Girona 1: The Bridge

I was pulled aside at security at LBA. There was a problem with the sandwich in my bag. Security, although friendly, seemed to think it odd that I would bring my own food to the airport. ??? I explained about my food allergy.

‘Gluten?’ I was asked conversationally.

‘No,’ I said, ‘I’m allergic to poor quality, overpriced food. It causes melancholy and I could break out into a temper.’

The week before, at EMA, The Little Nurse was pulled over for the heinous crime of not having her liquids in a sealed bag. She had them in a normal sealable bag but had neglected to close the seal. She sealed it on the spot and accepted a stern lecture. We all know that if nitro glycerine explodes in a plastic bag the consequences are dire . We didn’t know that if the bag is sealed the blast is contained. Apparently. Must be a hell of a bag. If bombs start flying during the next war I’m gonna sit inside one of those bags. Sealed of course. As none of her liquids were dangerous she unsealed the bag again once through security. It was her little rebellion. Anarchist pensioner that she is.

We got to Girona Airport 30 minutes before Spain kicked off against Iran. After a taxi ride I let The Little Nurse take care of check in while I watched the game in the hotel bar. The Spanish team playing in the World Cup. In Girona. Gotta be a great atmosphere right? Wrong. Twenty people in the bar but there was only me watching the giant screen. And various twonks wandering in and out blocking the view.

After the game we wandered down to Independence Square. There are about 20 restaurants there. Quality is mixed. We hit on a decent one. It was very pleasant drinking our after dinner coffee outdoors at midnight, in 20 degree temperatures. On the way back we crossed the famous pedestrian bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel, the tower guy. It performs it’s primary function well enough, i.e. to get you over the river without getting wet. Otherwise it was unimpressive. It was finished in 1876 many years before the Eiffel Tower and The Statue of Liberty. In other words before he got good at stuff. A kind of practice.

If it didn’t have his name on it I imagine it wouldn’t be a tourist attraction. Just an ordinary bridge, the likes of which you can see on outlying district line stations on the London underground.

The conversation in the bar must have gone:
Mayor of Girona – ‘How can we get folks over the water?’
Gustav Eiffel – ‘Stick a bridge in.’
MoG – ‘Know any bridge guys?’
GE – ‘I’ll have a go if you like. How hard can it be? It’s just kinda long girders and planks’.
MoG – ‘How will you prevent people walking off the sides, into the water?’
GE – ‘Easy, I’ll put sides on it. Criss cross style.’
MoG – Won’t that look a bit industrial?’
GE – ‘I’ll paint it. Red.’
MoG – ‘… Red’s good.’
There’s a pause whilst Gustav sketches the bridge on a napkin. He hands it across.
MoG – ‘Great. Thanks. What do I owe you?’
G.E – ‘ Nah, you’re alright, Just get me a coupla wines’

We would cross this bridge, and some of the others, many times in the next few days. We noticed that the properties on the ‘old’ side of the river whilst colourful looked sort of ordinary. Y’know not luxurious, as you would expect riverside property to be. A bit bo-ho. Refreshing to know that this prime real estate was not the preserve of the rich, like it would be in so many cities around the world. Even Leeds… and that’s a dump.

We thought the town was pretty quiet for a Spanish city even if it was midnight. To confirm those thoughts, we were handed a free drink voucher from a PR person. That doesn’t happen to us these days, unless it’s really dead. They think we can’t do hard time in clubs. Suckers.

We passed it and had a nightcap, well some nightcaps, back at the hotel bar instead.

• More Girona coming soon, and Naples, Tenerife, The Camino and Boston
• Questions on Girona answered, just use the comments box.
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• Also coming eventually Hong Kong and Saigon
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