Girona sits where the Onyar River meets the Ter, and its old town is one of the best-preserved in Spain. The town of Girona, about ten kilometres away, has nearly a hundred thousand people and is the main city of the northern part of Catalonia.
The old quarter climbs a hill above the river, with a cathedral at the top that is approached by a monumental staircase of ninety steps, which was used as a location in a famous television fantasy series. Below it lies the Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, a tangle of lanes and stairways that was home to a thriving community until its expulsion in 1492. Along the Onyar, rows of houses painted in yellow, ochre and red hang over the water, and the iron footbridge that crosses it was built in a workshop run by Gustave Eiffel's company. A walk along the city walls gives a view over the red roofs to the mountains.
The ride finishes or starts here, as part of a loop that runs from Barcelona to the Pyrenees and back. The roads east of Girona are flat and straight, with a good surface and light traffic, and in spring the fields are green and the poppies bloom. A short ride to the north leads to the Albera hills and the border, while to the east, the Empordà coast, with Begur, Pals and Cadaqués, is some of the finest in Spain. Autumn is the best season, when the heat has eased and the crowds have gone.
Foixà has a castle and little else, and Bordils and Celrà are small towns with the basic services. Girona has all the fuel and food you could need, from supermarkets to Michelin-starred restaurants, and the Roca brothers' famous restaurant is one of the best in the world. For a simpler meal, try a menu del día in the old town, with rice, fish and a glass of wine. Park outside the centre, because the old quarter is a maze of steps.