Gayle and I spent a pleasant few hours in the Village of Peratallada. We came here from Pals,…read morewhich in some ways is more charming. We wandered the many streets, enjoyed a delicious lunch at La Corte, toured the castle in the center of town, and did a little shopping in the central "pedestrian mall". I would tend to agree with another reviewer that coming here in the evening might be a more "magical" experience, as it's cooler and the town probably "lights up" rather nicely. There's also a cultural difference at play, in that some Americans like to eat lunch then shop after that. However, in Spain that's siesta time, with most shops being closed. It's easier to dine and shop in the evening.

Located near the city of Forallac, this cool little town is a must stop. Basically its sort of a…read moregiant outdoor pedestrian mall dotted with tons of eateries and shops. The town itself dates back as far as 1000's when the castle at the center of town was built. From the outside the Castle is an imposing structure with its battlements and its walls. The whole town during medieval times was surrounded by walls and a moat (the moat and most of the walls still stand today. The streets are like a maze and its fun to simply wander about looking at the walls, the plants, and the shops that dot every street. Even the pathways have the ruts from countless centuries of horse and wagon traffic. The name itself is a nod to the rock that was used. Peratallada literary translates to "cut rock". If it looks familiar to you, it perhaps is because the was featured in many scenes of the 1991 Kevin Costner movie 'Robin Hood". Our visit was in the evening and it was simply fantastic. You really felt like you had gone back in time. There are tons of shops, bars and the like to stop at. We spend at least an hour in a courtyard we found drinking Rioja and eating tapas (fried peppers and anchovies were the best!). We would have liked to come back during the day but with so much to do int he area and so little time we were unable to do it. We also did not visit the castle which is now a hotel. If we come back we may consider spending a few days at the hotel as it looks quite nice. Depending on your level of interest, you can spend a few hours here or even a whole day wandering about. However, if you block out say 4 hours you will be well served. There is ample parking and the like as well.

Must be the most beautiful bridge, if you like taking snaps…read more A real tourist trap, make sure you come early, or leave it until later.

Is it crazy to write a review for a bridge? Not sure, but I'm doing it…read more This bridge is amazing. It was originally constructed in medieval times. It is the perfect way to enter the idyllic village of Besalú. Once you step on the bridge and face the stone houses, it's almost like you're almost transported into time. I was half expecting a knight to ride across the bridge or to hear a trumpet fanfare for a king or queen. This is about 45 minutes' drive from Girona. Go here. See it. Step back in time.

This truly amazing Romanesque cathedral is the centerpiece of this well preserved, living, 10th…read morecentury Catalan village. The first time I came to Barcelona I missed Girona as a day trip and now that I've been here I insist if you're in Catalonia you simply must experience this. A full day maybe two. The massive church is not just Romanesque, there are Gothic and Baroque elements. There are 8 pagan and early Christian sarcophagi (the 4th century), the recumbent Christ dates back to the 14th century by sculptor Aloi de Montbrai. It's just breathtaking. There is an admission fee, I can't remember what it was because a visit here is truly a priceless experience. It is up a steep climb but just take your time, rest a bit, climb on. Do not miss this.

A beautiful church that was once known as Girona's only cathedral up until the 10th century. It's…read morewell known for its' gothic structure, interior artwork, and slim bell tower. The church is named after and dedicated to St. Felix of Girona. I did a walking tour of Girona and the Basilica of Sant Feliu was one of the highlights. It isn't nearly as popular or as crowded as the nearby Girona Cathedral, but it still holds a great significance to the city. I did not get to tour the inside of the church, but the facade is charming enough to warrant a visit even if you don't go inside. If you're able to embark on a guided walking tour of the city, you'll learn a lot about the history of the church. Since Girona is small, most tours include the Basilica of Sant Feliu and you'll be able to walk through most of the downtown area in one day. It's worth a stop and at least a walking tour if you're planning to explore Girona.

Ever wish you could travel in a time machine? Walk the 9th century walls of Girona and it might…read morefeel like you've stepped back in time. I've developed a fear of heights in my old age, but that only meant it took me longer. There's no charge (!) for this amazing historic site, you really want to spend a few hours strolling (and climbing). Make sure your phone or camera has a full charge.

