Into the Pyrenees

Wednesday 17 September

After a giant thunder storm during the night, this morning brought sunshine and warm weather.  We went to the market right after breakfast, mostly just to browse and then set off for a trip up the Tet River Valley and into the Pyrenees.  A main road takes this route beside the river from Perpignan to Andorra and initially crosses a large valley which is very agricultural.  The massive Pic du Canigou (2786 metres) which has huge significance in Catalan folklore, dominates the skyline to the south of the valley.
We made our first stop, taking a short detour off the main road, at the stunning village of Castelnou (Plus Beaux, of course).   Castelnou is a village of beautiful stone houses which sit on a remote hillside and is overlooked by very substantial chateau/fort.

Lovely lane in Castelnou

  The whole place looks magnificent on the approach road and the views from its cobblestone lanes are pretty impressive too.  The village had its origins in the 10th century and the Tour de Castelnou on a hilltop adjacent to the village was built in the 8th century - wow!

Castelnou

This morning we enjoyed walking up the narrow streets and visiting some artist's galleries along the way.  Half way up to the chateau we took time for coffee on a terrace with views over the surrounding countryside.  The tip of Canigou was hidden by little clouds but otherwise the views were uninterrupted.
After lingering for quite a while and enjoying the tranquility of Castelnou we drove on further up the valley to our next destination, the very sunny and equally ancient village of Eus, which clings to the south facing northern slopes of the Tet River Valley.  Once again, seen from the approach road,  this Plus Beaux village was quite breathtaking and its geographical location definitely explained its reputation for high sunshine hours.

Eus

Eus is surrounded by peach orchards - a beautiful sight at blossom time in Spring.  We followed the road almost to the top of the village and strolled along one of the streets.  It was very quiet and nothing was open.  It was also very hot so we did not stay for long, but worth the trip up the hill as the views to Canigou from here are gorgeous.

View over the Tet River Valley from Eus

The day was getting on as we arrived at yet another Plus Beaux village, Villefranche-de-Conflent, further up the valley and where the road really begins to climb into the mountains.  Signs for ski resorts were beginning to appear - no snow at this time of year of course.  There are two parts to Villefrance - the walled village beside the river and high on a hillside above a huge fort, Fort Liberia.

Villefranche-de-Conflent and Fort Liberia

The village dates from the 10th century but the fortifications were the work of Vauban in the 17th century and it is now  UNESCO listed world heritage site.  There is an underground stairway of 1000 steps linking the village with Fort Liberia - created during the time of Napoleon III - we didn't attempt to climb them!  Villefranche was quite busy with tourists and there were plenty of choices for a late lunch - we chose galettes at a small creperie.  The village is in such a lovely setting, on the confluence of three rivers and surrounded by mountains, that it is a pleasure to stroll the old streets and imagine life here in times gone by.

Villefranche-de-Confluent

Although there are several other lovely places to visit in the area, it was getting towards evening and we decided to head back to Collioure, stopping off in the larger town of Prades, home for some time to Pablo Casals and now host to a wonderful cello festival every summer.  This is definitely a part of France to return to!

Prades town square with Canigou in the distance

On the drive home we could see huge towering cloud formations towards the coast, and as darkness was approaching I walked to the sea wall to watch a fantastic display of lightning far out over the sea.

Distant thunder storm, Collioure

 The wind was still strong here on the coast - a surprise after the calm day in the mountains - and waves were crashing onto the beach which is not the usual thing in Collioure. The town looks lovely at night.

Chateau and fort, Collioure

Beautifully lit bell tower, Collioure