Yoga in Girona

 Often, people ask me for a nice place to practice yoga and, honestly, I can't think of any other better than my own yoga studio:

Espai ioga Girona

We offer Iyengar-style classes in a wonderful studio with great views on the river. Plus, we speak English!

Activities in Girona

 Check this web:

https://www.girona.cat/turisme/eng/index.php

Restaurants in Girona

There are so many restaurants in Girona that it is hard to make a choice, but these are my proposals.

Breakfast

• La Fabrica is a must, with delicious proposals. It's a meeting place for bikers. Be careful, thou, as the price becomes like a lunch.
• Casa Moner is a big bakery that have many shops. The quality is excellent, they serve organic bread, sweets, etc. You have one shop in c/ Ballesteries that specializes in xuixo (a local sweet), and in carrer Santa Clara you would have many more options. You can eat it.

Lunch and dinner

Always try to go for lunch, as often they have a menu for a very good price.

if you are vegetarian or vegan:

• restaurant Tofu is my favourite. It's asian fusion, and most dishes have vegetarian option. So you can go there with non-veggy friends and everybody will be happy
• take away: La carmanyola, in Plaça 1 d'octubre. Very nice tradition vegan dishes, at an affordable price. Cheaper if you bring your own tupper-ware, or you buy it there (and re-use it)
• another take away but with tables where you can eat is biodrissa in carrer Ciutadans, 11. The place is very nice, with vegetables to buy and a good offer for menu. The price is very affordable, less than 7 euros, and it's open until 9pm including Sundays. Only that the food is just ok, not as tasty as La carmanyola.

Otherwise:

• Normal, from Germans Roca. It's 5 min. away. Booking recommended.
• tapas: Zanpanzar, very closed to the apartment. A great atmosphere!
• romantic dinner: el Pati de la Veïna, in the same Ballesteries street. Very homy.
• restaurant Blanc, 5 minutes walk. Charming design and affordable price.
• Enjoy it, in Plaça Independencia. New spectacular fashionable resto, and the food is reasonably good. It's more the place than the food, thou.
• Le Bistrot, for an ambience from the past. Food is not very elaborated, but the place is great.
• just downstairs, La Terra! They offer good deals of hamburgers (try the vegan, delicious), juices and nice views on the river. Avoid it if it's too crowded, it may take a bit of time.

A walk by the sea without car

A friend of mine told me about a nice walk between two small train stations which are by the sea. The idea is to go Girona - Colera by train, walk from Colera to Llançà, and then take the train back from Llançà to Girona. The scenery is beautiful by the sea and it takes about two hours.

Colera is quite empty, while Llança is a small town with restaurants and all facilities, so you can have lunch there. Some tips:

• take sun protection, even in winter. Hats are good for your head.
• take water with you
• double-check the trains; stations are small and not all trains stop there. It's about one hour away north of Girona.

This is the link for local trains:

http://rodalies.gencat.cat/en/horaris/index.html

In wikiloc you find the gps of the route:

https://ca.wikiloc.com/rutes-senderisme/colera-llanca-25179266

You can install wikiloc on your mobile, and it makes it very easy to follow the track. You have to buy the app, but I believe it is worth.

Breakfast next morning

This is the place:
https://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant_Review-g187499-d7687976-Reviews-La_Fabrica-Girona_Province_of_Girona_Catalonia.html

Be warned the quality has a price. Take it as a lunch.
Also very nice:
https://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant_Review-g187499-d4604642-Reviews-Casamoner-Girona_Province_of_Girona_Catalonia.html
Price more reasonable. When it is full it may take time to get served thou.

A day out in kayac

I had a wonderful day with a friend on a kayac, down the river Ter- the same you see down the window of the appartment. The price is 25 euros per person, they drop you off by the river on collect you back some 7 km down, when you call them. We had a lovely picnic and a nap by the river banks. It was all quiet and full of nature.
You need a bit of a phisical shape as the river doesn't flow fast. Good excuse to fill the apetite.
This is the link:
http://kayakdelter.com/
Call them to book ahead. They may work also out of season.

Bus to Cadaques

As it took me 10 minutes and I found it by chance in the end, here you have the link:
http://compras.moventis.es/es
It seems that you have to go to Figueres first. There used to be one bus from Girona, but I can't find it any more.
It takes 40 minutes to Figures by train, and then 1 hour the bus.

A great place for beers: El primer glop

They know their business: beer! And also they are very friendly and happy to recommend. A weekly choice of beer in dispensers.
Carrer de la Barca, 23, 17004 Girona Get there

3 stars ice-cream

The well-known cook of Celler de Can Roca has a magic place in Girona with awasome (different) ice-creams, and the price is reasonable: Rocambolesc see the map

Take away catalan food

If you want a taste of our food at very affordable prices, and eat it at home while watching the river, do go to El mercadal (see map, just 5 minutes from Riverside). I go there when not in mood for cooking, not a rest either.

