Girona

Although we visited two picturesque towns along the Costa Brava between Barcelona and Girona and had a meal at a Basque restaurant overlooking the river (where both the food and wine were subpar), my lasting impression of the day was seeing the cathedral in Girona, which is approached by climbing eighty-six steps and has a dark, pointed stone vault that is as wide and tall as I’ve seen. The attached cloisters (click on Photos under Meta to the left) were particularly beautiful, and when we emerged from the cathedral, I began to appreciate the charming spaces, narrow streets, and gardens in the old part of the city in a new way. We didn’t see Lance Armstrong, though.