We have just returned from an overnight stop in the city of Girona, about 100 kms north east of Barcelona.

It is one of the major Catalan cities of Spain and is know for its medieval architecture and walled old quarter. For all of you who are “Game of Throne” fans, which we are not, apparently the last series was filmed here!

 

We caught the TGV directly to Girona and it was an extremely comfortable ride!

 

 

 

We headed straight for the River Onya , which is a photographers heaven. Most pictures you see of the city are of the houses backing onto the river. Be warned……there are many more to come!

As with most Spanish cities, there is always a “La Rambla” , the main pedestrian thoroughfare filled with cafes , bars, restaurants and shops.

Of course being in Spain,we decided to skip coffee and go straight for the sangria , and OMG it was sensational, and so was the location, a smallish restaurant in the quiet medieval old quarter.

 

After a couple of refreshments , and tapas of jamon (Iberian ham) and patats bravas we headed to check out the beautiful Cathedral. It was 10 euros to enter, and no photos allowed inside, but trust us, it was magnificent. The large Gothic Nave (15th Century) is the largest of its kind in the world.

We wandered through the Jewish Quarter with it’s many steps and narrow cobbled streets.

 

 

The Jewish Quarter is one of the best preserved in the world. The narrow streets were a welcome respite from the heat which was now around 35 degrees, so , of course more refreshments were needed!

 

 

 

Of course, being in Spain meant it was obligatory to return to the hotel for a siesta before heading out for more sangria.

Told you there was going to be lots of photos of the houses!

We sat at the Place de la Independence, a lovely square surrounded by arcades and loads of restaurants. Aperitifs were partaken in the square, and Rhonda decided she needed an Aperol Spritz instead of a sangria!

Greg had his heart set on paella fro dinner, however after walking through all the back streets for over one hour, and not finding a decent place to have paella, we settled on tapas, and what a good choice it was. A music festival happened to be on that night, so whilst consuming our tapas and drinks, in a small square we were entertained by some music. We walked back along the river to take some photos at night. It is such a picturesque spot.

The next morning we checked out the Basilica de Sant Feliu dating back to the early days of Christianity.

 

Near the Basilica we stumbled across a statue of The Lioness of Girona. Legend has it , that if you touch her “ass” you will return to Girona and you will never have bad luck again, so of course when in Girona………..

 

 

Of course by this time the taste buds were crying out for more sangria, so we couldn’t disappoint them.

We needed to catch our train home at 2pm so we had to find somewhere for a quick lunch and we made another great choice. The olives as starter were sensational, and next came a platter of jamon ,sausage and cheese, together with bread laced in tomato paste and garlic (a local dish) all washed down with a cold beer or two.

We had a great time in Girona and we would recommend a visit here to everyone.

By the way, today seems to be a little cooler , so we are hoping that the heat wave is maybe over.

So it’s that time again!

Stay warm in Melbourne!

Lots of love

Greg and Rhonda.