We went to Girona to watch the Champions League match between Girona and Arsenal. It’s quite a long drive so we decided to have a stopover on the way there and back to split the journey.
First stop was L’Ametlla de Mar, a small fishing town in Costa Dorada, Catalonia. On reflection, stopping at a coastal town in January wasn’t the best idea, as we found that most of the restaurants were closed because it was off-season. The town has a nice harbour and some interesting murals. We stayed at Hotel Bon Repos which was a really nice hotel, with comfortable rooms, great walk in shower, large soft towels, comfy bed and nice self-serve continental breakfast.
We had been to Girona before so didn’t do the touristy things like walking along the city’s medieval walls, the Passeig de la Muralla, visiting the cathedral, etc. As mentioned above, our main reason for this trip was to go to the Champions League match and we booked it at quite short notice, so it was difficult to get a hotel room. We landed up staying at the Ibis on the outskirts of the city – a walk of 20 minutes or so to the centre.
We had a nice lunch at Cafe Le Bistrot in the old town. Their menu del dia is good value and the food very tasty.
If you are a football fan and find yourself in Girona on a match day, it would be well worth trying to get a ticket – the Girona FC website allows you to check availability, select your seats and get the tickets emailed to you immediately. Estadi Montilivi is a small ground with a great atmosphere, about half an hour’s walk from Girona town centre. Stop off at ½ Kmi-bar, popular with home supporters but welcoming to away fans, on the way to the ground, less than 10 minutes walk away. Their sandwiches are very popular and many people buy them to take to the game. The bar has seating outside and inside.
Our third stop was Tarragona. We had been here before, in 2009 and had forgotten what a nice town it is. There’s the Roman Amphitheatre, built in the 2nd century, and the cathedral. Or you can just wander and explore the narrow cobbled streets and sea front.
The Central Market in Tarragona on Plaza Corsini is well worth a visit with lots of fresh local produce on offer. Stop for a coffee, beer, glass of wine or cava at Xiringuito de Mercat, a popular little stall where you can also have some tapas, sandwiches or menu del dia. Even better, it is open till 9pm! This is unusual for central markets in Spain which usually only open till around 2pm. There’s also a good little outdoor market selling clothes etc at bargain prices on Tuesdays and Thursday till 2pm.
We had a nice meal at Filosofia in the old town. The burrata salad with mango and honey mustard dressing was just amazing – the nicest salad we’ve had for a while. Gourmet burgers are their speciality and they were nice but not wonderful, and unless you like your burgers really pink, ask for them well done. The medium one was far too undercooked for me!