Had breakfast with the few remaining trip people who were all leaving today for home. Bruce, Pam, and I took a taxi around 8:45 over to the Hertz office near the Sant railway station. Then we walked over to the garage where the cars were and down five floors to the car itself. It was a Kia SUV, but we found out the GPS didn’t work and we really needed it. So Bruce went back to the Hertz office and they gave us another car, a nice BMW. In switching our stuff from one car to the other, Bruce forgot his camera pack which also had his passport in it. We didn’t figure that out until we were already at our destination. But it all worked out since someone had turned it in to the Hertz office and we picked it up fully intact the next afternoon.
We drove to Girona using the GPS. When we got to the city and passed through the “new” part, we wound this way and that way and this way and that way over narrow streets barely wide enough for a car much less the pedestrians along the way. Arrive at Hotel Historic, which is a wonderful place. The family who owns it have bee refurbishing it for 13 years and figure there are another two to go. Old building with very modern interior finishes. Marble floors in all the hallways and stair. Showers with electronic controls in the rooms. This is the place to stay if one is going to Girona.
Got there about noon, but spent some time on the phone with Hertz regarding Bruce’s things. At 1:00, we met Tina, our Milk and Honey guide, at the Museum of Jewish History. Tina did a wonderful job giving us the full history of the Jews here and in general through the expulsion in 1492. Lots of history and facts and interesting stuff. We then walked through the streets that had been the “call,” Jewish section. Learned that Mont Juic in Barcelona as well as in Girona are ”mountain of the Jews” since they were where the Jewish cemeteries were into the 15th Century.
We saw the cathedral, another basilica, the city walls, went up and down and up and down 9,500 steps, 3.2 miles, equivalent of 18 floors by the end of the day. Crossed the river and walked through parts the new city. There is a bridge designed by Eiffel. Four-hour tour jam packed with great stuff. Bid Tina goodbye around 5:00 and walked back to the hotel. Went out again about 6:00 and down down down near the river to have dinner at La Tasca. Good food. More octopus!
To bed early … around 10:00. Montserrat tomorrow.
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