Spain – August 2021

Girona is only a 1.5 hour train ride away from Barcelona and there are direct connections from Barcelona Sants as well as Paseo de Gracia. As I am staying in the city centre, I take the train at 9am from Paseo de Gracia and enjoy the light breeze from the aircon on this hot August morning. I watch the suburbs of Barcelona and small Catalonian villages pass by and arrive in Girona at 10.30am. A short walk later, I am crossing the bridge leading to the Old Town and get a first glimpse of the colourful stone buildings the city is built of.

On the hunt for a coffee, I stroll through the cobblestone streets and alleys. Here and there a small square pops up, but most of the cafeterías are still closed. I finally decide to head back to the main tourist street called Rambla de la Llibertat and drink my Café con Leche. With fresh energy I am ready to tackle the famous old city wall towering on a hill above the city. Walking up the maze-like alleys I reach the University building from where I access the stone wall via a modern bridge. The view from Torre del General Peralta is already amazing and I can’t wait for what’s to come.

Though I am already sweating in the scorching summer heat, I continue to walk up the hill towards the next tower. At least the high outer wall and pine trees provide some shadow and make the walk bearable. Once I reach the Torre de Sant Domenèc, I climb up the spiral staircase for a 360° view of the city and the lush green hills behind the wall. With no shadow in sight, I take a couple pictures and quickly make my way back down. The next part of the wall reminds me a bit of the Water Gardens of Dorne from Game Of Thrones. But isn’t the location in Girona which was a set for the famous series – stay tuned to read what was.

By now my sense of adventure has set in and I follow my instincts which lead me to the outer wall with huge trees growing in its shadow. I finally take a break and relax on a stone bench and,  listening to my current audiobook, spend the hottest hours of the day in the shade observing the number of big houses set in the hills. After refilling my water bottle at a fountain, I decide to tackle another part of the old wall overgrown with  bushes and big trees. This section is in a much worse state than the parts I have walked before. However, in my opinion this just adds to the charm of the place.

Finally having enough of climbing walls, I head back to the Old Town quarters. There I find the Cathedral de Girona with an impressive staircase, which served as an exterior set for the Great Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing. I continue to walk the winding alleyways of the old Jewish Quarter which the makers of Game Of Thrones used to depict the streets of Braavos. The tall stone buildings with pretty window covers and colourful flowers really make me feel like I’ve travelled back in time. But then my grumbling stomach takes me back to reality. I pass a lot of cute Cafés but I have set my mind on drinking a big cup of refreshing Bubble Tea from a shop I’ve seen in the centre before.

With a milk tea in my hand I head to the station to catch a train back to Barcelona. But taking a little detour before I leave, I stumble upon the Plaza de la Independencia. The big square is lined with beautiful buildings housing restaurants on their ground floor. The gorgeous archades are reserved for walking and make for a stunning photo opportunity. Wishing to stay longer, I finally continue my way to the train station.