And the Pyrenees fall into the sea.

Wednesday 7th June 

Time to explore the centre of Perpignan. We took the bus from out front of the apartment straight in to the city - only 15 minute ride, and cheap. There are lots of bus routes in town and to the outlying suburbs and beaches. With a bit of planning we could probably get everywhere we wanted to go by bus. 

Again a bit of 'which way is up' when we got off the bus but the compass on the phone helped out. First stop was the tourist information centre for a map of the centre ville, a wander around the centre, coffee, and then the Petit train which had an excellent commentary in English and hit all the main points in the town. Perpignan dates back to the 900s. In the heart of the city you van see some evidence of its age in some buildings, but a lot of them have been renovated, taking away the attraction of age. There are still the very narrow streets, and no obvious town planning - just building where there was space. One area of town we passed through had a large gypsy population and looked very run down and crowded. 

Wall art.

An interesting piece of art.

Our petit train headed for the main gate and.,,,

The castle. 

This is the hotel de ville - renovated and now the tourist information centre.

All groomed for his day out in town.

These gargoyles on the cathedral are pretty scary. 

I have my own hotel. 

Had a lovely lunch in town and then it was laundry day again, and grocery shopping. 

Thursday 8th June 

Took a drive today south towards the border with Spain where we could see the tail end of the Pyrenees as they disappeared into the sea. We managed to find our way to a viewpoint at Port Vendres where we could look back to the beaches near Perpignan where we had been on Tuesday. Beautiful day but very windy. 

Port Vendres - where the Pyrenees disappeared into the sea.

Looking back to the beaches east of Perpignan. 

Old fort at Port Vendres. 

We could see this fort across the other side of the port area.

Next stop was a visit to the medieval village of Castelnou. Drove around a corner to a view of a castle perched on a hill, and a tiny village beneath the castle. Pedestrians only in the village and a very steep and uneven path from the entry of the village up to the castle. A lot of local artisans in the village, and after lunch, all desperate for one last sale for the day. 

This sight greeted us as we came in sight of the village. The castle dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries. A large part of the walls and some of the towers are still standing though a lot was destroyed during multiple attacks in 16th and 17th centuries.

Village north entrance.

The streets are very uneven. You really need good shoes and to watch your step.

In the window of one of the houses as you entered the village.

One of the rooms in the castle.

Looking down on the village from the top of the castle.

Drove back through wine areas but again it was late in the day and too late to be thinking about wine tasting. We also drove through an apricot growing area where the apricots on the trees were a very red orange - we had hoped to find some at a farm gate stall, but didn't come across one. Maybe tomorrow.