Hazardnc
10+ Posts
By Tracy H from North Carolina, Summer 2004
A family of four (kids ages 16 and 12) spent a week in a rental house in the Lot valley followed by visits to Collioure, France, Cadaques and Barcelona Spain
This trip report was originally posted on SlowTrav.
Arriving in Barcelona and Driving to Gerona
After a very long day of flying (we counted 18 hours including layovers) and driving, we made it to Gerona, Spain. I must say we had the most difficult time finding our hotel, Bellmirall. We drove around and around the ancient cobbled streets and ran into numerous dead-ends and one ways. Ultimately, we gave up, parked the car in a garage and walked to the hotel to get directions to the parking lot. We were all a bit irritable and very tired, but in the end, we all agreed it was still worth it.
Gerona’s old quarter, built into the side of a mountain, is one cobbled street after narrow alley after winding stairway after wrought iron balcony. Many in Catalonia consider Gerona one of the best places in Spain in which to live due to its cleanliness, vibrant university and cultural offerings.
Gerona is much more Catalan than Barcelona, so try to learn a few words before you visit. For some reason, Gerona is off the radar for most American tourists (Rick Steves does not mention it) and most of the tourists who do visit seem to be day-trippers. The province of Gerona is a popular destination for the British due to cheap flights into Gerona’s airport, so the residents are used to English-speaking visitors. American cycling legend Lance Armstrong trains for the Tour de France in Gerona, and once owned a home here.
We visited the Banys (pronounced bansh) Arab that are actually Roman baths, which were built in the late 12th century. The small museum features three separate chambers: a frigidarium, a tepidarium and a caldarium.
We saw the Cathedral with its huge nave, reportedly the largest in the world at 75 feet. We wandered the old Jewish Quarter and strolled along the Onyar River. We walked the Passeig Arqueologic that runs below the walls of the cathedral. One does not need a watch in Gerona, as there are three churches in under one square mile that chime regularly, day and night.
We had lunch under the trees on the arcaded Ramblas de Llibertat. The kids dined on delicious bocadillos con chorizo. My husband and I tasted patatas bravas (those little fried potatoes served with a spicy mayo) and pa amb tomaquet (crusty bread slices rubbed with garlic, a dab of olive oil and smeared with a cut, ripe tomato) and the famous anchovies. They were salty, but milder than what we get in the States.
After a short nap, we made a quick trip to an Internet cafe located in the heart of the Jewish quarter and then browsed the shops along the Ramblas. Later that evening, we had a nice dinner at a somewhat touristy restaurant. I loved the broad beans, cooked with bits of ham and chorizo. For dessert, the requisite crema Catalan (burnt cream or creme brulee).
Our hotel was the Bellmirall, located in the middle of the Jewish quarter a short walk from the steps of the cathedral. It is located in an old building, with narrow stairs, low ceilings and stone walls. The hotel has a tranquil courtyard where breakfast is served and where one can enjoy a coffee or tea in the afternoon. The rooms have no TV, no phones and no A/C, but are very reasonably priced. We paid 100 euro for a room for four, including breakfast. The breakfast was a generous one, featuring baskets of breads, preserves, cereals, fresh orange juice, Spanish ham and pots of coffee, tea and steamed milk. There is free parking behind the hotel in the plaza in front of the university. The Bellmiral has a website, but not email, so you must phone to reserve. Credit cards are not accepted.
Gerona was a perfect stop for the first night. We were able to get out of a big city and have a quiet place to regroup before our drive to the Lot Valley.
A family of four (kids ages 16 and 12) spent a week in a rental house in the Lot valley followed by visits to Collioure, France, Cadaques and Barcelona Spain
This trip report was originally posted on SlowTrav.
Arriving in Barcelona and Driving to Gerona
After a very long day of flying (we counted 18 hours including layovers) and driving, we made it to Gerona, Spain. I must say we had the most difficult time finding our hotel, Bellmirall. We drove around and around the ancient cobbled streets and ran into numerous dead-ends and one ways. Ultimately, we gave up, parked the car in a garage and walked to the hotel to get directions to the parking lot. We were all a bit irritable and very tired, but in the end, we all agreed it was still worth it.
Gerona’s old quarter, built into the side of a mountain, is one cobbled street after narrow alley after winding stairway after wrought iron balcony. Many in Catalonia consider Gerona one of the best places in Spain in which to live due to its cleanliness, vibrant university and cultural offerings.
Gerona is much more Catalan than Barcelona, so try to learn a few words before you visit. For some reason, Gerona is off the radar for most American tourists (Rick Steves does not mention it) and most of the tourists who do visit seem to be day-trippers. The province of Gerona is a popular destination for the British due to cheap flights into Gerona’s airport, so the residents are used to English-speaking visitors. American cycling legend Lance Armstrong trains for the Tour de France in Gerona, and once owned a home here.
We visited the Banys (pronounced bansh) Arab that are actually Roman baths, which were built in the late 12th century. The small museum features three separate chambers: a frigidarium, a tepidarium and a caldarium.
We saw the Cathedral with its huge nave, reportedly the largest in the world at 75 feet. We wandered the old Jewish Quarter and strolled along the Onyar River. We walked the Passeig Arqueologic that runs below the walls of the cathedral. One does not need a watch in Gerona, as there are three churches in under one square mile that chime regularly, day and night.
We had lunch under the trees on the arcaded Ramblas de Llibertat. The kids dined on delicious bocadillos con chorizo. My husband and I tasted patatas bravas (those little fried potatoes served with a spicy mayo) and pa amb tomaquet (crusty bread slices rubbed with garlic, a dab of olive oil and smeared with a cut, ripe tomato) and the famous anchovies. They were salty, but milder than what we get in the States.
After a short nap, we made a quick trip to an Internet cafe located in the heart of the Jewish quarter and then browsed the shops along the Ramblas. Later that evening, we had a nice dinner at a somewhat touristy restaurant. I loved the broad beans, cooked with bits of ham and chorizo. For dessert, the requisite crema Catalan (burnt cream or creme brulee).
Our hotel was the Bellmirall, located in the middle of the Jewish quarter a short walk from the steps of the cathedral. It is located in an old building, with narrow stairs, low ceilings and stone walls. The hotel has a tranquil courtyard where breakfast is served and where one can enjoy a coffee or tea in the afternoon. The rooms have no TV, no phones and no A/C, but are very reasonably priced. We paid 100 euro for a room for four, including breakfast. The breakfast was a generous one, featuring baskets of breads, preserves, cereals, fresh orange juice, Spanish ham and pots of coffee, tea and steamed milk. There is free parking behind the hotel in the plaza in front of the university. The Bellmiral has a website, but not email, so you must phone to reserve. Credit cards are not accepted.
Gerona was a perfect stop for the first night. We were able to get out of a big city and have a quiet place to regroup before our drive to the Lot Valley.