This fantastic new exhibition at the
Fontana d'Or in
Girona shows how
Miró the artist and sculptor collaborated with a young filmmaker,
Portabella to illustrate the creation of some of the most emblematic pieces of art of the 20th century.
Miró was a creative genius in several formats and here we see him working on painting windows for a temporary exhibition, other creations made into massive wall hangings or cast into 1,000 kilo bronze sculptures.
His work is a pleasure to view as there is always something unexpected to be discovered. As an aside, one of his largest wall hangings was on display in the foyer of the twin towers on fateful sep 11,2001 and he refused to make another.
Portabella captures these creative sessions perfectly, usually letting the craftsmen themselves express the process or just standing back for us to enjoy what could be a wonderful theatrical set.
Impressive in scale and ambitious in intent this exhibition is a treat, filmmaking as visual art, literally.
On from May 6th to August 29th 2010.
Posted via email from gironaJ
This weekend is full of activities as well as the Flower festival, a more sporting event is the
10km and
half marathon road races which are annual staples around the centre of
Girona.
Road running is very popular here, and like the professional cyclists have discovered, Girona is a perfect place for most sports in terms of weather and interesting terrain. All ages join in these runs with many schools and clubs participating which makes for a wonderful atmosphere both along the streets and between the participants.
Todays half marathon was won in a time of 1hour 4min 34 by Mohamed Ben Barka of Barcelona which was just outside the course record.
Several thousand people are feeling tired but happy as they head off for lunch with their families and friends this sunday, well done everyone!
Posted via email from Discover Girona
Girona Flower Festival 8-16 th may
The 55 th Temps de Flors has begun and if today's crowds are any indication, this will be the best attended yet.
The Old Town of Girona is decorated with flowers including patios and gardens never usually open to the public as well as important buildings, churches and of course the Cathedral steps and cloister.
Even local businesses join in the spirit and include flowers in their displays or shop fronts.
Some displays are subtle and visually provoking, others a bit obvious and garish but there is plenty for everyone of all ages to enjoy and the atmosphere in town is truly festive so come and join in!
Posted via email from gironaJ
Spring weather is as fickle as ever this year but a trip to visit a
Bodega (winery) in the
Empordà is always a good option since the worst that can happen is that you get stuck in a cellar with plenty of wines to taste while you watch the rain come down in the vineyards.
If the sun shines this is a glorious time to wander around the countryside as everything is growing furiously and the shades of new green are startlingly vivid. After all this activity, or maybe in spite of it, a glass of cool white or rosado wine does wonders for looking at life in a more positive vein. Follow this with a selection of reds, some young and fruity and some with oak ageing and by the time it comes to taste the dessert wines things are positively wonderful.
Having activated the taste buds and got the saliva flowing the only possible follow up is a wonderful meal at a nearby restaurant with fresh fish and lamb with wild herbs dishes that seem to be particularily appreciated, washed down with a choice of wines, of course.
By now it is completely normal to feel a bit satisfied and even drowsy so either another walk is needed to explore some of the prehistoric burial sites which dot the area or it's time to have a doze in the back of the van for the ride back to Girona. Either way it's a day of pampering oneself with tastes, flavours and experiences that make visiting this part of Spain a fantastic experience.
Day tours to wineries in the Empordà inc all transport, tastings and lunch cost 125€/person, groups of 4-8 people.
Posted via email from gironaJ
What a storm!
According to news reports Girona province was the worst affected in Catalonia and for the record books this was the most snow locally since records have been kept!
Today, day two, and so far it has been clear and sunny which means the great thaw has set in with problems switching to drains and rivers overflowing. At least 200,000 people are still without electricity and the trains are not running yet. Other obvious damage was mainly to trees where branches fell under the weight of the wet snow and electricity pylons are also down as we had high winds all night long.
My son came back from an afternoon of sledding down the steps of the Cathedral which he rated as more fun than going to a ski resort and my big regret was not taking some pictures as I only heard about it afterwards…
Like the miners strike in the UK in the 1970's when the power was cut every evening we may see a mini baby boom here in Girona although we may need a few more nights to really get in the mood!
Posted via email from Discover Girona
Just when we thought spring was on its way, the worst snowstorm for 25 years hits
Girona, that's global warming craziness for you!
Schools closed, shops and businesses too and Girona seems like a ghost town except for the sirens of the emergency services and kids shouting with pleasure having snowball fights. Train station and airport shut down and many people stuck in mid voyage with waiting their only option.
The forecast is for the snow to continue most of today Monday but by tomorrow the sun will be out again and this will just be a white memory, a fun one for schoolchildren and not so great one for those trying to complete trips.
