Last Days in The Pyrenees-Orientales

Thursday 18 and Friday 19 September

The department of Pyrenees-Orientales has an admirable bus system that connects all its regional towns with the capital, Perpignan.  For the princely sum of 1 euro a bus ticket can be purchased that has no limitations on distance and gives access to buses that travel just about anywhere - into the mountains, down the coast to the Spanish border or merely to the next village.
On Thursday morning we made use of the 1 euro bus to travel in to Perpignan  - no traffic, no parking issues, no hassle!  The journey is a bit slow as the bus wanders through other towns on the way and then crawls through the rather dreary suburbs of Perpignan.   We noticed a lot of newish housing estates close to the beachside towns of Argeles-sur-Mer and St Cyprien.  This is a popular retirement area for the French - lots of sunshine and it is cheaper than the Cote d'Azur and Provence.
The bus terminated at the railway station so we had to take a cab ride to get to the old town of Perpignan.  There is a canal running along one side of the old quarter which is quite prettily landscaped and it links to a tree lined walk which is also rather nice.  The first landmark we came to was the Castillet, a sturdy looking brick building, or mini castle, once part of the wall that surrounded the city but now standing alone beside a busy road - a little bit odd looking, but interesting nonetheless.

Le Castillet

  We then passed through some narrow lanes lined with tall townhouses and emerged into Place de la Loge where there is are a number of beautiful old buildings, several restaurants and marble paving underfoot.  We stopped for coffee and then continued on to the Place Gambetta, another square surrounded by lovely old townhouses and overlooked by the cathedral of St Jean Baptiste.  The most enchanting thing about these townhouses are the windows, which are tall with shutters in faded colours of pale blue, green and grey and beautiful ironwork railings.

Place Gambetta and the Cathedral

We had a look in the cathedral - it is very beautiful and ornate and then continued through the streets to find a little restaurant in one of the alleys where we were able to sit in a nice spot with a cooling breeze and enjoy lunch.  Afterwards we walked towards the St Jacques quarter to see the Domenican Church where we discovered there was an exhibition of photo-journalism, part of the internationally famous Visa pour l'image Festival of Perpignan.  The main work in the church was that of a French photographer who was calling attention to the plight of the many Mongolians who suffer from diseases casused by air polution in Ulan Bator - quite a sobering collection.
By now we decided that it was time to catch the bus home - we managed to miss one by minutes so had an hour to wait in the railway station.  Dali called this place "the centre of the world" because he apparently came up with lots of ideas while waiting for trains here.  Personally I didn't find it that inspirational!  Riding home we took a slightly different route and were treated to a view of Argeles Plage - a beautiful sandy beach and a lively seaside cafe scene.
It was good to be back by the sea where an onshore breeze is very welcome on these hot days.  Overall impression of Perpignan not great.  There are some interesting parts but somehow it seemed to lack the charm of many French cities - in fact it seems more Spanish than French in many ways, and of course the Catalan influence is profound in this region.

The canal in Perpignan

Friday was another hot and sunny day and Collioure was busy with swimmers, shoppers and diners all day.  We called it a rest day - our last day here before setting off for Provence.

Beautiful morning in Collioure

  Gerri went for an early morning walk and I had a browse in the shops and walked to to sea wall.  A lovely morning for some photos.

Little chapel by the sea wall, Collioure

Royal Chateau, Collioure

View from my morning coffee stop

As the temperature rose it was nice to be back in our cool house (air-conditioned) for a bit of a siesta.  With Gerri opting to rest, I decided to take a trip on the Tourist Train which travels up through the vineyards and over the hills to Port Vendres, before returning via the coast road.  It is a very popular excursion, with packed trains leaving every hour and of course with such magnificent scenery on offer it is easy to understand why.

Looking down on Collioure from Le Petit Train

I had once hiked (with Caroline) over the hills from Port Vendres to Collioure, a magnificent walk, but in today's heat it was very enjoyable to sit back and ride in the Petit Train and also very educational.

Vines on the slopes above Collioure

 I forget most of the dates of tower and fort building but what really stuck in my mind was the fact that vines were first planted on these hills by Greek sailors in the 6th century BC!  What a history of wine making - and very good wine it is too in this area.  Our guide reckons that the combination of sun, wind and soil here produce grapes which are unique.  It is interesting that there are cork oaks growing here too - no prizes for guessing why!

