Sa Tuna Sidetrip...

#SaTuna#CostaBrava#Spain

Tuesday ... 

After a good night's sleep and a delicious petit déjeuner at the Fasthotel in Toulouse, we hit the road by 8 o'clock and drove south through France headed for Spain.

Two and half hours later we crossed the Spanish border heading for Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava.

About two weeks earlier a page I follow on Facebook posted a wonderful photo of a location north of our eventual destination.

Below is the photo I took ...

Surprisingly, Señor Honey (while in Spain his name has changed) decided that a sidetrip to Sa Tuna for lunch was in order.

With the help of "Molly" (our GPS) and some navigational assistance from the front passenger seat (that would be me) we finally found the idyllic village of Begur and descended to the bay.

A billboard poster welcoming us in the parking lot ... from here we have yet to see the bay/water.

The photo I took when we reached the bay.

After a stroll through the village down to the waterfront, we settled on a restaurant for our first Spanish meal.

I ordered a tuna salad ... fresh tuna, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, onions, hard boiled egg but no lettuce ... while Señor had grilled sausage and fries.

We completed our meal with Creme Catalan...

We wandered around the bay and narrow cobble stoned streets and walkways ...before heading on to our final stop of the day "Tossa de Mar".

Hotel Diana (Casa Sans)

#TossadeMar#HotelDiana#PandoraandtheFlyingDutchman

After our three hour sidetrip to Sa Tuna we continued to our destination the "Hotel Diana"  in Tossa de Mar which is an outstandingly well preserved Art Deco style building.

*"The building has an unusual sea facing facade, with Modernist gargoyles representing the four seasons, trencadis mosaics made from glazed shards, and wrought iron similar to that found in Gaudi's Casa Vicens in Barcelona. 

... Most of Antoni de Falguera's original decoration is preserved.

The magnificent stained glass windows ... and the spectacular fireplace are absolutely characteristic of the Catalan Modernist style.

The marble staircase and the fountain with it's Frederic Mares sculpture of Diana the Huntress both belong to a later period, after Casa Sans was acquired by the Vilallonga family in 1930."

* above info from local tourist info brochure.

It faces the beach and bay with views of the walled town and the main entrance is in a small square.

Our room overlooks the square... 

               

After a brief rest we strolled through the Historic Center and decided on a restaurant for our first evening meal in Spain. 

"Tapa A Tapa" was at the end of a narrow alley way...

As we had a significant meal at lunch, we opted for a lighter fare with some Spanish wine and later we were treated to a homemade Spanish liqueur, Orujo (similar to Limoncello) on the house by the restaurant owner.

An enjoyable "Welcome to Spain" which led to another very good night's sleep!

"A Hard Day's Night" of Travel!

#ToscaPizzeria#Toulouse#AmsterdamAirport#Tiramisu

We arrived safely and on schedule after a "Hard Day's Night" of travelling.

Our first stop Amsterdam Airport for a two hour layover...

The view over Toulouse as we approached the runway ...

                    

We quickly collected our luggage (yes, thankfully it arrived) picked up our rental car and headed to our usual airport hotel.

Looking for a light supper we headed out only to discover a new Italian Pizzeria, where we enjoyed a great tasting pizza, a good Chianti (minus the fava beans) and the most delicious tiramisu we have ever tasted.

La Tosca Pizzeria was tastefully decorated and had a warm ambiance. 

We liked it so much we are already talking about returning on our last night in Toulouse before our flight home.

Perfect thin crust ... Tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, olive oil and fresh basil which we watched the owner hand pick from the herb garden.

Tiramisu made by the owner's Italian wife ... Instead of the usual lady fingers/sponge cake she uses Speculoos cookies (a Belgian spice biscuit).

The following morning after a good night's sleep we headed to Spain ...

stay tuned for some Spanish Postcards!