Girona on Sunday

April 14.

Breakfast at the hotel: the food was plentiful and tasty, although the coffee was a bit lackluster. Still, it was all nicely laid out -- we thought placing the plates directly below the food was efficient and also a good way to keep them clean. Tres cool!

juices, fresh fruit, cheeses and hot food

pastries, lots of bread, and coffee machines

Off to explore the city we made our way back across the river and into the heart of the old city heading for the Girona Cathedral. The cathedral is visible from pretty much everywhere in town so finding it wasn't a problem. However, we got sidetracked by the lovely streets and found ourselves skirting around the cathedral walking through various gardens, climbing stairs and ending up on a portion of the medieval walls. But still unable to get to church.

along the old walls

we could see it but we couldn't get to it from where we stood

Susie stuck on the walls

But we were comforted by the fact we couldn't get lost and just kept circling round till at long last we came to our objective for the day: the cathedral of Girona. For all you nave aficionados, you'll be pleased to know that this church has the widest Gothic nave in the world and the second widest nave of any church, after that of St. Peter's in Rome. 

view of the other major church, from the steps of the cathedral

looking down the steps with the cathedral entrance to our back

Paying our entry fee we slid inside leaving the warm sunshine for the cool darkness of church. We were greeted by four models depicting the development of the church beginning with its founding as part of the Roman city in the 2nd century AD through the 11th century to its present configuration.

We strolled past the numerous chapels while I was always keeping one eye to the floor -- the ledger stones were remarkable but unfortunately nearly all of them seriously worn away.

chapel of St. John the Baptist

tomb of Cardinal Beranguer de Anglesola 

a rare ledger stone that can be easily read since it's only 200 years old

no signage but he must have been important

We then left the nave and walked out into the cloisters. More ledger stones here as well as numerous small sarcophagi and memorial plaques on the walls.

Back inside we popped into the chapel of Hope.

an unnamed cleric just turning over

Leaving the church we walked down the main steps and made our way into one of the narrow streets dotted with shops and the occasional eatery. 

I should add that what you're seeing from this vantage point dates back more than 2000 years. There were stairs here as well as a temple at the very top where the church now stands. Just thought you'd like to know.

you'll be happy to know that HBO filmed several scenes for its series Game of Thrones here

Once back to the river level we made our way to one of the main streets, in fact one we had explored the previous evening, and settled in the shade at the Hygge Cafe for a glass of cool Catalonian wine.

Eventually we lost the shade and since our glasses were empty we paid and left. Making our way back to the hotel, Susie caught sight of a restaurant she thought might be worth considering for dinner. Located in another hotel but just a block or so from our place, a quick glance at the menu and checking inside to see if we needed reservations (no), we said yes, let's give it a try. 

In the meantime it was time to get caught up on being footloose and fancy free at the hotel until our evening stroll, what the Italians always called the passegiata.

Back out in the evening we made our way over to Plaça de la Independencia, and strolled along checking out the occasional interesting shop. One in particular caught our eye, a shop that focused solely on Ecuadoran chocolate, bringing to mind Patricia's Chocolates in Grand Haven. In the center of the shop was a table filled with large covered bowls, each with a specialty chocolate, all for sampling. We tried the 70% with pistachios and ended up buying a couple of small slabs to take with us.

We returned to our side of the river and headed back to the hotel to check out the rooftop bar. We were not disappointed. We found the last hi-top table in the shade and settled back with a couple glasses of local white wine. The air was breezy and a bit cool but we thought perfect for the evening with a nice view of the cathedral we had visited earlier in the day..

A little before 8:00 pm we headed out, walking the two blocks to the restaurant Blanc. Located in the Hotel Ciutat de Girona, the place offers a light and airy atmosphere, good service and tasty food. We had grilled vegetables with a romesco sauce for a starter. Susie followed that with a salad with tuna in olive oil, an egg and a side of crisp, light focaccia like coca bread with tomato (a regular menu item in Girona). I had cod au gratin with more delicious romesco. We finished off with crema Catalana (custard in a bowl) for S. and xiuxo (shoe-shoe) for me.  We see this Girona specialty every where - a custard filled deep-fried pastry rather like an Italian bombaloni.

