I’m in Costa Brava on a family blogger trip with my 12 year old boy which is a lovely way to spend half term – even if on arrival it decided to piss with rain and not stop for the whole entire rest of the day.
Owing to the inclement weather we drove straight to Girona for lunch from Barcelona airport which took about an hour and a half, had a very brief impromptu guided tour, walking around all the charming parts of the city, up to the cathedral, via all the wonderfully characterful windy pathways and terraces:-
and then a very long lunch at a wonderful local restaurant called Cafe Le Bistrot – what an amazing location for a restaurant – imagine what it would have been like if we had been able to sit outside in the sunshine:-
Here we all are with the team – delicious food – especially the chocolate mousse (which I’ve posted on to Instagram) and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere to enjoy our long lunch whist it rains even more outside:-
Splendid old fashioned cash register (with eye candy attached):-
Lluís
May 29, 2013As a Girona resident, I am happy to see that my city makes visitors as happy as you to write down this piece for your blog and to share these nice pictures.
Thanks!
Family Affairs
May 31, 2013Thank you for letting us come and share your beautiful city!! Lx
Siuchuse
May 29, 2013He estado una vez, acompañado por parte de la familia murciana de mi esposa y desde luego no pienso volver ni con esta familia ni con la mía aragonesa por la altivez del propietario catalán del establecimiento que en ningún momento tuvo el detalle de dirigirse en castellano a los comensales
Girona Turisme
June 5, 2013Buenos días Siuchuse,
lamentamos el malentendido que ocurrió en tu visita.
Girona es una ciudad turística, y en la mayoría de establecimientos hablan varios idiomas. Normalmente son bilingües, en castellano y catalán, y suelen hablar también inglés y francés, por lo que el idioma no es ningún problema.
Saludos cordiales.
Good morning Siuchuse,
We regret the misunderstanding that occurred during your visit.
Girona is a tourist town, and most of the people at stores and restaurants speak several languages. Normally, people are bilingual in Castilian and Catalan, and usually also speak English and French, so language is not a problem.
Best regards.
Family Affairs
June 6, 2013Thank you so much to Girona Tourism for replying to a readers comment x
Siuchuse
May 29, 2013Vaya mierda de traducción que efectúa Google a mi comentario – Imagino que en inglés lamerá el culo al propietario del Bistrot
Anna
June 2, 2013No se preocupe – voy a traducirlo como es.
Family Affairs
June 3, 2013Now what have you said?? Lx
Anna
June 3, 2013He said that he was sure that Google translate would mistranslate the comment and skew it in favor of the Catalan owner. I told him: “Don’t worry, I’ll translate it as is.”
Family Affairs
June 3, 2013OK thanks – well lets see if we get a response from the tourist board on this! x
Siuchuse
May 29, 2013AMÉN
Anna
June 2, 2013Here is the comment left by a Spanish-speaking visitor of the blog, Siuchuse,(see above), referring to the same restaurant:
“I’ve been there once, accompanied by some family members of my wife from Murcia, and certainly do not think of going back there neither with that family, nor with my own from Aragon – because of the arrogance of the Catalan owner, who not once had the decency to address the guests in Spanish.”
Family Affairs
June 3, 2013Oh well, thanks Anna for the translation – that is not great press for them – but I guess it’s important feedback for them – I’m very interested in the Spanish/Catalan language debate! Seems very complicated indeed and I guess why should he speak Spanish if he wants to speak Catalan? Lx
Anna
June 3, 2013I figured that it would be better than Google translate. Anyway, you meant very well, obviously, and it does seem like a very good place. The Spanish vs. Catalan issue is deep waters. The internal polemic is very heated in Spain. To be fair to the Spaniard, Catalan websites of a business nature at least are always in both languages. It makes sense that a business owner in a service industry would accommodate his clients, instead of making a political statement by refusing to speak in the official language of the kingdom that his own autonomous region belongs to.