We flew into and out of Barcelona last month, then took the train to our destination in France. Girona wasn’t even a blip on our radar – that is, until we saw it drift by the train window:

The skyline enchanted us. As it faded from view, we vowed to return.

We did return, on our way home via Barcelona, and found a wealth of things to love about Girona: it’s beautiful (see this post), it’s big enough to have a lively urban environment, it’s small enough to comprehend, it has a lively expat community, it’s close to the Spanish Costa Brava, and its weather is enviable. It’s also magnificently old. Coming from the puerile West Coast, I revere old.

It also has tasty tapas, credible beer (I’m a bit of a snob, being an Oregon native), and (for Louise) an inexhaustible supply of cava. A post on TripAdvisor claims that Girona is the best place to live in Spain. Gotta believe that.

We know what this means, and it’s not all beer and cava: no mailing address, no permanence, no predictability. There will be challenges, but there will also be rewards: a new language, new customs, and new friends. We will need to adapt, adjust – and yes: occasionally endure.

Above all, this is an adventure, and adventure is where to go when you don’t want to grow old.