... and the Catalan National day is very civilized and nothing to be afraid of, and at the football match the players on the field knows of course exactly what "independencia" vawe to expect from the crowds.

I am so glad you got to experience Santa Tecla! I was there too.

nhulberg, what a great trip. I love that you just happened upon cultural events that some people plan well ahead for. Great timing.

May I ask a boring question? Did you have any trouble paying tolls on your driving trip? Did your rental car have a transponder or did you pay manually?

The toll question is actually a good one, Diamantina. I was confused the first couple of times I went through them. I didn't have a transponder, so I had to pay manually. Fumbling for the correct coins while cars backed up behind me was a bit stressful.

Eventually I figured out it was easiest just to pay with a credit card

Kimhe, as to the crowds on Catalan Day, I returned from Montserrat at 4 PM, coming to our hotel near Placa de Gracia. I do think I missed the biggest crowds. But I heard from our guide that the crowd was a lot smaller than in 2014. Still, a big deal.

But, my main point is the same one you make: it is "very civilized and nothing to be afraid of." It is very easy to for tourists to pick up a couple of incidents from the media and think that a certain country should be avoided.

I'm just back from the same region and share your enthusiasm. Thanks for describing Ullastrett which deserves more recognition. The audio guide to the archaeologicial was very competently assembled (and free!) Girona certainly is worth a stop and can be reached by the high-speed train. The Salvador Dali museum in Figueres surprisingly softened my long-standing suspicions of the flamboyant self-promoter. And the beaches are fine, especially as the season winds down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal%C3...tre_and_Museum

Once again, thanks, nhulberg. You've saved us some fumbling and confusion at the toll booth. We've reserved a car with Sixt, and I didn't even see the option for a transponder.

Getting closer to leaving for our own trip. I'm a bundle of nerves! Your help in preplanning has helped settle them a bit.

Diamantina: we rented from Hertz. They didn't ask whether we wanted a transponder, and I didn't think to ask. I kinda think it wasn't an option. We were in Croatia last year, and there we did get one...it seemed to be automatically included.

Thank you, nhulberg. I am just planning next years trip, so this is very helpful. We want to start in San Sebastián and end in Barcelona, so our route will be a bit different but I have certainly enjoyed your recommendations and tips.