The alleys of Girona

Girona whispers in soft tones. It lures you in with winding alleys that twist like the plot of a Spanish noir, and before you know it, you’re lost. This isn’t the polished façade of modern day Barcelona. This is old stone, weathered and wise. A city built for siege and secrecy.

I cross Pont Gomez, where colorful buildings crowd the waterfront on the Onyar River, and enter the Jewish Quarter (El Call). First mentioned in the year 888, it’s one of the best preserved Jewish communities in Europe. A narrow maze where light barely touches the ground. It feels haunted, and maybe it is, by memories of lives once lived loudly before being relocated.

Carrer de Sant Llorenç.

The winding alleys of the Old Quarter (Barri Vell) are creating a labyrinth of narrow streets and courtyards that maintain the aura of medieval times. Roman roots tangle with medieval walls, and every creaking shutter feels like a wink from another century. The so-called Arab Baths have fascinating architecture with an octagonal water pool.

The walls around the city can be scaled for a great view. As I walk around up there, I think about how the walls were first built by the Romans and later expanded in the early 800s at the time of Charlemagne. It’s easy to imagine sentries once pacing here, eyes scanning the horizon for invaders. Today the only thing invading is the occasional selfie stick, but Girona somehow absorbs it all with dignity.

The steps of Sant Marti Sacosta church.

It’s no wonder HBO fell hard for the place. Girona stood in for King’s Landing and Braavos in Game of Thrones, where the landmark cathedral and its impressive steps were included together with other places.

The cathedral itself holds many treasures, including the Tapestry of Creation, dating to the 1000s and comparable to the Bayeux Tapestry for historical importance. I look up at the high ceiling, home to the world’s largest Gothic nave.

Ascending the steps of the Cathedral.

The real city can be found in the alleyways. The cracks between history and modernity where the ghosts linger, unimpressed by gelato and movie locations. But even though old stones are fascinating, don’t forget to sit down and enjoy the street life. I order a cortado with some churros, sit down on Plaça de les Voltes d’en Rosés on a wobbly chair while watching the world pass me by.

Roaming the winding streets behind the cathedral.

If you’re up for more local goodness, I dare you to try the Xuixo, some sort of deep-fried sugar-coated cylindrical pastry filled with crema catalana. This veritable bomb of sugar is said to have originated in Girona about 1920. The thing went straight to my hips, but totally worth it.

Girona slowly earns my attention. Quietly. One crooked alley at a time.