Girona in Spain is very Italian, if you ask me. Nobody did, but I share that opinion with everyone I meet. Bit sus.
It’s a beaut. Apparently they filmed season 6 GoT here (do we all hate that I used the abbrev.). You can reenact the shame, shame, shame scene till your heart’s content.
There are a lot of bikers here since it’s a biking hub for the area.
eat.
The food.
Apparently, there are some Michelin-star restaurants here along with a bit of a food scene. I didn’t experience that unless you count a scene where I was mighty disappointed.
I ate the wrong meal at Nimh’s. I didn’t want to get into it but I’m going to because it happened a few minutes ago and I’m gutted.
I spent my reasonable amount of time searching for good, cheap Spanish eats in Girona. I came across this place. I searched the menu online deciding already that I want meat but whether I got entrecote or bistec or a charroda I would see when I got there because I’m flexible and mysterious like that.
I decide on a meat platter. Their speciality! The menu says in Spanish and English. I order number 25. I say it in Spanish and English. I point to it. I read out the description.
After mild dehydration from salivating so much, the server hands me my chosen dish while I’m reading my book and quickly scampers away.
I look up from my book and what do I find spread out before me?
Calamares with a Russian salad.
Number 35.
My heart and gut malfunctioned at the same time nearly causing a loose caboose situation. I called the server back over. I said this wasn’t what I ordered- believe you me, I NEVER say anything when something is wrong with my dish. I could seriously have found glass shards in my meal and I wouldn’t have said a word. But this? I wanted meat. I walked ages (10 minutes) for meat. I scoured the menu for meat. She gives me a massive salad and as far as salads go, Russian salad is very low on my list of acceptable greenery.
Apparently she wrote down the wrong number, she apologized.
I said it’s okay I’ll eat it anyways. As you do.
In the end my wine was €1.90, which I truly respect as a price, but man I will remember the foul taste of that wrong meal for the rest of my life.
Everyone was shitting themselves over Rocambolesc Gelateria, which is frozen yogurt with toppings. Everyone needs to calm down. I didn’t go here because the line was too long so I don’t actually know if it was good or not.
I ate ice cream at Roli Gelateria. It was homemade goodness albeit a bit wacky with their flavours. I’m a simple gal, I like my salted caramel, dolce con leche. When you throw in some cookie crunch or something it just gets too wild for me.
I ate a pulled pork bagel at La Fabrica Girona it was yum albeit a tad too much sauce and I like my sauce.
Glad I used albeit a few times there. It speaks to how cultured I am.
cheap.
The gardens and quiet parks and spots to read are a delight in Girona.
- Jardins dels Alemanys
- Jardins de La Francesa
- Passeig arqueològic
That’s the general area of the good spots, but you may need to wander around a bit to find them.
El Call and Barri Vell are really nice areas.
Banys Àrabs (the baths) are €3 to enter, but they are VERY minimal. I think €1.50 would have been more appropriate price tag for this. I kinda love how the Romans were up in everyone’s bizness building amphitheatres, aqueducts and baths everywhere they went. I respect that.
travel.
I bought my ticket online from Barcelona Sants to Girona. €17.40 with the high-speed train (39 minutes).
On the way back I tried to buy a ticket online, it said neh. I tried the machine at the station (making sure I had the regional not domestic one) it said neh. Finally I went to the front desk and he said yeh.
For the high speed regional trains, you need to exit the station out back. There is a non-descript block of a building when you exit/ follow the signs to the high speed train. Go in through the doors and make your way down, down a few escalators
I spent the night in Girona, which was lovely but It can be done in one jammed-packed day from Barcelona if that is what you fancy.
