Occitaine – DJmotortouring

Serignan (Occitaine), France May 2025 (Tour 11)

We came to Serignan for a couple of nights to take advantage of Yelloh’s Camping Le Serignan Plage. We would then continue east to Italy, stopping off at the beautiful little coastal town of Martigues on our way. I’ll write about Martigues later.

A little about Serignan first and then a great deal lot more about La Serignan Plage. I make no apologies for focusing on Camping La Serignan Plage at the expense of Serignan Town. We needed the break and, anyway, Serignan is mostly about it’s beautiful beaches which Yelloh Camping Le Serignan Plage has in abundance.

Serignan is situated in the Herault department of Occitaine, less than 10 miles south of the thriving town of Beziers and, perhaps, 14 miles west of Agde with it’s fortified cathedral. It sits on the banks of the River Orb and comprises a small compact old town, a port, some beaches and, not forgetting, the Orpellieres Nature Reserve.

Starting with the old town, the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Grace is at the heart of the old town. It’s foundations date from the 10th century but it has been modified numerous times; most recently during the 1960’s. It’s a large church for such a small place; 3 naves and 10 chapels and there’s a small trapdoor in front of the choir which leads to the graves of 40 canons who have been interred in the church over the years. To my mind, it’s most impressive features are the 7 tall stained glass windows in the apse

The River Orb and the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Grace

Serignan’s port is a bit of a misnomer. There used to be a port and it used to serve the city of Beziers but it’s long gone. In it’s place is a burgeoning marina for leisure craft; sailing yachts mostly. In terms of it’s facilities I think this is best described as work in progress for the moment but I don’t doubt, the authorities will get it right here.

I’ve said already that Serignan is all about it’s beaches. I’ve read that there are four in total; La Chapelle, the Seoune, the Grand Maire Beach and a naturist beach which hasn’t been given a name (probably to discourage voyeurs from ~~goggling~~ googling it). However, I believe there’s a fifth beach, L’Orpellieres, with it’s impressive dunes, which fronts the Orpellieres Nature Reserve.

Of course, the Yelloh Camping Le Serignan Plage has pride of place amongst the beaches. They are wonderful… but, everything about Le Seignan Plage is first class. Small wonder they are ranked amongst the top 10 of France’s 12,000+ campsites. We have long been impressed by Yelloh La Brasilia down near Perpignan but, after a couple od days down at Serignan, I think Le Serignan Plage just edges it.

I’ll let the photos do the talking…

Filet Mignon de Porc with a Jus Reduit au Cepes and Gratin Aveyromnais from the Lou Pas d’Oc Restaurant

… and there is so much more about the place; their own baker, butcher, even a fishmonger; minimarket, shops & hairdressers, etc. You need only look at their web site for full details.

We’d have stayed longer but for the weather which was bringing mosquitos out in ever increasing numbers. Where’s the hot sun when you need it?

Aigues Vives (Occitaine), France May 2025 (Tour 11)

We were making our way to Italy and our next planned stop after Lourdes was to be a 5 star campsite in Serignan some 3 to 4 hours or so to the east of Lourdes. Vanya has had enough of the inclement weather and wants a couple of days in a nice place so as to “realign” (my word, not hers).

And then we discovered we could have a problem. France has long operated a Low Emissions Zone around Paris (not dissimilar to that in London) which has seen us studiously avoid that city. The French system is known as the ZFE, which is short for ‘zones a faibles emissions’. It seems that since January 2025, France has extended the ZFE to include any city of more than 150,000 people and to travel through such areas, drivers (and this includes drivers of foreign registered cars and motorcycles) must first obtain and display a ‘Crit Air’ vignette. Failure to display a vignette is to break the law and will in all likelihood lead to fines.

Cities which have already introduced ZFE

We could apply for a vignette online but, having read up on the subject, it seems such applications can take weeks to process and, even then, the vignette is sent to the puchaser’s home address. That left us in the lurch because Toulouse and Lower Gascony, through which we would have to travel to get to Serignan, operate the ZFE system. We were left with no choice but to make a detour around Toulouse and Lower Gascony and that detour both added hours to our journey and prompted an overnight stop in Aigues Vives. The vicissitudes of life, eh?

