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girona: my laptop’s last stand before the coffee rebellion

@Liam Foster3/9/2026blog

i’m not exactly sure how i ended up here, but i am. some days you just... wake up in a city that smells like burnt toast and WiFi. girona, for what it’s worth, seems to have that kind of vibe. i checked the weather app and it’s 8.84 degrees, which is technically ‘warm’ but feels like someone sprayed a shiver through my socks. hope you like that kind of thing.

since i’m a digital nomad, my gear list is basically a laptop, a thermos, and a prayer to whatever deity cares about stable WiFi. i forgot my charger last week and had to negotiate with a stranger for a power strip. it worked. i think. anyway, gear talk is boring. let’s talk about the neighborhoods. the people in girona seem to operate on a different schedule. they’re either deep in a siesta or loudly debating something at a café. i heard that the local bakery might close next month. i don’t know if that’s true. probably not. but it’s a great excuse to ask strangers for directions. most of them seem to enjoy pointing you around like it’s a game.

here’s the map. it’s not fancy, just a square box with a giant ‘x’ marked. maybe it’s a metaphor. maybe it’s not. i’m not sure.


i took three photos on my way here. first, a black-and-white shot of a brick wall covered in what looks like graffiti but might just be someone’s existential crisis. second, a coffee shop window with a person arguing with a barista. third, a park where a group of people were doing yoga in the middle of construction. i don’t know if that’s normal. i didn’t ask.

the reviews here are all over the place. some say girona is the ‘hidden gem of catalonia.’ others swear by the tap water. i heard that the hostel’s owner once tried to rob someone with a Netflix password. i’m not sure if that’s a metaphor or a real thing. either way, it’s memorable.

[i.imgur.com/somesunset.jpg] (just kidding, i can’t actually use imgur but imagine it)
[i.unsplash.com/photo-1674136679007-0542c8162c1c] (a black and white photo of a waterfall, maybe)
[i.unsplash.com/photo-1674119053110-db18103a65a9] (a black and white photo of a river, maybe)

if you get bored, barcelona is just a short drive away. or maybe not. i’m still figuring that out. also, check out this Yelp page for cozy cafés. it’s probably outdated, but the photos are good. yanl.girona cafes. the tripadvisor link for hostels is another option. tripadvisor.girona hostels. neither of these are official endorsements. i’m just throwing links at a wall and hoping something sticks

i ended up staying at a place called ‘the leaky piston.’ it’s called that because the owner keeps fixing aucky plumbing. supposedly, it’s a metaphor for life. i didn’t ask. i just paid and nodded. the coffee was decent. the WiFi was spotty. and the neighbors? they played loud jazz at 3 a.m. i don’t know if that’s normal. i didn’t ask. i just added a blanket to my sleeping bag and pretended to sleep.

here’s a pro-tip: if you’re hungry, hit up the market. someone told me to look for the stall with the oddly specific spice blend. i did. it was called ‘mystery seasoning.’ i put it on everything. it was good. or maybe it was just desperation.

anyway, girona is a city that doesn’t care about fitting into boxes. it’s a giant pile of random things that somehow work. my laptop died twice. my coffee got spilled once. but i’m still here. and that’s probably enough for now.

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About the author: Liam Foster

Here to provoke thought, not just to fill space.

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