Killing time in medieval Catalonia

Trip Start Sep 12, 2006
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Trip End Sep 08, 2008


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Flag of Spain  , Catalonia,
Sunday, August 24, 2008

The 24th of August was a day I was not looking forward to.  It was the last time I'd see Ania until early 2009, as she was heading back to Poland to study and I was heading home for the first time in two years.  Her flight back to Wroclaw left Girona airport, 90km north of Barcelona, around midday.  I had a flight from the same airport some six hours later, to Granada in Andalucia.  I was catching up with friends in London later in the week so I figured a couple of days in the south of Spain would be a nice way to spend the time.

Girona airport was one of the most horrible airports I'd seen - small, dirty and crowded.  On the other hand, the medieval town of Girona just 12km away was supposed to be worth seeing, so I decided to go and have a look in the time I had free before my flight.  I only had carry on luggage with me so I figured it wouldn't be too hard to get around.

I arrived soon after midday and made my way for the centre of town, huddled in multicoloured confusion on the banks of the Riu Onyar.  It was an interesting sight, quite unlike any I'd seen in Europe.  The apartments were almost spilling onto the river, with the majestic Cathedral lording it over the rest of the town.  I was pretty hungry by this stage, and went for a wander through the narrow streets of the medieval Jewish district in search of some food.  Surprisingly, not one single restaurant had one vegetarian item in their menu!

I continued on up to the huge cathedral which offered amazing views out over the town.  It was an impressive sight.  Despite feeling a little strange without Ania, and starving in the 30 degree temperatures I was still able to appreciate the place.  I then made my way back down the hill, over the river and into Placa Independencia where I was able to find a toasted sandwich.  I was glad to finally be able to rest, as my luggage felt quite heavy after an hour and a half of wandering round.

After lunch I went for another walk, taking in a few sights in the northern part of the town.  These included the Collegiate Church of Sant Feliu, Passeig Archaeologic and the University district.  By 3pm I'd had enough, remembering how solo travel could get a bit boring at times, so I made my way back out to the airport for my flight.  Although things weren't really in my favour for an enjoyable visit, I'm glad I did make the effort to leave the airport and see the place.  It was a little corner of Catalonia very different to Barcelona.
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