Cork trees

We stopped at Fort Elme for a photo opportunity

Le Petit Train at Fort Elme

 and then trundled down into Port Vendres, a pretty but very busy commercial seaport with a huge trade in fruit and vegetables, a cruise ship terminal and a substantial fishing industry.  Most of the bananas sold in France enter the country at Port Vendres - an interesting piece of trivia! Finally the little train took us back along the clifftops and down into Collioure.

Port Vendres

  Le Petit Train is a really great way to see the area and understand the geography of the place where the mountains meet the sea.  One of the passengers today was especially cute and so excited to be on a train ride - so like Benji!

Can we get on the train now?

Tonight is really warm and the wind is roaring in off the sea - there must still be storms out in the Med somewhere.  Tomorrow we say goodbye to beautiful Collioure and begin our northward journey - next stop, Sablet in Provence.

Beautiful Collioure

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

Day Trip to Spain

Tuesday 16 September

Still lots of sunshine this morning although the clouds were rolling in a bit.  It was relatively quiet in Collioure around 10 am as we retrieved the car from its garage up the hill and took the coast road south towards the Spanish border.  The route winds through the vineyards which cling to the steep slopes of the Pyrenees as this mighty mountain chain descends into the Mediterranean Sea.  Of course the views from the road are fantastic, although this morning the sea was not as blue as it can be on a brilliantly sunny day.

Cerbere - last stop before Spain

We passed through the last two French towns, Banyuls-sur-Mer and Cerbere before climbing up to the border where there are fine views both north back to France and south into Spain.   We were quite surprised at the large number of cyclists on this very hilly road and a whole bunch of them had gathered at the border for a photo shoot - so we did likewise.

Portbou and the Spanish coastline

The road descends steeply to Portbou, which is a major train terminus - something about French and Spanish rail tracks being a different gauge.  It is also a pleasant little seaside town.   Soon we were away from the mountains and just past the resort town of Llanca the road turned inland towards Figueres.  Bypassing this large centre we took the road southeast towards the coast again.  This is the area where the Spanish beach resorts of Catyluna begin at Roses and extend all the way along the shoreline.   After travelling across a flat agricultural landscape for a while we began climbing some  rather rugged looking hills and the vegetation changed to become distinctly Mediterranean with thick stands of umbrella and stone pines.  Our plan was to visit the medieval town of Begur, situated on a high hill overlooking the sea - it had been recommended by an English lady we met in St Antonin. THe GPS took us to a very uninteresting and quite modern town centre from which we could see what looked to be the medieval quarter.  With no signs for parking or directions we drove around the hill and then spotted a sign to Sa Tuna, the nearest beach so we took the very steep and winding road down through the pines and precariously perched villas (obviously built for the amazing views) finally ending up in a carpark.  It was just a short walk however to one of the prettiest little bays imaginable and a row of seafront restaurants.

Sa Tuna

  Having driven a couple of hours into Spain we were now feeling the pangs of hunger so after an inspection of the various menus on offer, found ourselves seated at Hostal de Sa Tuna overlooking the pebbly beach, the rocky cliffs and the clear sparkling waters.  So many regrets at not bringing our swimming things - the water looked so inviting, the temperature had climbed to 29 degrees and the sun was shining.

View from our table

Lunch was a pretty lavish, not to mention expensive, affair but very,very good.  Gerri went vegetarian for her main course and then had a total drooling session over her pear tart with roquefort ice cream.  I started with salt cod fritters,which I always loved in Barcelona, and then the main event arrived - suckling pig with ratafia wine sauce and peaches, mashed potato laced with truffle and a veritable herb garden of greens.  Amazing!  The wine, a local variety, was excellent (sadly only one glass for the driver) and the coffee superb.  A bit of a gourmet indulgence but sitting by the water with such divine views in this tiny little cove - wow, it was so worth it!

Lunch!

 Gerri suggested we could do it all over again and sit there all afternoon - not that there was any suggestion from the lovely staff that we should move on any time soon.  However we still had a drive back to Collioure so we could not linger too long.  There is a beautifully crafted stone paved path around the cliffs so I went for a walk past the pretty houses and there around the headland I discovered another gorgeous little cove - but this one had a huge resort style hotel which kind of detracted from its charm a little.

Bay around the corner

I could see that this lovely path continues on along the coast - shame there was no time to explore some more.

