After a good night's sleep (we are in the historic part of Girona, a pedestrians-only zone, and it was *very* quiet), we returned this morning to our favorite bakery on the other side of the Onyar River, which runs through town. Three pedestrian bridges cross the river between the old part of town and the "new", so there is easy access. We had our coffees and croissants, and then roamed Girona in the quiet of the morning. Stores open about 10, and the tourism buses arrive about the same time, so it was nice to be out and about earlier.
We walked down the river a bit, then turned in toward the cathedral, which has lovely grounds of its own, plus it gives access to a walkway along the top of the old medieval city wall. The archaeological museum is in that area, too. Our plans were thwarted, however, by barricades and municipal police, and even the museum was closed. Apparently Season 6 of HBO's "Games of Thrones" is being filmed here, and the public is strictly barred from the active area. Some 2,400 extras were cast from here in Spain, and everyone is present right now, since they are mid-way through the two weeks of filming. I can't say that we've seen anyone in medieval costume roaming the streets, so I guess the cast are restricted to the set. I've never watched the series, but I might have to tune in once or twice next season! See the website if you'd like an insight into the whole affair.
With time to spare, we wended our way back to our hotel. I stopped in a handmade clothing store (beautiful textiles shaped into lovely, drapy tops and dresses) while Jerome waited patiently outside, observing the street scene. We got back to the hotel only to find the housekeeper at work. Chatting with her, we found out that the original Jewish house, which predates the three-story structure in which we are housed, still exists, and is open to hotel guests. So we went exploring, down flights of stairs into intertwined rooms at basement and sub-basement levels. It was magical, like being in our own museum. Photos are included in today's album.
We regrouped, then headed for a midday meal at Vintages, a tiny high-end restaurant with an owner-chef trained in Madrid and specializing in French-style Spanish cuisine. This turned out to be so special that I'm calling it Jerome's birthday meal #1 (ten days early: I think there will be another one or two along the way). We were there for almost two hours, a delightful experience in all ways. I am going to write it up in a separate message, for all you foodies who care about the details.
It is now late afternoon, and we are recovering. We also are realizing how unappealing a prospect it is to pack up everything tomorrow morning and get on another airplane (Ryan Air) for Sardinia. So we are cancelling those plans and staying in Spain. We are waiting to hear about changes in reservations, etc., for hotels and such, but are revising our plans to be more in sync with our energy levels. A sure sign of aging, I suppose, but we'll try for Sardinia another time.
This is long enough for now; a description of our Vintages experience will follow later, plus an update to our travel plans! Hope you are all well, and find this interesting.
