Girona, Spain

Girona is located between mighty Barcelona and the French border in eastern Spain. My guess is that most Americans have never heard of it. Yet it offers plenty of charms for visitors, and maybe that's why so tourists do stop there if they are in the neighborhood - mostly from Barcelona.

The big attraction is the old city, with a couple of large and pretty churches, and the walls that surround part of it. And don't think the walls didn't come to be handy. Over the centuries, Spain and France have been on opposite sides of conflicts, and Girona has been in the way. It's been under siege 25 times over the years, and taken seven times. Some of those walls were knocked down in part of the city so that it had a chance to grow from the central core. 

The river shown in the photo has been a big part of the city's history. Girona is where the Onyar River meets the Ter River. What happens when you are on a piece of land where rivers combine? Given enough rain, and there's a good chance of flooding. Girona has had that over the years. When we were there in 2024, the water level was quite low ... but as the photo shows, they are prepared for higher water levels.