Sa Tuna, from the coastal path

Reluctantly we tore ourselves away from Sa Tuna and took the quicker way home, linking with the autovia which crosses the lowest point of the Pyrenees, back into France.  The wind had picked up quite considerably when we arrived back in Collioure, and it seems that there has been a little rain here during the day.  So glad we went to Spain (no rain in Spain today).

Sa Tuna - a magical place

Collioure

Sunday 14 and Monday 15 September

We have not moved from Collioure over the past two days and have enjoyed a rest from driving.  It is lovely to go downstairs and out the door into the bustling streets of this beautiful town.  A good chance for Gerri's knees to recover as well.  

The square outside our Collioure home

On Sunday morning Collioure was very busy as it is one of the market days of the week.  As French markets go this is one of the best with lovely fresh produce and interesting local crafts as well as an assortment of the usual clothes from Italy and jewellery from who knows where. I went to the market quite early to buy strawberries, quiche, and a big bunch of lisianthus - purple and white -so pretty, but later in the morning the whole market area was packed with shoppers.

Collioure market

All the town shops were open too - unusual for a Sunday in France, but with so many visitors it is obviously a good trading day.  There were lots of musicians playing in the streets - Spanish guitarists, a brass band, a saxaphone player - all adding to the jolly atmosphere.  Come lunch time the restaurants were doing a roaring trade.  There seem to be a large number of holiday makers here and of course many people who live in the area visit Collioure on the weekends.

Festive streets of Collioure

The day was hot and sunny so the rocky little beaches were also crowded.  The water is crystal clear and looks very inviting.  I wandered about with my camera, checked out all the shops and then went home to collapse on the roof terrace while Gerri took the opportunity to have a very restful day.

Old bell tower, Collioure

Late in the afternoon it clouded over a bit but the town did not slow down until quite late and the evening was really balmy.

Evening cloud, Collioure

Monday morning was bright and sunny again, but with Gerri still suffering with sore knees we decided to have another day at home.  A good chance to catch up on laundry.  I took myself off for a long walk along the coast road towards Port Vendres, the next town, but didn't go all the way as it was getting very hot.

Collioure - from the coast road

View across to Collioure

On the way home I stopped for a galette and a nice cold glass of the local white.  The heat finally persuaded me to head home for a siesta.  Although not as crowded as the weekend, Collioure was still busy today.

One of the beaches at Collioure

 Late in the afternoon a thunder storm rolled in from the mountains which cooled things down a little.  As evening fell we took ourselves for a stroll to the harbour and sat for ages having coffee by the water.  It is so beautiful to watch the lights coming on a the day fades.  High on the hills the old windmill and the stone walls of Fort Saint Elme were softly illuminated.

The windmill which overlooks Collioure

 The bell tower of the church is also spectacularly lit at night.  With its backdrop of mountains, colourful houses and massive waterside chateau, Collioure is certainly one of the gems of the Mediterranean. It is not surprising that so many artists chose to work here and in the early 1900's the town became a centre of the Fauvist movement led by Matisse.  Many other celebrated artists also worked in Collioure, including Picasso, Dali and Charles Rennie Mackintosh and today it is still a haven for artists.   Our house here was once the home of artist, Henri Frere and the large third floor room where I am sleeping was his studio.  It is a wonderful airy space with doors onto both roof terraces.  The house is owned now by Sebastien Frere, son of Henri, and also an artist and ceramicist.

Journeying South

Saturday 13 September

Another glorious morning, although something of a nip in the air, as we packed up and took the road south to Collioure which is in the Pyrenees Orientales department, only about 30 km from the Spanish border and on the Vermillion Coast of the Mediterranean.
We drove through the vineyards of the Gaillac wine domaines which lie on the southern slopes of the hills that rise above the River Tarn - beautifully scenic and views to the Pyrenees which appeared faintly on the horizon.  Once over the river our route took us towards the Montagne Noire range of hills that separate the Tarn and Aude departments.   Circling around the large town of Mazamet we climbed up through the forested hills and found a tiny road which led up to a very medieval village called Hautpoul.
Hautpoul clings to a rocky spur and overlooks Mazamet far below.

View to Mazamet from Hautpoul

  The village dates from 413 and was a fortress built by the Visigoths.  It has survived a siege during the Cathar persecution as well as the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion.  We had to park at the top of the village and walked down a path past the grey stone houses , followed by a sweet and very vocal kitten.

