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Spain—Catalonia region: June
2018
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In June 2018, my friend and fellow English teacher Rob Williams
and I went on a 3-week trip through 8 cities in 4 countries in Southern
Europe. We started in Spain
landing in Barcelona and first visited the nearby medieval town of Girona. At the end of the trip, we flew out
of Barcelona after spending 4 days there. Both cities are
located in the northeastern region called Catalonia.
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GIRONA
Girona is a city about 100 kilometers from Barcelona, has about 100,00
residents, and is located beside the River Onyar. It’s known for its medieval
architecture, walled Old Quarter (Barri Vell), and the Roman remains of the Força Vella fortress.
Girona has undergone 25 sieges and been captured 7 times. Girona is one of the major Catalan
cities.
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The
Girona Cathedral, also known as Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona. It is a Roman Catholic church and is
the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Girona. There are 86 steps to the top.
Fans of the HBO series Game of
Thrones, might recognize this cathedral as the one used by the High Septon in King’s Landing where Cerse did her famous walk of atonement.
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Scenes from Game of Thrones
filmed on the steps of the Girona Cathedral with some CGI alterations.
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Passeig de la Muralla
or Wall Walk is a walk along the walls that used to contain the ancient
city of Girona. Today you can
walk the wall and see beautiful views of the city. Here are some views from our wall
walk.
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The night we
stayed in Girona, there was a wine and food festival, so the main square
was full of people.
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BARCELONA
At the end of our trip, we stayed in Barcelona for 4 days before returning
home.
We stayed in an apartment a few minutes’ walk to Barceloneta Beach.
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The Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar (Saint Mary of the Sea) located in the
Ribera district and built between 1329 and 1383 at the height of the Aragon
kingdom’s maritime and mercantile preeminence.
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City shots walking round Barcelona
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A Barcelona food market and a snack break.
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Casa Batllό built in 1877 and redesigned by
Antoni Gaudí in 1904 is considered one of
his masterpieces.
In the design, straight lines were avoided. Much of the façade is
decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadis).
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Casa Batllό rooftop. The roof is arched and
was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur.
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Casa Milá popularly known as La Pedrera or “the stone quarry” due to its
unconventional rough-hewn appearance, is a modernist building. It was the last private residence
designed by Antoni Gaudí and was built
between 1906 and 1912. It is
still home to several families who have a lease for life at very low rent
but once the main lease-holder passes, the building will no longer be
rented.
We did a night tour which ended with a beautiful light show on the
roof. We were also lucky enough
to meet up with Kevin and Jose Amann and their kids Julian and Angie who
were vacationing in Spain. Kevin, drummer, and my husband Chuck, guitar,
are in rock band together.
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