And Aigues Vives? Don’t go there. The campsite got us through the night but there’s little else in this tiny village which straddles the D625 road. There’s a bakery and a church (although both were closed) and you can see from the Hotel de Ville and the odd statue alongside it… well, no more need be said except, perhaps, that we both now need to realign.

Postscript: Don’t rely on my website for the latest information on ZFE. Look for the official sources regarding this subject because it is a moving feast. Also, I have since read further about the ZFE and, while they may not be official sites, the following sites proved helpful to me:- www.frenchemissionssticker.com. and Connexionfrance.com.

Lourdes (Occitaine), France May 2025 (Tour 11)

We drove through Peyrehorade today and paused to check out the farmer’s market (I’ve see better) but our ultimate destination was Lourdes and, in particular, Lourdes Sanctuary.

I’ve passed the Lourdes Sanctuary many times before when using the A64 on our way to or from Spain (that stretch of road from Toulouse to Bayonne is also part of the E80 Trans European Motorway which extends from Lisbon in Portugal to Gurbula on Turkey’s border with Iran) but; I’ve never felt inclined to visit before. I’m not even sure why I stopped this time. I certainly didn’t visit as a pilgrim (as 3 million people do every year); I was simply interested to see what it is that attracts so many people and, I’m pleased I did. It is a spectacular place and it proved an inspiring visit – It was almost humbling to witness so much honest to goodness faith. There were people there from all over the world and the unbridled joy of many at completing this pilgrimage was palpable. It was often vocal too with some of the larger visiting groups spontaneously breaking into hymns. That was wonderful to hear and more than once brought a happy smile to my face.

The first of the two photos below is not mine. It is from an exhibition on display in the Sanctuary Grounds while I was there. It is one of many which moved me. The second is a photo I took in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. I don’t pretend my photo is in the same league as those on display in the exhibition. It isn’t. I reproduce them here simply as examples of the aforementioned ‘honest to goodness faith’ that I witnessed. To my mind, both of these photos, unlike the rest of my photos in this blog, serve to identify Lourdes as a place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage and not a tourist resort.

I’ll not repeat everything I learned about Lourdes before, during and since my visit. I’m sure anyone can discover as much as I did about the place (and more) through Google but I’ll leave you with an introduction to the Sanctuary (if you should need it) and some photos.

Starting with the introduction, I’ll simply reproduce what is written on the Lourdes Sanctuary website:-

Since the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858, millions of people from all over the world have flocked to Lourdes every year to experience the grace of this place. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is above all the place of healing of bodies and hearts where one comes to pray humbly to the one who revealed her name to Bernadette Soubirous: “I am the Immaculate Conception”.

And as for some (tourist style) photos:-

I wandered Lourdes Sanctuary for a number of hours (taking a great many more photos than have been reproduced here) and then visited the town (intending to return to the Sanctuary early the next morning, when fewer people were about and when the light would be better, to improve on my photos). Entry into the Sanctuary is free and it is open to the public at this time of the year from 06.00 to 01.00! Good idea but the plan didn’t work. The visit to the town was a waste of time (it’s full of tat, plastic relics, etc) and then, I didn’t get back to the Sanctuary the next day. So, the only part of the sanctuary that I did any justice to was the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. In case you are unaware, there are another two Basilica’s and 25 Chapels (to say nothing of the numerous statues and dioramas). Next time?

Sainte Marie La Mere (Occitaine), France April 2025 (Tour 11)

We spent the morning on the beach with the dogs and then, while Vanya chose to chill by one of Le Brasilia’s many swimming pools, I elected to go for a hike around the Tet Estuary to a gem of a town called Sainte-Marie La Mere (not to be confused with Saintes Maries de la Mer in the Camargue) .

