Thursday, October 16, 2008

Girona


Day 385
Figueres to Girona
Time: 2:38:00
Distance: 39.7
Avg Speed: 15.08
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 41°59′04″N 02°49′16″E

With another four days until we need to be in Barcelona, we are riding some shorter days. Today’s goal was Girona just 40 kilometers down the road from Figueres. We got one of the latest starts of the trip – 10:45 am. Our mothers would think that we had wasted half the day.
Our route stuck to the N-11 and even though it parallels A7, a major interstate, we were passed constantly by semi trucks. Fortunately, we had a very wide shoulder and brand new pavement to pedal on. You can bet that we will be finding some minor roads now that we’ve made it to Girona.
Chris found us a room with lots of character in the old part of the city. When I say character, I mean low price and age of the building. No problem – it’s only for one night. We didn’t waste any time getting our bags up to the second floor of the building and unpacked. The city has a rich history and I wanted to get out and see it. For the rest of the afternoon we wandered randomly through the streets. I snapped a boat load of photos while Chris did a lot of window shopping.
The most interesting part of the city was the Jewish Quarter, otherwise known as the Call. The Jewish community lived there until 1492 when they were expelled by the rulers of Spain. They lived in harmony together but still apart from the other citizens of Girona. After navigating the maze of cobblestone streets and alleys of the Call, Chris and I had a very enlightening visit to the Museu d’Historia dels Jueus (Jewish History Museum). We learned about the history, culture, and traditions of Jewish communities in southern Europe. We also lingered in the green space outside the building and contemplated the complex questions raised from our visit.
Tomorrow we’ll change direction and head toward the ocean and the Costa Brava. Hopefully we’ll find awesome views and less traffic.

Hasta Jueves,
LK

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