Next: Steve gets sick.

Train to Girona

April 13. 

The short walk from our hotel in Paris took just about a block or so to the Gare de Lyon where we could catch our train to Spain.

The Gare was jam-packed with travelers going every which way, a somewhat chaotic ebb and flow of humanity it seemed to us. Anyway, Susie spied the big board with our train platform location and before long we found ourselves searching for car no. 11 and our reserved seats. Once aboard and seated we discovered, much to our chagrin, that we were in fact in car 12! A quick seat change which fortunately did not require moving our bags and we settled in for the 6-hour journey to Girona in Catalonia, Spain.  

The train was full and one can see why reservations are required. Anyway, the seats were comfortable with plenty of legroom and the passing scenery remarkable (once we were out of the industrial part of south Paris). We did get to see BOTH the Alps and the Pyrenees, albeit at a distance of course! Still to see both mountain ranges - still with snow -- in one day was nothing short of remarkable. But then I'm easily impressed. . . 

The train dropped us off on time in Girona and we walked the short distance to our hotel. The map made it seem farther than it actually was. 

We checked in, dropped our bags and made our way back out in search of a glass of wine and something to snack on before dinner.

The Hotel Gran Ultonia.

From our hotel it was a very short walk to Plaça de la Independència, which seemed to be one of several happening spots on a Saturday evening.

the Enjoy It bar under the back portico

dedicated to the defenders of Girona 1808-1809

one of several student tour groups waiting for their tour guides apparently

We opted to sit outside at the Enjoy It bar and grab something light to eat and a glass of wine. We opted for two glasses of cool, crisp verdejo and ordered artichoke confit with a scrumptious red sauce, cabrales cheese croquettes as well as a foccacia-like bread with tomatoes. 

After dinner we left the plaça and joined the throngs of folks out for the evening passegiata (that's what the Italians would call this evening stroll). 

After stopping in a a couple of shops to pick up a few of things (sweets, a digestif and socks) we made our way to one of the classic sights in Girona, the Red Bridge over the Riu (river) Onyar.

this was one serious-looking Paris Brest

view of the Girona cathedral, which we hope to visit tomorrow

We returned to our passegiata and soon found ourselves crossing another bridge, this one much older and wider with serious art vendors.

Leaving the river and its lovely views we wended our way back toward our hotel looking for a place to eat. Just around the corner from our hotel was L'Argada Bala, la braseria de Girona and it looked promising. It was just 8:00pm (20:00) and had just opened its doors so in we went. 

We settled in and with the recommendation of our server -- born and raised in nearby Costa Brava -- we ordered a couple glasses of red wine. Susie chose a baked cod with peppers and tomato and I opted for a Paul Christopher specialty, entrecote avec frites (steak and fries). Both dinners were delicious and when Susie asked about the sauce, our server returned with a large slice of toasted bread for us to help us get the most out of the dish. And when we asked about a local digestif, she gave us each a tasting of the Catalonia specialty, ratafia. She did warn us that there were several but the one they carried was very hard to find. Coincidentally, we had bought a bottle of ratafia earlier that evening! It turned out to be a different brand, but still. . . 

Next: Our first full day in Catalonia.

Paris overnight

 April 12.

The digital Byway Journey Guide that came with our booked itinerary is easy to use providing directions for getting from each train station to each hotel (and back as well) as well as providing information relevant to the hotel's neighborhood.

For our arrival in Paris the guide directed us to use the RER train from Charles De Gaulle Airport to the Gare de Lyon in the Paris 12th arrondissement. Our hotel for the night was right across the street from the station.

The Guide also provides tips on what to see and do as well as dining options, all in the vicinity of your hotel.

Getting to the Hotel Citizen M from the Gare de Lyon.

a short walk to the hotel indeed

The hotel itself was truly a unique experience, for us at any rate. The lobby was on the 1st floor (2nd for North Americans) and consisted of a series of check-in-yourself kiosks. There were several staff to help you choose your room, set up your room key and just be there for all-around assistance. 