Saint-Marie is similar to Canet en Roussillon in that it is has two very distinct parts, the old town and the beach except they are divided by a road in Sainte-Marie La Mere while in Canet en Roussillon they are a good mile or two apart . I wasn’t interested in seeing the beach on this occasion. I simply wanted to see the old town – the heart of Saint-Marie La Mere.

A pleasant two mile walk in the sunshine by the side of the River Tet and then through fields of artichokes (did you know that artichokes are a species of thistle?) took me to the Rue de Canet and then on to the centre-ville by way of Avenue Arago.

Sainte-Marie La Mere is a small town (it has less than 5,000 inhabitants) and a half day is sufficient to see most everything. Moreover, I had downloaded a useful brochure (a leaflet really) produced by the local tourist office which both helped me find my way around and ensured I didn’t miss anything of note – see www.saintmarielamer-tourisme.com

I actually downloaded three items from the website – the ‘leaflet’ I’ve already mentioned; a three page brochure identifying when and where all the local farmer’s markets are held (that was for Vanya) and; finally a lengthier brochure produced by the Perpignan tourist office entitled ‘Randos & Balades’ (Hikes & Walks); which gives brief details of 38 circular routes of varying lengths and difficulties in the area. Not all of these are available in English but, trust me, you don’t have to be fluent in French to follow them.

Amongst other things, the Sainte-Marie La Mere leaflet made reference to various “trompe l’oeil” which are dotted around the town. These are life size murals which look real from a distance. Most of those in the town were painted by a self-taught local artist, Bernard Gout, and they can be found in numerous towns and villages in the area. I really like his work and, to be honest, it was fun seeking them out.

I worked up quite a thirst during my search for the trompe l’oeil and made time for a long cool beer in a friendly bar on Rue de la Paix before making my way back to Le Brasilia.

We would stay one more day in France (and do nothing but enjoy Le Brasilia’s abundant facilities) and then make our way into Spain. The weather forecast in Catalonia and Spain in general is good for the forseeable future and I read somewhere that the restriction on taking a motorhome into the beautiful village of Cadaques has been lifted. Both Cadaques and the nearby Parc Natural de Cap de Creus have long been on my wish list of places to visit. At last!

Elne (Occitaine), France Apri 2025 (Tour 11)

We had booked into Le Brasilia for 4 nights (which eventually turned into 5) knowing that it is a good spot with plenty of interesting places to visit in the surrounding area. The day after our visit to Le Barcares, we drove south to the slightly larger town of Elne, reputed to be the oldest town in the area. Elne was where Hannibal, after crossing the Pyrenees in 218 BC, paused to negotiate a peaceful crossing of Gaul on his way to attack Rome. From it’s position on the Tech River, a few miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea, it grew to become one of the most prominent cities in the area and remained so until slowly eclipsed by Perpignan in the late Middle Ages. Now it is a quiet predominantly agricultural town of less than 10,000 people.

The town’s most interesting features are the Cathedral of Sainte Eulalie et Sainte Julie and the Episcopal Palace (the catholic bishopric was established in the 6th century and wasn’t transferred to Perpignan until 1601) and for those not interested in ecclesiastical buildings (Vanya) there is a butterfly farm (Le Tropique du Papillon) which we didn’t get to enjoy because we had our dogs with us. I imagine that the last thing anyone wants to see, least of all Vanya, is Beanie tearing around the Mediterranean Garden, hounding rare butterflies to death.

No, I made do with a short tour of the cathedral and it’s cloisters and then we wandered the town admiring the artwork of the sculptor Aristide Maillol (whom I wrote about when we visited Banyuls sur Mer), a painter called Etienne Terrus (whom I had never heard of but who became a highly regarded impressionist painter and was a close friend of Henri Matisse) and a number of contemporary artists who, no doubt influenced by Terrus, have made Elne their home (for the time being at least).

The cathedral dominates the town and is impressive. Parts of the current building date back to 1069 but most of the Cathedral was destroyed (and the town’s population massacred) in 1285 when a French army invaded Catalan as part of the Aragonese Crusade. It was rebuilt in the 14th century.

