It is not the prettiest day today, unfortunately. We’re geared up in our rain jackets and umbrellas, but we are hoping to dance around the raindrops as today we will be wandering all over the city, visiting some of the more interesting (to us) museums.
We begin our touring with our wall walk – hey – we are going to the Cathedral first anyway, so might as well get there on the walls. We come out a little before the actual cathedral (we got turned around at the tower), but no worries, we just thread our way through the winding cobblestone streets and alleys until we appear at the foot of the cathedral stairs. Up, up, up we go – to a virtually empty cathedral where we buy our combo tickets for here, the Basilica and the art museum next door.
Surprisingly enough, we’ve not been here before. On our first visit to Girona, we simply came in for lunch after a morning in Figueres. We simply walked around the town, saw enough to know we really wanted to come back….and, well, finally did! So the Cathedral is all new to us – and as all these old European paeans to religion are – amazingly over the top. Not to say it isn’t astonishing and beautiful, with those high soaring arch trusses holding up the roof, the embellished chapels, many with more gold than you can shake a stick at – and one with a rather disturbing representation of Jesus after the cross.
Built between the 11th and 13th centuries (that’s how big it is!!!), it is said to the be 2nd widest church in all the world – only St. Peter’s Basilica is wider. Hmmm…..
Happily, though, we wander all around the nave, looking at the chapels, spying the back of the holy chair where the Bishops sit and taking too many pictures of the altar – oh and the fabulous stained glass windows! One of which is from the 21st century with a very modern pattern (why you ask? Don’t! We don’t know!!!).
After our visit we wander through the gift shop (the only way out – of course – just like the airport – don’t miss a chance to force you to shop!!!), looking at some really cool masks and umbrellas fashioned after the new stained glass window. But we pass – we sure don’t need more masks – or more weight from umbrellas! Cold weather traveling is tough on weight restrictions. As we start to leave, we see it is a monsoon outside. Bummer! We wait it out in the little vestibule off the gift shop – and lo and behold – the rain begins to subside. Yay. So we trundle off with our umbrellas, which we only need for about 5 minutes, in search of the Basilica Sant Feliu.
The directions say it is in front and to the left of the cathedral stairs – you can see it clearly. Finding the entrance door is yet another thing entirely. Following Google maps (our first mistake) we circle the basilica tower and come out on the back side of what was probably originally the main entrance. There are stairs leading up to the traditional large double wooden doors – but no signage, no entrance fees, no nothing. And the doors are solidly locked. Hmmm.
Reconnoitering at the foot of the stairs, we actually stumble upon this cool restaurant that is devoted to Bruce Springsteen and the E street band. All the food is named after songs, there are pictures of the Boss everywhere, and it looks totally fun. Unfortunately, it is only open at night – and closed on Wednesday (today) – so that ends that. Bummer! But it does shed some light on the password at the cute little café where we had cappuccino yesterday! nosurrender. Ok – no we get it. We don’t know the Boss connection….but it is surely here.
Since the Basilica is perplexing us, we decide to skip it for now and move on to our next conquest – the Archeology Museum located in the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants. And while the archeological displays are interesting – the actual monastery itself is more the star. Most likely founded in the 10th century, it was occupied by Benedictine monks until the 1835 expulsion, becoming a museum in 1846 – the oldest in the Girona area. The architecture, gardens and courtyards are just incredible, and the pictorial history displayed fascinating. Still today you can feel the old world culture and ways that were embedded all those years (and centuries) ago.
Making short work of the museum, we move on to the Arab baths – which are right around the corner, past a lovely overgrown river/moat type area. The baths were built in 1194 in the Romanesque style of so many at the time. Supposedly they were built in an effort to improve the hygiene of the Girona populace at the time. Regardless, they are completely picturesque. You can imagine yourself in the hot room and cold room, dipping into the center bath under the arches. The cold rooms are cool – ok – literally – but that’s not what we mean – the way they are cooled, with star and circle shapes cut into the rock ceilings to let the brisk air inside. How did they come up with all this engineering? Amazing.
There are some really nice archeological displays here too and cut-aways to show where the water came into the baths, how it warmed – or cooled – the rooms. Outside the baths, there is a walkway atop the last room that gives great views of the Cathedral – and that ever elusive Basilica. Damn it, we’re going to figure out what’s going on with that Basilica if it kills us!
Which is exactly what we do – by default mind you, but still! After leaving the baths, we wander our way back toward the front of the cathedral area, and lo and behold, there are signs for the Basilica. Ok – forget Google, follow the signs! And, yep, there it is, the entrance to the Basilica, just waiting for us, tucked away in a little corner in the side of the bell tower area. Sigh. Google.
Confusion aside, this was so worth finding. The first cathedral in Girona, dating from the 500s, it was the city’s cathedral until the 900s. The chapels are beautiful, adorned with marble and gold leaf. It’s not as immense as the current cathedral, but maybe more beautiful in its size and shape. The artwork is impressive as well – and here there is a chapel for Sant Narcis, the patron saint of Girona. Here we finally see a depiction of the flies that saved Girona in a huge painting next to the chapel. All right, finally, the flies!
It’s getting on lunch time when we are done with the Basilica. We’re in a completely different part of town, but decide we’ll just wander to find a place to eat. It’s more local and commercial here, which should bode well for good, cheap eats. And, indeed, it does. One off the first places we come to is La Terra, a little restaurant with a nice seating area (although, horrors, we’re inside) and a good menu. We manage to grab a table away from most people (but everyone here is very mask compliant, so at least there is that) and sit down to a great meal of salad with tuna and a jamon bocadilla. Yummy. And perfect for our afternoon repast.
Once finished, we head back into the old city to continue on our museum tour, circling back around past the illusive Basilica entrance and on up the Cathedral stairs to the Art Museum, which is a combination ticket with the Cathedral. It is a nice museum, but it doesn’t really hold our interest as we wander through displays of Romanesque and Gothic art. There are a few intriguing pieces, a ceramic box that looks like a wooden chest, a restored fresco, bas relief carvings, etc.
I’d say we are getting museum’ed out, but our next stop is the City History Museum, which is far more interesting. Here, on the site of a former Capuchin monastery, the museum depicts the evolution of the city. From the first human remains found in the area to the transition to democracy after the Franco dictatorship, there are tons of exhibits with everything from slabs of mosaics to Roman carvings to a totally realistic diorama depicting the civil war. For us, a much better experience. Including the carving of the really odd animal hanging on a column. I don’t know what it is, but it is oddly appealing in a creepy kind of way…I’m thinking it will be my next pottery project. LOL.
From here, we cross the river Onya, finally using the Iron Bridge – Eiffel’s creation before the tower in Paris. Great views abound up and down the riverfront as we make our way to our last stop – The Cinema Museum. This 3-story facility is one man’s collection of movie memorabilia and photographic equipment. It is essentially a step-by-step history of the evolution of moving photography.
You start with medieval time props, like magic lanterns and camera obscura, even a poster that shows how to make shadow animals. Then you move into the 19th-century movie making process with more cameras and equipment than you can even imagine. It is so fun to wander around, trying out different old cinema graphic equipment (and then copiously cleaning our hands!), and just incredible to think this is one person’s personal collection of stuff. Wild.
Museum day done, we walk back across the river to the apartment, stopping for a drink at the little restaurant where we had dinner our first night, then in for the afternoon and evening to organize for tomorrow and eat our left-over sausage, esparragus blanco and bread for dinner. What a fabulous way to end our stay here. And next…..our reunion with the Azamara Quest – after 19 ½ months!
Andiamo 