Walking around the old city area of Girona was one of the highlights of our Barcelona trip, and…read morewalking on the old city walls was the pinnacle of that experience, both literally and figuratively! The wife and I visited Girona during the off-peak season, and it was nice to be able to stroll around the picturesque old city without running into too many people. Most tourists were hanging out around the shop/restaurant part of the city and around places like Girona Cathedral. Passeig de la Muralla, the old walls, is rated on TripAdvisor as the #1 thing to do in Girona, yet it saw only a fraction of the foot traffic. Which was great for us! Girona's walls were originally constructed by the Romans, with foundations dating to possibly the 1st century BC. Much of the present-day walls were constructed between the 9th to 17th centuries. The walls offered protection from the outside and a sweeping view of the city inside. Parapets interspersed along the walls, accessible via circular stairs, offer even better views still. The walls look out loftily towards old landmarks nearby and the modern city and large park (Parc de la Devesa) behind. The walkaway on top is fairly narrow, so two people have to squeeze past each other. There are several access points to get up onto the walls, but they do require being able to walk up some stairs. The unsupervised, simple and beautiful experience is what makes a visit to Passeig de la Muralla so wonderful. Definitely worth a visit, but shh, don't tell anyone else.

Excellent service. Fresh food…read more Really nice ambiance. And the mojitos were fresh, not too sweet, and large. Glad we made this choice.

A very nice place, near the frontier of France. A little…read morecity located on the mountain. You can find beautiful villas, nice but littles beaches. Walking in this pretty city is very cool, and you can finds restaurants, bars, parks, shops (in whatever you want). It's a wonderful little city to settle down for a week or two.

We came for the 8a Get Your Guide tour of Monserrat. We met at the meet-up point (Julia Travel…read moreCenter at the Barcelona Nord bus station, in Barcelona) to checkin for our trip. We met our tour guide Jose Carlos and our driver, Gemma and were on our way. We made a stop at a local train station, exited the motorcoach, and took the scenic train up to Montserrat. Once at Monserrat, we went on a guided tour (equipped with one-ear headphones to hear our tour guide) of the Basilica, viewing the Black Madonna (included with the tour ticket) and having a couple of hours of free time to explore Montserrat with the great instructions provided by Jose Carlos. We hiked up to see the cross, took part in the four liquor tasting (provided with the tour ticket), and saw the "stairway to heaven" a block sculpture with ascending stairs to the sky (thanks to our tour guide Jose Carlos, who gave us directions to where it was...behind the buffet building!) There was an interactive museum on Montserrat ($) as well as a museum ($) with art from Dali, Picasso, just to name a few, and white tents lined the sidewalk with local vendors featuring their local cheese, nuts, and other food items. Montserrat is where you can also see and hear the boy's choir in the Basilica, but that show began at 1p and our tour left at 12.10p (maybe on another visit!) All in all, we enjoyed this scenic, history-filled tour. Jose Carlos was an excellent tour guide, and we appreciated his expertise in all of the details of this tour; Gemma, our bus driver, was pleasant and professional in providing a safe, comfortable drive to and from Montserrat. We highly suggest this tour if you are in Barcelona for a couple of days.

Beautiful monastery, located against the backdrop of the Montserrat mountain where the peaks are…read moreliterally surrounding the monastery. The Cathedral that is at the heart of this monastery is very ornate and gorgeous with classic European craftsmanship from an age gone by clearly visible throughout the cathedral. As beautiful as the monastery is, the elevated views from this location are drop dead gorgeous and worth the trip alone. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, there was a mass going on where they closed viewing of the black Madonna for the day to not be in conflict with the mass which is standard practice. So you need to keep an eye on this if you plan to visit this site. The other negative thing is that the place was slammed with tourist and I felt that the outlying buildings were completely commercialized to sell trinkets to the tourist that visit. I personally am not a fan when places of worship do this, but I do understand that this type of operation probably funds the maintenance and operation of monastery year-round and is probably a necessary evil in this case. All in all, this is one of the main attractions in the Barcelona area and should be included on any itinerary during your visit here. Opportunities to see beauty like this along with it's historical relevance are far few and in between and should be taken advantage of anytime you're given this opportunity.