One of the statues in Elne which is easily identified as a Malliol creation is the war memorial honouring the town’s fallen in the two world wars, and France’s wars in Indochina and Algeria. The model for the statue was Dina Vierny (the muse, model, avid art collector and member of the French resistance during WW2 whom I wrote about in my blog on Banyuls sur Mer). She was the model too for his Pomone which is in the Tuileries in Paris. She wisely kept her clothes on for Elne’s war memorial.

‘Elne, les ramparts sud’ by Etienne Terrus

A great many of the works of Etienne Terrus are to be found in Elne’s Terrus Museum & Art Gallery although; the numbers were greatly reduced between September 2017 and April 2018 after a guest curator became suspicious about some of the exhibits on display in the museum and suggested they were fakes. No less than 82 of the 142 works on display were later found to be fakes. The 60 works now on display in the gallery were authenticated and ‘Elne, les ramparts sud’ (see above) is amongst them.

There are plenty of other works on display in the streets around the town and I took a few photographs but…

… Sometimes it is the streets themselves that produce the real beauty:-

We’re staying on in Le Brasilia for at least another two days and so tomorrow I will visit Sainte Marie-Marie La Mere…

Le Barcares (Occitaine), France April 2025 (Tour 11)

We took a day out from Le Brasilia to visit the small town of Le Barcares just 8 miles north of Canet en Roussillon. It was market day in Le Barcares and that is as good a reason as any to visit somewhere in France. We’d have a good wander around the market and then take brunch by the sea.

Le Barcares has the unenviable reputation of being amongst the first of the towns and villages along this stretch of the coast to fully embrace tourism at the expense of it’s fishing interests. Some investors moved in during the 1960’s with ideas to develop a leisure complex to the north of the town. They planted an old cruise liner (the Lydia) on the beach near the port (which they later fitted out as a nightclub, restaurant and casino) and built a promenade connecting the Lydia to Port Le Bacares (which became known as the Allee des Arts after the investors arranged for various artists to create an open air museum of contemporary art along it’s length). It was an ambitious, cutting edge project but it was well received and for many years was successful. Over time, however, interest waned; successive owners failed to maintain the liner and; by the 1980’s Lydia had fallen into disuse. The ship and the promenade lay derelict until 2011 when the local council bought it for a million Euros with a view to revitalising the complex by turning it into a cultural attraction.

The liner has since been refurbished. A small museum and art gallery has been installed and part of the ship is set aside for exhibitions and events. The exhibits along the promenade, which originally comprised a series of monumental sculptures (such as the Soleilonautes – see below), have been added to by a street art collection fashioned out of and/or on old shipping containers. In addition, some nearby land owned by the council was reserved for the creation of a new initiative, the Traditional Fishermen’s Village. This consists of a small collection of fishing boats and thatched wooden cottages and serves as a tribute to the people who first settled this area. I like that idea.

The Le Barcares Council are to be commended for trying to make the best of a truly awful situation but, with the exception of the Fishermen’s Village, I’m not sure their plans will work. I hope I’m wrong but the realities are that (a) the ship is very much under utilised and will be prohibitively expensive to maintain (especially with recent Trip Advisor reviews proving very negative) and (b) the sculptures and street art collection are, to my mind, unimpressive and already looking tired. I think too that these exhibits, especially the more abstract ones like the Soleilonautes (8 wooden totem poles arranged in a circle), would benefit from an explanatory plaque. I like to know what I am looking at and what was in the artist’s mind at the time. Fingers crossed that it all comes good because the council are at least trying.

Les Soleil0nautes. What is it supposed to represent?

Moving on. We parked the Van on a large motorhome aire near old port (now a marina) – thanks again to the council for such a facility – and walked into town along Rue Magellan. The view across the marina entrance towards the Pyrenees was something else. Pic de Canigou, once thought to be the tallest mountain in the Pyrenees at 2,748 metres (it’s not even close; that honour goes to Aneto at 3,404 metres), looked fantastic with it’s tops covered in snow. We were so impressed with that view, we almost missed out on the Fishermen’s Village.

