Anyone who’s into cycling knows that Girona is a bit of a mecca. There’s a famous story about Lance Armstrong discovering the city in the 1990s as the perfect place for riding bikes. It’s close to the Pyrenees, so there are plenty of climbs. Plus, it’s near the sea, the climate’s temperate, it’s a bit off the beaten track, and – bonus – it’s a really nice city. Armstrong and the infamous US Postal team moved there to train, and since then a lot of pro cyclists have made it their base.

I managed to persuade my closest cycling-obsessed friend, Ranald, to make the pilgrimage with me. It says a lot about Girona’s cycling pedigree that a Scotsman with no interest in Arsenal whatsoever jumped at the chance, just to get out on his bike.

 You can’t fly directly to Girona from London in the off-season, so we flew to Barcelona and took the short train ride north. The first thing that struck me upon arriving was a weird sense of déjà vu – it felt like I’d been here before. It turns out that a lot of Game of Thrones was filmed in Girona, which is why it was ringing so many bells.

The second thing that hits you is just how many people are on bikes – and dressed in all the gear. I was blown away. Walking around town, you’ll see fancy coffee shops with four or five really expensive bikes outside, and not a single one of them locked up. As a bike-theft weary Londoner, it was hard to let go of my anxiety, but it also shows how safe and welcoming Girona is to cyclists. We rented two bikes from a shop near where we were staying, but we were spoiled for choice – there are bike shops basically on every corner.

Once we had our bikes, we met up with our guide for the day, Joost, to head out for a ride. It was a fresh, crisp morning, perfect for getting out on two wheels. As we headed in the direction of Girona’s Estadi Montilivi home, we chatted about what it meant for the city to be in the Champions League for the first time. Turns out Joost was in a local nightclub on the evening they qualified, and the whole team came in and celebrated. Away fans have been warmly welcomed on their visits since.

We returned the bikes and headed up onto the city walls for a panoramic view of Girona. You could see the lights of the stadium just turning on in the distance. Back in the centre, the Champions League logo was being projected onto the ancient cathedral and there was a real buzz as we walked to the game, locals pouring out of bars and restaurants all in high spirits, even though their side were effectively out of the competition by then.

Inside the stadium, a guy with a massive drum walked up and down the stands, taking it upon himself to get the crowd going. It felt like a giant party – especially when Girona opened the scoring and the place exploded. With a capacity for the Champions League of just 9,000, the Estadi Montilivi was the smallest venue in the competition this season, but it seemed much louder as the home supporters celebrated Arnaut Danjuma’s 28th-minute goal.

Thankfully, Arsenal weren’t behind for long. Jorginho slotted home a penalty, and then just before half-time the 700 travelling fans were treated to a moment we’ll remember for years to come, north London lad Ethan Nwaneri cutting in from the right and firing in left-footed for his first Champions League strike.

As we celebrated the end of a hard-fought 2-1 win, our peaceful morning up at the silent monastery felt like a world away. But that’s Girona – the cycling takes you up and out of the city, then the football draws you back in.