Like our overnight experience in Hamburg back in 2022, you needed to use your room card to access the floor stop on the elevator. Once in the room, which was quite small but efficiently laid out -- we thought rather like on a ship or a sleeper train -- we got acquainted with using the room's iPad for the climate control, lights, even the blinds and curtains were all done electronically. The bathroom was well laid out and the shower fixtures like ours at home! The bed was large and proved to be quite comfortable. It was on a platform which consisted of a couple of drawers, one with the room safe and another one with extra pillows. All quite minimalist but functional and handy. 

We set an alarm and napped for about 30 minutes before heading out for a stroll in the beautiful Parisian sunshine. 

the clock tower of Gare de Lyon and our hotel front right

Crossing the river to the Gare Austerlitz we walked along the Seine to the Jardin des Plantes, a place we have visited many times before. A calming and naturally beautiful space that helps put aside any cares of the day, relax and breathe deeply. 

Packed with tourists, families and friends on a sunny afternoon, we strolled, sat and took in the warmth, the colors and enjoyed people watching.

Leaving the gardens we walked the two or three blocks over to our old neighborhood on rue Poliveau where we lived in 2006-2007. It was nice to see most of the shops we relied on for our daily needs were still around.

From Poliveau we walked up to boulevard Saint-Marcel passing a couple of favorite restaurants on our way back to Gare Austerlitz and back across the Seine to our hotel.

Since we had a couple of free drink vouchers for the hotel bar burning holes in our pockets we settled in at the bar and had a glass of wine before ordering food. The sun was sliding downward and so were the two of us. After a delicious meal (Susie had the cauliflower soup and I had baked fish with tomatoes) we planned to turn in. But we had to pop up to the top floor bar to see the view of the city before heading off to bed.

you can just see the Seine through the window, far right

The next morning we had an incredible breakfast at the hotel: perfect coffee, mini jars of Bonne Maman, wonderful pain au chocolat and lots of bread, fresh fruit, meats and cheeses. The scrambled eggs were creamy, fluffy and delicious.

and yes all the hot foods on the left are in big Le Creuset pots!

sliced meats and cheeses

Returning to the room we finished packing up and headed downstairs to check out. Out the door, we walked the 3 minutes to the Gare de Lyon!

Next: Off to Spain!

Departure and arrival

 April 11-12.

The day began overcast and rainy and pretty much stayed that way all day -- and in Detroit, too! That would all change by the time we got to Paris.

Susie finished packing this morning (she works wonders with packing cubes) and we had plenty of time to relax before having to leave for the airport. One of our neighbors, Don Trap, took us to the Grand Rapids airport Thursday afternoon. 

After checking our bags we went through a very quiet security check -- most TSA agents were just standing around wondering where the onslaught was, I suppose. Anyway, one TSA officer did pass along his theory that most folks were burned out from the recent spring break travels.

After getting to our gate we settled in with a couple of coffees in the brand-new concourse A while we cooled our heels for a couple of hours.

genuinely comfortable chairs

lots of wide open space with work stations everywhere

Eventually we boarded the small and quite narrow Bombardier aircraft. The plane was full, the ride bumpy but we were in Detroit in about 40 minutes. Plenty of time to find our way to another concourse (via a tunnel with out of order moving walkways thank you), a distance of some miles it seemed. But we found our gate and once again settled in to await further instructions.

The plane to Detroit

The Air France flight left on time and proved uneventful. The food was not bad and the flight attendants never stopped smiling, were solicitous of those who needed an extra hand or two, and were always willing to help whenever possible. To top it off we had the whole row to ourselves! It was the second to last one in the plane, but it was all ours!

Our plane landed in Paris slightly ahead of schedule. After queuing for about 20 minutes to get through passport control -- which will be absolutely crazy during the Olympics we thought -- we located our bags. Off we went to the RER line B train station and wound up queuing again, this time to get tickets for the ride into the city. 

We got off at the Gare de Lyon and walked across the street to our hotel for the night, Citizen M. 

Next: how we handle stepping forward to the future of hospitality. . .