The farmer’s market in Le Barcares is not the biggest market we have seen in France and it certainly didn’t have the variety of Bar sur Seine in Grand Est but it was a fair size and a real joy to wander. Vanya particularly liked it, buying a new top and a grape vine. Yes, a grape vine. I very much liked some oil paintings on sheets of tin of all things but resisted the urge to buy. I was going to have my hands full walking back to the Van with Nala and a 20 year old Muscat grape vine.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

… but that Muscat vine on the table!?!

Canet en Roussillon and Saint-Genis des Fontaines (Occitaine), France April 2025 (Tour 11)

A major change of plan. From Chateauneuf du Rhone we were intending to drive down into Provence for a few days and then head for the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. However, the weather forecast for those areas is not good – rain and/or strong winds. Instead we are going to make our way to the southwest of France and then on into Spain. We’re on tour for the best part of three months and will therefore have plenty of time to catch up on Corsica and Sardinia later.

It was Vanya’s idea to book in at Yelloh’s Brasilia over the Easter Holiday and a good idea it was too. We usually book campsites one day at a time during our tours but at weekends we invariably book both the Friday and the Saturday because, so popular is motorhoming in France, it can prove very difficult to find empty spaces on a Saturday. Vanya suggested it could be the same over the Easter Holiday weekend and so reserved a space in Le Brasilia (located just outside Canet en Roussillon) for the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. It was an inspired thought because the place proved to be packed all over the Easter break with French and German holidaymakers. Of course, Le Brasilia is also Vanya’s most favourite campsite of all those that we have visited during our tours and it came as no surprise when she later booked us in for the Monday night too. No problem. What’s not to like about the Le Brasilia?

Canet en Roussillon is not one of my favourite places but the weather forecast for the area was promising and it does serve as a great place from which to take day trips out. On this occasion we visited nearby Le Barcares, Elne, Saint-Marie La Mere and, of course, Saint-Genis des Fontaines; although the latter was business in that I wanted to buy some wine from my favourite wine producer in the area. I do it every time we are down there.

No more about either Le Brasilia or Canet en Roussillon (you can refer to earlier blogs for further information on those those places) but, since I have not done so before, I will make brief mention of Saint Genis-des Fontaines. Individual blogs on Le Bacares, Elnes and Saint-Marie La Mere can follow.

We have visited Saint-Genis des Fontaines at least four times before (probably five) and never mentioned anything other than that I favour one of the local wineries – Les Vignerons des Alberes.The most significant building in the village (after the winery) is the Abbey of the Saint Genis which dates back to the 8th century. There’s not a great deal left of the original abbey but the cloister is remarkably well preserved and the lintel above the front entrance, which I understand dates to the early 11th century, is supposedly one of the oldest traces of Romanesque art anywhere.

So, here are a few photos.

The restaurant with the amazing sign is on Avenue des Ecoles, almost opposite Les Vignerons des Alberes. It’s name is “Y en aura pas pour tout le Monde” which translates to “There won’t be enough for everyone” – there’s confidence.

That’s the entrance to the winery, Les Vignerons des Alberes. While we were in there, a Pays de Catalan Choir entered and started singing. I don’t know what that was about but as they they left, they were gifted a couple of boxes of wine. We saw them later in the village exiting a small grocery store with a couple of boxes of eggs.

As for this year’s wine, I took away some boxes of the usual Cotes du Roussillon Rouge (Vanya added a couple of boxes of Chardonnay) and a few bottles of two reds recommended by a local; the first being a Premium Cotes du Roussillon Rouge and the other a Cotes Catalan Grenache. I’m looking forward to tasting those.

Alzonne (Occitanie), France October 2024 (Tour 10)

After a pleasant drive across what was once Cathar Country (passing the 16th century Fortress de Salses and the Salses Leucate Lakes near Fitou) we arrived at Camping L’Escale Occitane just 1 kilometre from Alzonne, a small village of some 1,600 people.

