We got up early today. Like 8:00am 🙂 Off to the train station to go to Girona! We rode on the high speed Refe train and it only took about 1/2 hour to get there.

Once we were there it was about 1/2 mile walk from the train station to the bridges that separate “new town” and “old town.” The views from the river were just beautiful! All the colorful buildings make such a lovely site to see. We loved exploring the tiny, narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter.  And there was so much lush vegetation tucked into little corners and around every turn was another picturesque site to see.



We also crossed the Eiffel Bridge. Built by Mr. Eiffel himself about 10 years before the famed tower.

We also visited the Cathedral. It such an imposing building ruling over the tiny town.

Come to find out, probably about 80% of Spain shuts down for Sunday so most shops and restaurants aren’t open. We were pretty hungry when we got there and we saw people walking down the street with a fancy pastry box. Rusty sleuthed around until he could get a good look at the name of the shop, and then off we went! And boy oh boy are we glad we did. Meet the Xuixo. Pronounced Chucho.  Heaven in a pastry. Apparently these little delights originated in Girona but are now popular all over Spain. Sooooooo good.

If you don’t photograph it, did you really eat it?  🙂

Climbing up along the old city walls is a highlight in Girona.  There are beautiful views and it’s fun to imagine what life might have been like confined to this tiny little town.

Spain has some beautiful parks and gardens. They are beautifully manicured and maintained. And we all know l have mad respect for a perfectly manicured garden. Girona’ city park was no exception!

The weather was cool and cloudy, a wonderful relief from the crazy heat. It was a fun little 1/2 day adventure! We caught the train back to Barcelona. Bathrooms in Europe are so funny! Here’s a bathroom you have to pay to use inside the train station. I totally get the paying at the outdoor public bathrooms, but inside the train station??

We didn’t have any other plans that nigtb so we decided to try a Flamenco show at the Palau de Musica de Catalana. We really wanted to see the inside of this building, which was designed by……., the same as the hospital. We originally wanted to see flamenco at a local bar in Madrid but we were too jet lagged to stay up.

The inside of the building was exquisite. The Art Nuvo style was lovely and seeming perfect for a theater. The show was a bit of a flop. The way they designed the stage for this particular performance made it so it was only visible to about 40% of the audience. So the rest of us were shifting around and craning our necks to see the stage. I think after our Mozart concert disaster in Germany and now this flamenco in Barcelona I have leaned my lesson. Cultural experiences are best in their native environment and not in a trumped up touristy way. Lesson learned.

We wandered past Ogoi, which was the Trip Advisor #1 rated gelato in Barcelona so of course, Rusty had to stop. He tried fresh mint and also mango. Rusty looooves Gelato.