All you people from countries where snow is a normal part of winter can have a laugh at how 10 cms of snow can reduce a place to complete paralysis in a few hours, meanwhile we will get even again when we are walking around in short sleeves in a few weeks time!
Posted via email from gironaJ
For anyone that has visited
Girona recently, and especially by train, you cannot have failed to notice the major construction works that are going on all around the station. From the elevated train platform you get a great view of the works which will eventually connect
Girona to
Madrid and
Paris via high speed train in some 4 hours.
The works going on in
Girona are to build an underground station below the current one for both the
TAV (Tren de Alta Velocidad) and later on conventional trains as well.
Why, you may ask, are they spending all this time and money putting a new station in the centre of Girona instead of 12 kms out of town at Girona airport for example, where car parking would be easy and no major tunnelling works would be needed? This is a complete mystery to me but knowing how things work in Spain I assume that the "powers that be" are behind it for ego as well as financial reasons…
Anyway, those that live in the centre of town will be inconvenienced for the next 2-3 years but hopefully Girona will become an even better connected and easier to visit city in the future!
Posted via email from gironaJ
Vacation rentals in Spain (villas, farms, cottages, apartments)
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> SlowTrav > Spain > Vacation Rentals > Reviews > Catalonia
Review 3719: Owner, Rose Condo (#74164)
www.vrbo.com
 Recommended. Review by CMM from OR
2bed/2bath apartment in Girona, Catalonia
When
June 2008, One week
Location
The Rose Condo is located on the top floor of a small apartment building in the heart of Girona’s old town, very close to the river. We loved the area. Very lively, with lots of restaurants and shops, but not a lot of noise at night. There is no dedicated parking spot, but we never had trouble finding parking near the apartment.
Nearby Amenities
There are small grocery stores within a hundred meters or so, and larger ones within half a mile. Countless restaurants, bakeries and artisanal helado stands within easy walking distance.
The House/Apartment
The building is old but has been modernized and is in fine shape. There is a lift that functions perfectly. The building itself if very quiet, but it is quite close to the elevated RENFE train tracks. The train noise did not bother us in the least; to the contrary, our two boys derived endless pleasure in trying to figure out what types of trains were passing by and where they might be headed. The only other noise “issue” was from the myriad of church bells, which of course is to be expected when one stays in the old section of any European city.
Garden
There is a small balcony overlooking the river but no usable area outside the apartment itself.
Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas
The furniture was in good shape and comfortable. The apartment was very clean and there was plenty of seating for all.
Bedrooms/Bathrooms
The double bed in the main bedroom upstairs was quite comfortable and the bedroom small but cozy and had drawers for our clothes. The smaller downstairs bedroom (with single bed) was also very nice, but we really didn’t use it much. Our two boys (6 and 8 years old) opted to share the futon in the loft above the living room. The main bathroom upstairs is modern and spacious and met all our needs; there is also a smaller one downstairs that was more than adequate.
Kitchen
The kitchen was small but well-appointed. It was fine for preparing simple meals in the evening. Plenty of dishes and glasses that were of good quality (IKEA, as I recall). We particularly appreciated the fully operational dishwasher.
Problems or Bonuses
Only good ones. The apartment and the location were even nicer than we expected. And we loved Girona and the surrounding area.
Agency and Representatives (and price)
We booked the apartment through homeaway.com, which is similar to VRBO. All of our contact was directly with the owner, Jack, who was pleasant, helpful, and extremely responsive. He has lived in Girona for many years and is a good source of local information.
The apartment was reasonably priced (under priced, really): we paid €500 for the week. There was no cleaning fee or security deposit required.
Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?
We would absolutely stay here again. During our 14-week trip to Europe this summer, we stayed in 10 different vacation rentals. This was definitely one of the best, and Girona was one of our favorite locales.
Things to do in this area
The city of Girona is delightful–small enough to explore easily on foot, lots of historical sights, charming neighborhoods, and great restaurants and shops. But the best thing about it is its proximity to the wonderful towns on the Costa Brava. We particularly enjoyed Cadaques, L’Escala, Calella Palafrugel, and (across the French border) Collioure. And Port Bou, just below the French border, makes a delightful day trip on the train, if you don’t feel like driving.
With regard to restaurants, there is an embarassment of riches. We particularly like the Basque restaurant down the street and the Irish pub around the corner from it, which was very friendly and had excellent food as well. (Sorry, I can’t remember their names.)
This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.
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Posted via email from Rose Condo Girona
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Spring weather is as fickle as ever this year but a trip to visit a Bodega (winery) in the Empordà is always a good option since the worst that can happen is that you get stuck in a cellar with plenty of wines to taste while you watch the rain come down in the vineyards.