Friendly Hautpoul kitten

The buildings are all facing south-east to the sun and many have pretty gardens - there is a medieval garden that can be visited - no time today.   We did stop at L'Auberge d'Hautpoul - a beautiful little stone building with amazing views and a grumpy owner who wanted to know why we needed more milk in our coffee.  I think he was teasing as he produced really good coffees for us which we enjoyed on a sunny terrace, still with kitten in attendance.

Old tree, old houses, old Hautpoul

Fortified by our drinks we walked back up the hill, told the kitten he couldn't come with us and set off over the Montagne Noire in the direction of Carcassonne.

Friendly little kitty

After circling the car park for a bit we luckily found a shady spot to leave the car - it was really feeling like the south of France by the middle of the day.  The Citadel was crowded with visitors today - I always get the feeling that this renovated fortress city looks better from a distance.  Inside the mighty walls the streets are packed with souvenir shops and restaurants which is a bit of a shame.  The whole place was a crumbling ruin, being used as a stone quarry until 1850 when a fellow called Viollet-le-Duc oversaw the restoration - which continued until 1910, well after his death.  Apparently his interpretation of the true nature of the structures is questionable.  Nevertheless Carcassonne Citadel in very imposing and its hilltop position is very commanding.  Historians and archaeologists think that the city dates from the 6th century AD.

Carcassonne - (a little bit of it)

Well, we were feeling hungry so chose an outdoor restaurant in the first square we came to - it seemed to have a good variety on the menu - and only 14 euros for three courses.  It soon became obvious why it was so inexpensive.  The mixed salad entree was miserable, the steak was flavourless and tough, the frites were disgusting, the off the supermarket shelf Bernaise sauce was inedible and the apple tart dessert was marginally ok but spoilt by a hefty dose of caramel sauce - the kind that is squeezed from a plastic bottle.  Gerri fared a little better with quite tasty Roquefort sauce on her steak.  Worst meal in France so far by a long shot - but hey, we were hungry and ate it (mostly).  Moral of the story - avoid tourist traps for lunch. I think we have been spoilt up until now.
We strolled through the city and poked in a couple of shops but didn't feel the need to pay to climb on the remparts.  I am a fan of Kate Mosse's Languedoc trilogy so it is interesting trying to imagine the Carcassonne of her medieval novels.  It was at that time a stronghold of the Cathars and eventually was taken after a long siege.
With still some way to travel, we drove to the nearby Plus Beaux village of Lagrasse which is surrounded by the vineyards of the Corbieres wine region, the largest grape growing area of France.

Crumbly old Lagrasse

Unlike Carcassonne, Lagrasse does not appear to have undergone any restoration since a large and important abbey was founded there in 799.
A nice little river flows though the town - great place for a swim on this hot afternoon.  We made a quick circuit of the town - a very quiet sleepy hollow this afternoon - and then drove to the autoroute for our final leg down to Collioure.

12th Century stone footbridge, Lagrasse

We turned off the peage at Perpignan - very busy around the city - and then hit the madness that is Collioure on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  Following our house owner's instructions we attempted to park at one of the car parks only to be denied access - it was supposedly full, although we could see empty spaces.  To cut a long story short, we were hemmed in by cars behind us for about half an hour and then had to back down a hill to escape.  Martine, our host, telephoned us and we arranged a meeting spot so she could show us where to park.  Turns out that she had a garage for us but had forgotten to let us know!  Anyway it was good to have the car safely parked and to settle into our lovely village house.  We have a two storied apartment in the house - three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two lovely roof terraces.

Treetop Roof deck of our apartment

 Our kitchen looks out to a square with a busy restaurant on one street and the living room opens on to a big square on another street.  It is very spacious and comfortable and Martine was extra helpful - even carrying luggage for us!

Lovely living room with balconies overlooking a pretty square

The town was very crowded and all the restaurants were full until late into the night - a great buzz!  We managed to fall asleep quickly, despite the noisy streets - it was a long day.  We look forward to our week by the sea.  Collioure is exceptionally gorgeous - it has a real Catalan feel despite being in France ( once was part of Spain).  Quite different from the regions we have been travelling in so far.  The Pyrenees dip into the sea at this point and tower up behind the town, the lower slopes covered with vines - Banyuls is the wine of this location.  And seafood certainly seems to dominate the restaurant menus!

View from our roof deck, Collioure