A Southern Route
Our daughter lives in Montpellier and, when we visit, we horror her car and drive. This is our latest trip, from Montpellier to the Spanish border and back.
Day 1 Drive south, stopping at Gruisssan, a small seaside town surrounded by salt marshes and oyster farms, for a seafood lunch. We enjoyed Restaurant Les Chalets Gruissan, rustic but with lovely sea views, for grilled fish, shrimp and oysters. Then, on to Elne to visit the Cathedral and really lovely cloisters (my husband loves to visit churches). Finally arrived at Le Boulou, where we stayed at Le Relais des Chartreuses for 3 nights. There are rooms in the manor house, where you have breakfast, but ours , with a terrace overlooking the valley, was in a smaller building near the pool - very quiet and private and lovely. Dinner was offered some nights and we found it quite good and easier than navigating in the dark (the hotel is outside of town, up a rather winding road). Would be a great stop-over en route to Spain.
Day 2 Visited Banyuls sur Mer, quiet town with a beach, easy parking(just outside the center) and quayside with loads of restaurants. Stopped at the Jardin Mediterranean du Mas de la Serre, a park filled with plants from Mediterranean type climates around the world and enjoyed lunch facing the beach and tried (unsuccessfully) to visit the Maillol Museum, outside of town, but, although it was supposed to be open, it wasn’t. Oh, well…Next,Argeles-sur-Mer with a beautiful beach, where we took a dip in the turquoise water. Interesting streets and pretty chapels to explore in the historic area. My husband especially liked the Church of Saint-Laurent-du-Mont a little way south of the town, is a beautifully preserved 12th century roman style church. Another scenic port ,lined with restaurants where we sat outside and had dinner overlooking the harbor.
Day 3 Collioure - well, it was supposed to be Collioure but, after driving round and round, with no parking in sight and people everywhere- we gave up. It was still early inn the day, so few called the Chateau Valmy, to ask if they could accommodate us for lunch - yes! Excellent service, wonderful food, lunch on the terrace overlooking the vineyards - polenta with Spanish sausages, grilled fish, lemon tart and wine - turned out to be a perfect French day.
Day 4. Drive to Céret, lovely little town s, with cafes and art shops, shady trees formed around narrow streets between the small open squares, ramparts, burbling fountains and ornate houses. . Loved the Museum of Modern Art, with works by Picasso, Chagall, Dufy and Dali., who painted here. The collection was started by donations from the artists and we obtained a map from the Tourist Office so we could visit the sites of the paintings.
Stayed outside of town at Mas des Colombes (3 nights), a beautiful man (farmhouse though this is anything but) with a gorgeous pool - and they serve dinner. Enjoyed a swim, meeting our fellow guests for aperitif’s and a good nights sleep
Day 5 Drove into Ceret for the market and returned to the Mas for (husband) to hike and (me) to sunbathe. This is vacation. Another delicious dinner at the Mas.
Day 6. A gorgeous drive to the beautiful Benedictine abbey of Saint-Michel-de Cuxa Abbey in Codalet. Joined a guided tour with a fantastic guide who really brought medieval times to life. This area was part of Spain and so we lunched at a French/Spanish restaurant, La Ferreira, in Prades - very different (wild boar) but delicious.
Next - Narbonne