Shops to visit before they put a Zara

I love Girona, and I love visitors. But I am sad to see how many things that make our city different get swipped by the new times of mass tourism. Or not even tourism, just this modern thing of making all shops the same in all the world.
There are two shops in Girona I recommend you visiting before they sell the place. Both are obviously off fashion, and they owners don't seem to bother. Both are new Plaça del Vi, the City Hall:

Queviures Moriscot: two brothers will look at you very souspisiously. They are sure you are going to steal something. Half of the shop is closed to normal visitors- only for known customers. The other half is in half darkness to save money. They have an unbelivable set of wird goods, things you would never suspect they existed. Be nice and buy something.

He sells furniture made of wood, but the shop is so packed that there is barely space for him, much less for a customer- I've never seen anyone. He keep sitting there for hours and doesn't like pictures. He reminds me of a crab in a shell.

Biking to the sea

A great idea is to rent a bike to ride to the sea. There is a green path very well built that follows the track of an old rail way. It goes from Olot to Girona, and from Girona to Sant Feliu. It is very well marked and easy to follow. Here are the links:

• Olot-Girona
• Girona-Sant Feliu

A great idea is to avoid the return by taking the bus back. Teisa serves all these destinations. Olot is up the mountains, so you probably will want to take the bus there and ride down, while Sant Feliu is great all the way down to the sea, a paella and then a peaceful return with the bike on the bus.
A place to rent a bike very near the apartment is Girona Cycle Center. They are very good professionals, they rent any type of bikes and qualities.
Another idea is to use an electric bike: burricleta. Unfortunately they are not in Girona but if you have a car they have rent them in very nice surroundings, about 40 minutes ride from Girona.

A walk from Girona- Castell de Sant Miquel

So you need to burn a bit of those calories eagerly earned in the restaurants? This is your walk! I propose you the walk all gironians do on Sunday Morning. About 1 hour away by food, a little stepy but once there the views are wonderful. In 10 minutes you leave the building of Girona away to get into the vegetal gardens of Sant Daniel, and 10 minutes later you get to the forest. Well marked and straigh forward, if you get tired just turn.
Take water, up there there is no shop.
How to get there
Star from Basilica Parroquial de Sant Feliu, take Carrer Barca (North) to Plaça Sant Pere. On the right starts Carrer de Sant Daniel. Walk on, follow the river (cross it to the right to avoid cars) and eventually you will find the sign for Castell de Sant Miquel. Even if you get lost it's nice, and you may find the restaurant El Cul del Mon which is very nice too (he is a cousin (just kidding)).

The sea!

Girona is not far from the sea yet it is hard to get to there, and even more to beautiful place a bit away from massive tourism.
So the proposal is to go to Colera. It is about one hour North of Girona, near a natural park. Be warned:
- buy your picnic before you go (and water), as you won't find much over there.
- not all trains going North stop there, only every 2 hours. Don't miss them!
This is the timetable:
http://www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/rodalies/?newLang=en_GB
Source: Girona Destination: Colera

A bath in a lake Banyoles!

You don't need to go to the beach to get refreshed! Banyoles has a quite large lake (for Catalan standards) and is just 30 minutes by bus. The village itself is quite nice, and then the lake is 10 minutes away. It is very nice to walk around, and there is a special place for swiming. Picnic recommended.
It's very easy to get there by bus:
https://www.teisa-bus.com/en/index.html

From: Girona To: Banyoles Depart Stop: Girona Jutjats ( 5 min from apartment, just cross the bridge)
Check well the return not to get stuck there!

Medieval Village- Besalú

Besalú is a charming village not far from Girona, full of stone roads, bridges... and well, a few tourists too.
It's very easy to get there by bus:
https://www.teisa-bus.com/en/index.html

From: Girona To: Besalu Depart Stop: Girona Jutjats ( 5 min from apartment, just cross the bridge)
Check well the return not to get stuck there!

Dalí Museum in Figueres

"A true painter is one who can paint extraordinary scenes in the middle of an empty desert. A true painter is one who can patiently paint a pear in the midst of the tumults of history." Salvador Dalí

 If you love paintings, you must go. If are tired of visiting museums... you have to go anyway. Dalí was a genius and made sure that everyone would know, and the museum is very easy and pleasant to visit, even for those who, like me, get asleep after half an hour in a museum.
Here are the links.
You need to take the train from Girona to Figueres:
http://www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/rodalies?newLang=en_GB
Source: Girona Destination: Figueres
Just check well the timetables (and return). You'll buy the ticket at the trainstation.
And buy the entrance of the museum. Specially in summer, tickets may be sold out:
https://www.salvador-dali.org/serveis/en_entrades/?servei=IIN

Casa Masó

This is my first museum of the blog: the local architect Rafael Masó also made the building I live, and the beautiful Casa Masó shows the place like it was a century ago. Just 20 meters away.
Web: http://www.rafaelmaso.org/cat/index.php

Map of Paris

For some reason, about a century ago a local painter painted a map of Paris on the arch of a building, in Les Rambles. So if you get lost in Paris, come and check.

Old-time shop

It's a miracle but it's still there: packed with old wine, cans, spices... and the owners, two unfriendly brothers, will look at you as if you are going to steal them the whole shop. Don't get nervous, take your time. And please buy something, in a few years there will be a stupid clothes shop in there.
At the begining of Carrer Ciutadans.