After 2 days in Narbonne, I was getting antsy for the next town. The weather didn’t help either, it either rained or grey and windy most of the time. I used to think I would love to be sitting home and do nothing but reading or writing, but I need to be in the right mood in the right space. I felt trapped in the apartment; maybe I needed a garden?

The 1.5 hours train ride to Girona went past Gruissan and Perpignan. I was very surprised when we got to the gare in Girona. It was big, open, and very welcoming. I could feel the Spanish/Catalan warmer personality.

Girona was a frontier fortress, with one of the longest walkable medieval walls in Spain. Passeig de la Muralla is a layered system built over 2000 years, starting with the Romans in the 1st century BC.

The airBnB is in the northern part of the Old Town, just 4 min walk. Girona was famous for its Jewish community, and its Jewish Quarter remains one of the best preserved in Europe.

I can’t tell a Catalan culture, but I see Catalan being in the street signs as well as in the shops. I think the language is closer to French, some of the words seem to have a french origin when spoken out loud. French is spoken here more than English. My guess is because there is more french tourists than american or brits in Girona?

The narrow walkway from the airBnB to the Old Town is about 2 arm-length wide, just enough for a small car to go through. There are many side streets crossing the main walkway, all with stairs. There are also hidden courtyards behind doors and porticos.

Cathedral de Santa Maria de Girona was built in the 11-12th century and is famous for its widest Gothic nave in the world (75 ft). To visit the cathedral, you need to climb about 100 staircases. How do old folks go to mass, I wonder?

Old Town and its historic monuments are built on the left side of the Onyar river, and commercial buildings and residences on the right. There are several bridges to connect the 2 sides. The Eiffel bridge was built by Gustave Eiffel 10 years before he built Eiffel Tower. I personally think it’s ugly. The red color and the industrial look of the metal lattice make it look harsh in contrast to the houses on the river banks and the reflection of the houses and of the cathedral.

Each Saturday, the Farmers Market is held in the park across the river. It’s even bigger than the market at Arles. It covers from one end of the park to the other. We bought vegetables for tonight’s soup. I notice that soups are not served in restaurants here, unless it’s a big bowl of seafood soup.

Restaurants and cafes in Girona are at least 1/3 less expensive than in Occitanie. After eating French food for 6 weeks, I welcomed the mediterranean flavors. We had tapas a few nights, hung out at bars for house vermuts every night. For lunch, we frequented 365 Cafes where a chicken and brie sandwich, a large glass of pressed orange juice, a cafe au lait bombom cost us 11 €. Tapas are 2.70€ for long sticks, and 2€ for short sticks. Sangrias are 3.50€ a glass.

Of the cities I’ve visited on this trip, Girona is one place I will miss. From the taxi drivers to the cafe servers or people we stopped in the streets to ask for directions, everyone was warm-hearted.