We were intent on revisiting Saint Remy de Provence but stopped off at Alzonne (Camping L’Escale Occitane) in the Aude Department of Occcitaine to meet up with some friends (Chris and Tessa) who live in nearby Fanjeaux. We spent a little time with them earlier in the year (Tour 9) and I promised them my Thai coriander curry when we next passed through.

The campsite proved to be an inspired choice. Set amongst a series of small vineyards, it’s a tiny pet friendly rural site of 16 pitches (8 of them intended for motorhomes) with excellent views towards the Pyrenees. It’s run by a very welcoming couple, Remy and Nadia. What surprised me most about the campsite was that despite it’s relatively small size, they run a very popular little restaurant. We didn’t get to try it because I’d promised to cook for Chris and Tessa but… next time.

Oh… and the campsite keep a decent range of local artisan beers. The Ciutat Blonde from Carcassonne was pretty good.

Chris and I shared a few of the beers before dinner (it was his birthday) and, while my curry wasn’t at it’s best (I didn’t add enough coriander), it could have been worse and, besides, the company of Chris and Tessa more than compensated for the shortcomings in the food.

There is one final point worth mentioning. Just down the road from the campsite is a small winery, going by the name of Chateau Sesquieres. It’s a very small affair run by Gerard Lagoutte but he produces a surprisingly wide range of very pleasant wines. Vanya and I popped in on the off chance he would be open and we struck lucky. He let us sample a few of his wines and we ended up buying a mixed case. We’ll be popping in again next time we are in the area.

Saint Remy next.

Canet en Roussilon (Occitanie), France October 2024 (Tour 10)

We were back in France at the small coastal town of Canet en Roussillon, to the east of Perpignan. We had moved north because of the impending bad weather in Spain and because Vanya wanted to chill for a few days at the ‘Le Brasilia’ campsite before it closed for winter. Le Brasilia is part of the Yelloh chain and with it’s five stars is one of the top campsites in the Languedoc Roussillon area, if not the whole of France. We have used Yelloh before and never been disappointed.

As for the town of Canet en Roussillon, it’s not for me. It’s divided into three very distinct parts being, the old town, the beach area and the marina.

I passed the marina on my way to the old town but there’s not much there other than some very beautiful (and expensive) sailing craft. There were a couple of absolutely gorgeous catamarans.

The old town of Canet en Roussillon is the most interesting part. It’s a small but busy little place with it’s two most prominent features being, the 14th century Church of Saint Jacques and a 14th century castle ruin known as the Viscount’s Castle (which was abandoned during the French Revolution). Both were closed during our visit but, to be fair, the holiday season here is almost over.

The beach area, a 2 kilometre walk from the old town, is a family holiday resort of mega proportions. In the holiday season it is all about swimming, sunbathing and water sports. Outside of the season, it is a massive empty Blue Flag Beach with numerous empty restaurant-bars souvenir shops – almost soulless. The irony is that I can’t imagine it being any better with crowds of people. The tourist website ‘FranceVoyage’ say everything you need to know about Canet en Roussillon when they conclude in their blog- “A slot machine arcade as well as restaurants, cafés and discos provide plenty of night-time entertainment”. Not for me, thanks.

Back to Le Brasilia. We’ve stayed at a few Yelloh sites during our travels (with the one at Chateau Lanniron near Quimper deserving special mention) and this one in Canet en Roussillon is as good as any we have stayed at not least because, even in low season, it continues to offer all the facilities normally available during high season (right up until the moment the site closed).

The chain prides itself on employing friendly helpful staff and this certainly proved the case all across this still lively 15 hectare site. I’ll not go into detail about all the facilities available at Le Brasilia (you can google that) but I should perhaps make special mention of the restaurant-bar which served a wide range of good, fairly priced food; the swimming pool complex with it’s selection of 5 different themed heated swimming pools (including a hydrotherapy pool) and; best of all, the facilities set aside for dogs which included dog runs, walking areas and a nearby dog friendly beach.

