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Colliure
The lighthouse now incorporated into the church as a belltower Pitter, Patter, Pitter, Patter . The sound of rain gently dripping onto Suzy’s roof. I wouldn’t say the weather has been kind to us so far. It has been far from cold. In fact, rather muggy so the gentle pitter, patter of the rain has been very welcoming clearing the air.
We didn’t bother getting up early. We had no plans to go into Pezenas this morning. Our neighbour the elderly Frenchman on his own in his camper van had woken before us . He stood on his van step, smiled and got out his nail cutters and started to trim his fingernails. I often wonder what travelling on your own feels like. No-one to talk to but there again no-one to fall out with apart from yourself.
Our only plan for the morning a trip to the Intermarch at the bottom of the hill. We had used the last of our fresh milk and had no bread so a bit of food retail therapy was required before we set off for the coast.
The supermarket was seriously huge with aisle after aisle of fresh, frozen and tinned food. Aisles full of
everything you could need to wash and clean your car to killing your neighbourhood rat. I like to compare prices and was interested to see bread,milk and biscuits, staple food was similar to what I would pay in the UK. However chocolate – much as I fancied a Cadburys bar of Whole Nut or milk chocolate came out at 5 and 6 euros. About three times what I would pay in our local Tesco. So it stayed on the shelf.
After a quick cuppa we unhooked Suzy and set out on the road again. This time we noticed the roads seemed more busy as cars, vans and lorries filled the aires and speed towards Perpignan and Spain. We even had to ride past the Aire de prat de cest which was heaving. It didn’t take long though to find another one with less people on it and there we stayed and ate our dinner.
Our destination today would be the Castels site Le Crique de Portels part of the same 5 * chain that run Guines in Northern France . This had better be good we thought. On the way the garden centres had
been replaced by Palmeries. Each one full of bamboos of various shapes and sizes and palm trees from a few feet tall to huge monsters 20 feet high. The roadsides were bright yellow with the Gorse and the Broom all of which were in full flower and interspersed with the very pretty pinks of the Tobacco Plants. Everywhere seemed a riot of colour and we could tell we were in the south now as it was getting warmer and the sun shining.
Reception at the site was a bit shambolic but helpful and we given a map with three plots we could choose from. The receptionist intended to drive us up in a golf buggy. Sion looked excited at the thought of going in the golf buggy but was thwarted when Mr Jobsworth who had filled the buggy with plants refused to give it up to the receptionist . Instead we were told to walk to pick our plot or go in Suzy. We chose to drive and found plot 21 – too close to the road. Plot 45 just fine – that will do . It was large, sandy but with some grass, had hedges and
Colliure
The castle fences round it and had a view of the Mediterranean. Blue and very pretty with small boats on it. It felt like heaven on earth. The site is an ACSI one and costs 19 euro 80 a night. There is a restaurant on site and a lovely clean toilet block and washing facilities right on our doorstep. We felt sitting drinking a glass of wine that we had finally arrived in the sun. It has been a long cold lonely winter and to quote Cockney Rebel Here comes the sun.
After tea we walked down to the private beach. We were the only souls there apart from a Dutch couple with the French basset hound 9 month old Iko who seemed to enjoy climbing the rockface, trying to play with wood bigger than he was and managed to jump at me and rip my floaty cardigan that he thought was a plaything.
We didn’t sleep well at first as there was a film crew on site filming the campsite. Sion wanted to get in on the act and have a starring part but they would have none of it . And later we could
hear loud Catalan music emanating from the restaurant. On the whole though an excellent site with a well stocked shop and what would have been an excellent swimming pool if I had had it to myself . I was mean and didn’t want to share it with hundreds of children .
We slept in late again and after breakfast walked into Colliure. A walk advertised as 20 minutes along the track from the campsite or an hour via the beach. The walk was pretty with cactus flowering bright orange . As usual the 20 minutes didn’t quite work out right. We are not runners but then neither are we slow coaches when it comes to walking but 20 minutes later we had only reached the outskirts of the town. We could see the lighthouse /church tower in the distance and it took a further 20 mins to get there. Our first stop a café on the harbour front for a very welcome espresso and cappuccino before we went to look at the church.
Yes it is true that the first thing you see on the walled harbour is a ridiculously phallic pink church tower. Once a
lighthouse it has been hijacked as a bell tower of the rather insignificant little church . Dull and dim inside it is not helped by its lack of windows. More a fortress than a church. The tower is the prettiest part of it and it doesnt take much imagination to realise why it became the haunt of painters and the birthplace of Fauvism. Matisse and Derain arrived here in 1905, having apparently forgotten their black paint and produced 242 pictures, making Collioure's church one of the most painted locations in France on a par with the Moulin Rouge, Monet's lilies and Madame Renoir's thighs. There is a pretty walkway to the end of the quay where you can watch the day tripper boats edging in and out of the little harbour and see children catching octopus in their nets.
On the other side of the harbour it has a slightly less seaside feel with shops selling some tat and ice creams. We whiled away an hour sitting in the sun eating coffee and creme caramel ice creams watching the commandoes whose training base was in the nearby castle on exercises.
Lunch a pizza and a pancake covered in
lemon juice was taken in a back street restaurant . By now the town was bustling as holidaymakers appeared. This is May and early at that . What would it be like in the height of summer.
Our last visit was to the Castle which is built inside a Vauban fort or is it the other way round. The Vauban fort surrounds the castle . There are a ring of forts on the hillsides. Some accessible but others used by the military. We decided to content ourselves with this one. Entry fee 6 euros plein tarif and 4 euros reduced pensioner rates. That saved us the price of another espresso. The views from the castle over the old town, the harbour and the phallic symbol are wonderful as you climb higher and higher up the castle from the subterranean passages to the walkways of the Vauban fort.
The castle was built between the 12th and the 16th centuries as a residence for the Kings of Majorca when Spain owned this part of the world. A much disputed land it has changed hands between Spain and France many times and the forts along the coast stand proud testimony to
that frontier feel. It became the residence of the Kings of France in 1659. In the 17th century Vauban arrived as he did in many french towns to fortify it. During its lifetime it has became a prison in 1939 and has been used for prisoners from the Spanish Civil War. Nothing remains inside. As usual it looks as if it has been stripped of its contents at the time of the French revolution. All rooms are sadly empty apart from the odd one or two which now house a collection of modern religious art.
You can tarry awhile here . Colliure would be delightful at night . There is a train station with no doubt connections to Perpignan and for some reason it' s the sort of place you find yourself feeling a long way from home and you feel like doing nothing. A glass of wine watching the Med - fantastic
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Lovely photo
Glad you continue to explore. Thanks for sharing.