Nomad Backpackers

On arrival, Girona, Spain immediately began to remind me of Kalamazoo, Michigan (U.S.A.) in many ways.  We got off our Ryan Air flight (20 euros per person) and Girona captivated me in an instant.  Did I mention we woke up at 4:50am, had to take a cab in Paris because the metro doesn’t begin until 5:30 am?  Oh, and Justin had a 101 degree fever.

Arriving in Girona we were able to check right into Pension Margarit -our new sanctuary. It  offered a bed and place to hang laundry.  Justin recovered from his fever, the laundry dried, and we were able to explore Girona clothed.
Falling in love with Girona was easy for me.  Four rivers total flow into the city.  We are right along Rio Onyar, with eleven (the sexy number) bridges total.  I could not imagine a more beautiful Spanish city all lit up at night, with the lights sparkling on the river.
It is romantic.  We treated ourselves to tapas and a bottle of awesome Spanish wine.  Thanks for the recommendation Pedro.  D.O. Taverna Catalana, just opened, and Pedro, a Spanish teacher from Poland spending some time in Girona  working on his Spanish and working as a server, made our evening wonderful.  Thanks again Pedro!  Best to you as a teacher, and the best to Taverna Catalana offering the best atmosphere, tapas and wine selection in Girona.

Pedro’s not the only awesome person we have met.  We have also enjoyed Marc who works at Pension Margarit, as he was so helpful, fun and friendly.  We would come back to Girona, just to hang out with Marc.
We were also able to meet Anna, an extremely talented painter.  She opened a studio about a year ago, Encant botiga-taller d’art.  She will leave for Paris, September 2009 and spend a year studying art there.  Anna, maybe we will see you in Paris?

Another great element of Girona is the city’s easy accessibility to both the Mediterranean Sea and the south of France.  I don’t remember any Roses or many flowers at all, but it turns out Roses, Spain, right on the Mediterranean, is a great place to play frisbee on the beach (with big sheep dogs running with you).  You can only play so much frisbee with Spanish sheep dogs before the urge to jump back in the car occurs.  Especially when your frisbee has been doubling as a dinner plate, dog drool quickly becomes a pressing concern.  Like magic, within a half hour, we were in the south of France enjoying some pastries on the ocean.  Our day in Spain and France has been truly remarkable, and it’s become the best part of lovable Girona.  Being so close to France, a handful of national parks, and the coast only teased me more into the fairy tale Girona has become in my heart.