Nala and Beanie loved running around (hopping in Nala’s case) and playing on the large sandy beach (which meant Nala didn’t need her walking wheels and boots) although, Nala would be equally happy on a pebble beach where she can dive for the largest possible stones.

And in the evenings.. karaoke nights and a very competent Queen Tribute Band.

In the end we stayed for three nights until the campsite closed for winter (we were one of the last to check out) but if the place hadn’t been closing for winter, I think Vanya would have stayed on longer. The increasingly cold weather at night, however, reminded us that it would soon be time for us to return to the UK.

Footnote: I cannot imagine why (because I can see no similarity between the two towns) but Canet en Roussillon is twinned with Maynooth near where our son’s wedding was (and where we were just a few weeks ago). Now there’s a coincidence.

Argeles sur Mer (Occitan), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

I really like this part of France. We have been to the Vermillion Coast (la Cote Vermeille) a few times now; visiting Collioure, Banyuls sur Mer and, of course, little Saint Genis des Fontaines (where I buy my vin rouge de la maison).

Argeles sur Mer is not a town I have ever thought to visit before; largely because of it’s reputation as being one of the most popular holiday resorts on the south coast of France. It currently has a population of less than 11,000 and yet attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year. The town was busy even as I arrived during the middle of September although; a fairly stiff breeze was forcing the great majority of visitors off of the 7 kms blue flag beach and on to the Boulevard de la Mer which runs behind the beachfront buildings lining the promenade.

It took me about an hour to walk from Camping Le Dauphin into town and along the promenade to the harbour area.

*It would take a great many people to fill this beach*

The harbour area is more of a marina than a port; there being so many leisure craft docked there. It’s probably the most developed part of the town; lined as it is with restaurants, boutique shops and apartment blocks. There’s little on the seafront (and I include the harbour in this) to suggest the town was ever anything other than a tourist resort (except perhaps the few brightly coloured Lateen boats bobbing on the water) but, for all that, Argeles has not become a tacky tourist resort like so many. I quite like the place.

Carry on south beyond the harbour area and you will reach a small sandy cove edged by what were once fishermen’s cottages and/or temporary homes built by Spanish exiles. I don’t know which is true but they all now appear well tended and attractive. Behind them are some shops and a few small apartment blocks. This is the tiny hamlet of Racou and it seems a world apart from Argeles. It makes for a much quieter day on the beach too.

*A Tourist Office Photo of Racou which I could never reproduce*

There’s a path from Racou up to a viewpoint with views over Argeles. It connects too with the coastal path to Collioure. It was getting late and, much as I like the place, I had neither the time nor the energy to go on to Collioure. Instead I sought out Argeles’ old town and in particular L’Eglise Notre Dame del Prat (Our Lady of the Meadows).

The 14th century Eglise Notre Dame del Prat is situated at the heart of the old town on the Rue de la Republique. A narrow lane, Rue de la Solidarite, runs around the back of the church and the delightful little cottages that edge this lane, together with the buildings opposite the front entrance to the church, form a pretty little square which is home to a traditional market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The church is full of character and famous for it’s Catalan paintings of various saints but it was the altar which most caught my attention. It is truly stunning. The 14th century bell tower is also impressive. It is a listed historic monument and it is possible to ascend the tower but only with an official guide at prescribed times. I missed out on that one.

*Part of the square formed by cottages on Rue de la Sokidarite*

It was at least a 3 mile walk back to our camp site (Camping Le Dauphin) but I made it in time for pre dinner drinks with Vanya. Camping Le Dauphin is an excellent 5 star campsite by the way that didn’t charge silly money (we paid an off season price of just 26 euros for a plot with private showers, etc). It is an excellent stop over place but a bit too far out of town for Nala (and probably Vanya too).

Would I return to Argeles? Yes, provided it was out of season and; given more time, I would be keen to undertake the 8km walk up to the Tour de la Massane for it’s views of one of the prettiest coastlines in the south of France.