On my travels again, Hola Girona!

 While a week at home may seem like ages, it actually flew by, and before I knew it I was back in the air and heading to Girona, Spain. My destination was actually Barcelona, but doing a bit of research before hand I figured Girona would be a nice gentle way to start the trip.

Getting to Girona was easy, I caught the train to Bournemouth, where there's an airport bus that picks you up from the train station and drops you outside the airport doors. That was brilliantly easy! (I'm used to doing Heathrow or Gatwick where I've got the route and methods memorised. Using a smaller less well known airport made me a tad nervous, but it all turned out fine. Just remember that there isn't as much to do in Bournemouth airport as there is in Heathrow!)

It was a short flight, and when I say short flight I think I only had time to read the magazine before we were already landing in Girona airport. I didnt even pay much attention to the screaming kids and feelings of being like a sardine in a can (but thats what you get with Ryanair, squished in but usually the cheapest by far!)

There are frequent busses to many destinations from outside the Barcelona/Girona airport, and they are cheap too, just 3 euros to Girona. (Price was correct at the time) Within a couple of hours I'd gotten to Girona, checked into the hostel and started exploring. The few hours when you arrive somewhere is usually just trying to get your bearings and work out what's good and what's not. Its also a good time to make a mental note of roughly where the main area you want to visit is going to be, like the town centre for example. Also good idea to just take stock of transportation links too, especially if you're staying further afield. Also, a bit of rambling around helps you discover some good places for photos too!

A good first stop is always the local religious centre, (one thats open for visitors, don't just wander in somewhere and start taking photos, particularly Mosques and Synagogues where not only is there active worshipping taking place, but also cultural difference may cause problems, genders segregated, certain style of clothing required etc) Girona's Cathedral is beautiful, but has an almost fortress feel to it. Its also quite dark inside, which contrasts the shining stone the outside is made from. Its also got a lovely set of cloisters, which seem a world away from the bustling entrance!

Make sure you spend some time looking at the beautiful stone carvings in the cloisters, it's by far the best bit about the Cathedral, and it seems to be skipped by a lot of the tourists visiting.

I loved these two angels, whispering to each other. Presumably about the infidels wandering around their Cathedral!

Tickets for the Cathedral at 12 Euros, and include an audio guide. There are cheaper tickets available, but the 12 euros is a combi ticket, which includes the art museum and Basilica of Saint Felix. Stay tuned for the next part, because if a painting of the virgin Mary spraying breast milk into a bishops eyes is your thing, then you're going to love it. And if its not your thing, you're still going to love it!