Whether you are a Game of Thrones fan or not, the walking tour on our Barcelona, Spain cruise stop was unforgettable.
The cruise itinerary had both Rome & Barcelona as entry points. We elected on this trip to begin in Rome, so Barcelona was a one-day excursion for us. We had previously visited and spent time in the lovely town of Barcelona. The cruise port terminal lands directly into the town of Barcelona. This means that there are lots of opportunities to do some site-seeing and get some tennis in!
The Plan:
Our cruise ship arrived in Port first thing on a Sunday morning (6am). The cruise ship was to sail away at 6pm. From our earlier visits to Barcelona, the town itself is not very awake in the mornings and especially on a Sunday. So having visited many of the magical sites of Barcelona already and not being able to frolic in Barcelona in the evening… we expanded our planning for things around Barcelona.
Since the cruise port terminal was within Barcelona, it provided many transportation options such as taking a train or renting a car. We did find trains that would be available, going the direction we desired; however, it would have limited our ability to play tennis. It would have been more cost effective (cheaper!) to do the train; but, renting a car gave us more flexibility and was a more efficient use of our time.
We took a cab to a SixT car rental, close to the port. The cabs were directly in front of the exit from the cruise terminal and you are away immediately. This is always important when you are executing your own excursion. The rental process was very fast and we were soon off to our first stop on the day… Girona, Spain. We had booked a morning walking tour of the town via Viator.com with a twist! The morning was important as even though it was October when we visited, it can get warmer and more crowded in the afternoons. We arrived on-time and were able to find free parking close, just outside the walls of the town. We walked the short walk over a walking bridge to our meeting point. In the morning, the water was still, as was everything in town. In addition to the historic area we were to tour, the city is also known for its colorful rows of homes near the river which were easy to spot. We previewed the area we would be touring and were very excited about our excursion. Our meeting place, was the River Café, a cafe with a Bruce Springsteen theme. We felt right at home, as we leisurely enjoyed our morning coffee before our tour, listening to Bruce Springsteen hits.
The Game of Thrones Walking Tour:
We met our tour guide at exactly the start time and found out that we were the only ones booked for the morning! We were getting a private tour. Our tour guide explained that in addition to giving us great history of the Roman fort, we would also be stopping at many filming locations from the Game of Thrones. (Season Six) We would walk about, and then our guide would stop and show us the scene on her iPad, which was filmed at each place we stopped. It was incredible. Our guide was fantastic and even wanted to continue after two and a half hours. Our camera roll shows how amazing the city was, but they simply cannot show you all there is to see. You will need to come and see this city yourself! We were on a tight schedule and thus had to decline the offer to continue. With another cup of coffee from the River Café, we were on our way.
Game of Thrones walking tour – Girona, Spain – tennistravelsite.com
The Tennis plan:
We had researched our tennis opportunity for this port and found that there are many very exciting venues for play. For our visit, we had narrowed it down to two. One facility was on the road to/from Girona, the other was found near the port towards the airport. We had emailed both facilities to find out court availability and costs. We hadn’t committed to either as our intent was to play some singles together and thus court time was not going to be a problem at either location (it was Sunday)!
Unfortunately, my mending sprained ankle after our walking tour was in no shape to play. Especially since I am protecting an undefeated singles record for eight years against my husband. This was no time to be challenged and I believe that he was very disappointed to not get the chance to play. We decided to visit both facilities to preview our next visit to the area. After our visits, I too was very disappointed as they both were fantastic!
The Club Tenis Cabrils
Our first stop was just minutes outside Barcelona, Spain and on the road from/to Girona. Nestled in a lovely neighborhood was the Club Tenis Cabrils. It was a short drive off the highway through some twisty neighborhood streets. It is well worth the effort! They had several red clay courts and a beautiful clubhouse. I loved how the club was set on a hill, and that the upper deck, where the reception and clubhouse is located, looks down on to the tennis courts. Great place to play and watch terrific tennis. The club staff were very gracious and although we spoke very little Spanish, they were very welcoming. We took a short walk around the club with the staff and it is truly a very beautiful facility. The club manager shared with us that they have on staff a former ATP Tennis Professional, who was available for lessons and hitting sessions. Reservations to play can be done by calling or emailing the club. We left this club, disappointed now that we couldn’t play, and longing to hit on their courts.
Club Tenis Cabril- Cabril, Spain – tennistravelsite.com
The Academia Sanchez-Casal, Barcelona, Spain
The Academia Sanchez-Casal has been on my list for awhile. This tennis academy grooms tennis professionals, from all over the world. The best part is that it is very close to the airport and the port in Barcelona. We toured the tennis facility with its many tennis courts, and other sport camps such as horseback riding and private events going on!
When we contacted Academia Sanchez-Casal prior to our cruise, we were told that we could book a two hour adult group lesson. The tennis academy was very helpful in trying to set us up for tennis on our vacation. Unfortunately, we decided that it wouldn’t be the best thing to play after hiking on a sore ankle all morning. Overall, Academia Sancez-Casal was very welcoming and we look forward to our next visit.
Academia Sachez-Casal, Barcelona, Spain – Tennistravelsite.com
Final thoughts on our day at port: Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, Spain is a great city. There are plenty of things to see and do in the city. Because of our early arrival and early departure from Barcelona, we chose to go off the grid this time. There are many opportunities in the area surrounding Barcelona and Girona, Spain was special. We found that our trip could be accomplished through renting a car or taking the train and taxi. We love to balance our vacations with sightseeing, relaxation and playing tennis. We accomplished our goal in Barcelona. We saw both tennis facilities we had planned to play at and now know that there are two great places to play tennis. Both are close to the port, downtown Barcelona, and the airport. A great day and especially if you have watched any of the “Game of Thrones” show as the walking tour in Girona, Spain was icing on the cake!
Tennistravelsite camera roll:
Tennis points of Interest:
Club Tennis Cabrils – Passatge Piscina, 0,08348 Cabrils,Barcelona,Spain +34 937 53 22 57 email: ctcabrils@ctcabrils.com
Academia Sanchez-Casal: Autovia de Castelldefels (C-31),Km.191 08820 El Prat (Barcelona) Apdo. Correos 176 T. +34 93 479 16 16 email: info@sanchez-casal.com
Just because–The River Café, Girona: C.De La Barca 2, 17004 Girona +34 972 22 82 45
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