Today, Jaume, Celia, Josep, Joan and I went to the Costa Brava for the day, specifically to a beautiful little town, Tossa de Mar, on the Mediterranean. Tossa, (http://www.tossademar.com/indexen.htm) it turns out, was the setting for the movie "Pandora," starring Ava Gardner, which helped to popularize the Costa Brava, for the good or the bad. Josep wouldn't let me buy an Ava Gardner-inspired hat at one of the shops, but he didn't mind making out with her statue. (See photo)

After spending some time at the beach, we had a great meal. In keeping with the philosophy of trying anything new/different/indigenous, I had fish encrusted with ali-oli, a garlic mayonnaise. What's not to like?

The boys went swimming while the adults took some time to drive up along the Costa Brava to see other towns.

When we came back, we strolled through the "old town," which is the 1000-ish-year-old remnants of the original walled city which, it turns out, still has inhabited apartments within.