Guess the amount of documents we needed!

I went with a friend to Girona the other day. Girona is the capital city of my corner of Catalunya and home to all the government and administrative offices as well as having a wonderful old town with cobbled streets, a cathedral, Arab baths, parks and an archaeological walk around what is left of the ramparts.Girona is largely unspoilt by tourism and is a discreet city often overlooked by travellers heading for the bright lights of Barcelona, about 90kms to the south. Straddling the banks of the River Ter, the brightly painted old houses hang over the water as sentinels of times gone by. The old town is a maze of alleyways and little squares, each keeping its own secret – perhaps a cafe in the cellar, perhaps a shop frontage that has withstood the ravages of centuries past. On the other side of the river is the “new” town, part of it very much of the 18th Century, with the lovely arched Plaça de Independcia teeming with restaurants and tapas bars. Not too far away is the covered market, open every morning. Girona is also a cultural city, with well presented museums and art centres as well as a strong musical tradition. After many visits, my friend and I have only touched the surface of this intriguing city .

Our trip was not for pleasure really as my friend decided she wanted to change her UK driving licence to a Spanish one and since her knowledge of both Castilian (Spanish) and Catalan is poor, she asked me to tag along as interpreter. Navigating ones way through Spanish bureaucracy requires extreme patience and fortitude. In fact, if you have an EU driving licence, you do not have to change it to a Spanish one, but you should register it with the traffic authority. My friend decided that she wanted to change hers, so we found ourselves at the offices of the Traffic Department.

It is vital before you go to any of the government agencies that you check..and recheck... what paperwork you need to present, otherwise you will have made a wasted journey, stood in a queue for ages and felt utterly frustrated. In the case of my friend and her driving licence, she needed to show:

• Proof of identity (passport original and copy)
• Proof of residence (Certificate of Registration in the Central Aliens Register - the NIE number (foreigners identification number))
• Valid driving licence to be exchanged (original and copy)
• Two recent photographs (32 by 25 mm)
• Declaration in writing stating that the applicant has not been banned or suspended from driving
• Declaration in writing stating that the applicant does not hold another driving licence of the same class in another country
  

Her new licence will arrive by post & will be credit card size. I should mention we were lucky that day as the queue was short and we were dealt with by a very pleasant and helpful lady who insisted on explaining everything to us twice as she somehow worked out we were foreigners!
Business done, we headed for Girona old town for lunch. We settled on a restaurant called Mimolet, near the cathedral, not the cheapest but which serves very good bar food. The weather was kind that day, so we sat outside on the terraza enjoying a well earned glass of Cava – Catalunya's answer to champagne and very good it is too!

It was time to head home, but not before we agreed to come back to Girona sooner rather than later to go window shopping (at least that is what my friend said) and sit at a cafe on the Rambla Llibertat watching the world go by, perhaps visit an Art Exhibition or come back on a Saturday when there is a huge market (also on Tuesdays) and a flower market on the Rambla. It is just a question of finding the time.........

Sally Veall
The Overseas Guides Company
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