Sun streamed into our bedroom as we drew back the curtains and after a long, lazy breakfast we were ready for another day of sightseeing. Our first stop of the day was just a short walk away at the Museum of Cinema, standard admission €6. We’d already had the pleasure of visiting the Cinema Museum in Frankfurt earlier in the year so we were eager to explore the one in Girona as well.
We commenced our tour by viewing the temporary exhibition ‘Iconic Actresses’ which was very interesting featuring photos and costumes of famous actresses past and present. These ranged from the likes of Brigit Bardot and Grace Kelly to current film stars including Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett.
Continuing, we then entered the permanent exhibition which began with a short video documenting the history of cinema from its earliest days. This set the scene for our tour as we then took the lift to the top floor to view each of its galleries.
The museum contains lots of interesting hands-on exhibits suitable for all age groups. I recalled having fun at school trying to create silhouettes of birds with my hands as the classroom projector was being set up. Here, we were able to view techniques for creating various objects and wildlife. We gave it a try but found it much harder to create the images than it first appeared.
Moving on, we viewed black and white film before sound was introduced with a piano accompaniment and we had fun turning handles to create moving images from a series of still pictures. We thought it was a superb museum containing many exhibits to engage the entire family and definitely worth a visit.
After leaving the museum it was just a short walk to the bus station from where we bought return tickets to the coastal resort of Lloret de Mar (€11 each) with the Sagalés Bus Company. Fortunately, a bus was due to depart five minutes later and soon we were boarding a comfortable air-conditioned coach for the 45 minute journey to the Costa Brava coast. The bus made only a few stops and terminated in the resort centre about a ten minute walk from the seafront.
The attractive bay stretches out along the promenade and the golden sands were crowded with sun worshippers and families taking a dip in the sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea. Lloret was much busier than we had expected and seemed popular with large numbers of British tourists who were well catered for with menus offering fish and chips and pints of best bitter!
We wandered along the beachfront in the direction of Mirador Mujer taking a steep path and some stone steps up to the Dona Marinera sculpture from where we enjoyed some lovely views over the bay and the hillside beyond.
Retracing our steps, we sauntered along the seafront in the opposite direction crossing the promenade to view the attractive town hall with its open bell tower. Along this tree lined stretch of the seafront we found some attractive bars and restaurants with more authentic Spanish menus,
Heading inland, we wandered through a maze of narrow streets glancing in some of the shops along the way and stopped to admire the Iglesias de Sant Romá built in Catalan Gothic style between 1509 and 1522. This strikingly beautiful Catholic Church is one of the town’s key landmarks and not to be missed on a visit to Lloret de Mar.
Ready for something to eat, we found seats on the terrace of one of the beach bars where we both relaxed with a panini and a glass of beer. Lloret de Mar is a complete contrast to stylish and sophisticated Girona but is a pleasant seaside resort to visit for a short side trip.
After taking the late afternoon coach back to Girona we relaxed by the side of the hotel’s rooftop pool, the temperature still pleasantly warm at 6.00 p.m. My son decided to take a dip in the water and although other guests had declared it icy cold, he must have been made of hardier stuff as he managed a few lengths before dinner.
We selected a restaurant near the hotel as we had booked seats later in the evening for a concert in English at the Girona Auditorium. The theatre was furnished in light wood with spacious seats and large arm rests and the concert proved to be an enjoyable evening’s entertainment with most of the audience clapping along and dancing in the aisles by the end of the performance.
I always enjoy attending cultural performances and despite this band not being from Spain or of a genre we were familiar with, it was very entertaining and I particularly liked the saxophone accompaniment. The end of a fun filled day exploring Girona and the Costa Brava coast.
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