to speak.)

Looking forward to a long weekend of sunshine, the Mediterranean sea, and (fingers crossed) some authentic paella.