A chance meeting last December of John Brett (former Trekker) and Dick and Joan Needham with an invitation to visit the South Eastern Pyrenees as he had started a walking club there, resulted in 18 Trekkers going to see and walk in his adopted homeland, French Catalonia, or Roussillon segment of the Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon region.
PRADES
Prades is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Pyrenees Orientales Department in southern France. It has about 7,000 inhabitants and is 40k west of Perpignan. It is capital of the historical Confluent valley at the foot of Mount Canigou in the Pyrenees adjacent to northern Spanish frontier and half way between the Mediterranean Sea and the ski-slopes, close to Andorra and only 2-3 hours away from Barcelona. It is a trading centre between the plains and the mountains.
This area enjoys a sunny microclimate with 300 sunshine days a year, with long hot summers and relatively cold winters. The presence of the Pyrenees ensures ample rainfall and therefore lush vegetation, which can vary from valley to valley. Despite the cold in winter the days are usually bright with sunshine. The famous Pyrenean wind that gusts in this region is called La Tramontane - welcome in summer time, not so in winter! There is also the vent marin or sea wind.
HISTORY
French Catalonia was put on the map when Perpignan became the capital of the Kings of Majorca, under James1. Roussillon remained under Spanish control until LouisX1 came along in 1463 and conquered the capital making it French. Taken back by the Spanish again some 30 years later, it stayed Spanish for nearly 2000 years. However, in 1642 Louis X1V initiated the TREATY of the PYRENEES and signed in 1659, ensuring that Roussillon would become part of the French Republic, omitting Llivia which remains a Spanish enclave to this day.
To-day's stance is clear. This is France with a Catalan emphasis. The Catalan flag of yellow and red horizontal stripes can be seen throughout Roussillon. Catalan emblem is the famous Grenet de Perpignan, a deep red garnet set in gold. Street and place names are written in Catalan along side French. The Catalan language is thought in schools along with French, and most people are bi-lingual.
Catalan cuisine is served is most restaurants, ranging from Boles de Picolat, spicy meatballs in a rich olive cinnamon and garlic sauce and Crème Catalane, crème brulee with a difference. Peasant stew or l'Ollada, is complete with pig's ears and tail!
The dry rich soil of the ancient vineyards produces dry and sweet Catalan wines. Catalans pride themselves on their Rugby team from Perpignan.
Mount Canigou
This mountain is the most potent symbol of Catalan identity in the Roussillon to-day. Venerated as far back as 1001, it can be clearly seen throughout the region.
It is snow-capped from mid-October until spring. Height is 2,784 meters or approx. 9000 feet. Location is a mere 50k from the Mediterranean, between the Tet and Tech valleys south east of Prades. It is also reputed to have the steepest gradients in the whole range of the Pyrenees, thus earning its nickname 'The Catalan Fuji Yama'.
Ascent to the summit is usually done in summer, and there is also a 33K local race done every year including the mountain and Massif. The lazy way is by 4-wheel drive! Then hike the remaining 90 minutes during the summer months, during the winter there are manned and 2 unmanned shelters available for use.
The Canigou Massif a protected nature reserve offers numerous walking and hiking opportunities.
The whole area is classified as one of the Grand Sites of France since 1999.
'Catalan Days' follow the celebration of Good Friday and Easter when there is a huge procession in Perpignan. These days celebrate festivals of music and dancing throughout the region. Fireworks are lit on 14th July Bastille Day and 15th August Feast of the Assumption.
The Festa Major St Jean is a full 2week festival in mid-June, when the sacred Canigou takes on special spiritual significance with a flame ceremony reinforcing peace and fraternity amongst all Catalans. Perpignan plays host to a laser show and thousands celebrate in the streets.
Prades
Prades known as the green plains has a couple of places of interest, besides the vegetable market on Saturday and large general one on Tuesday!
Church of St.Pierre was rebuilt during the 17th century on the remains of a Romanesque church from which only the great bell remains. The Catalan sculpture Josep Sunyer, built the large baroque altarpiece is classified as a historic monument and known as the largest in France. There is a treasury which holds pieces from the abbey St Michel de Cuixa. These are objects from the 15th to 18th centuries, pieces from the French Revolution, chalices, ciboria, and a gold altarpiece of St. Benedict.
Le Maison Jacomet or half-timbered house is one of the oldest in the whole region dating from the 15th century. It is where the 'Notables' those invited by the king to consult on matters of state lived.
Numerous facades and front doors of the houses have sculptured motifs in the rendering.
Material used in the decoration of the houses include pink marble 'le galet' decorative stones and pebbles, and Catalan brick 'le cayrou' local black stone.
Since 1750 the Catalans have being extracting garnet from the slopes of the Pyrenees.
Some of famous people who lived in Prades include:
- PABLO CASALS 1876-1973
- THOMAS MERTON 1915-1968
- POMPEU FABRA 1868-1948
Famous cellist, born in Spain refused to perform in Hitler's Germany and after the Spanish Civil War he went into exile in Prades. The bicentennial of Bach's death in 1950 led him to return to the instrument and create the Prades Festival. Invited to the United Nations and the White House, he became a representative of World Peace.
A Trappist monk was born No.1 rue de September. His written works fight for world peace and the battle against poverty. He studied religions from Asia and the thoughts of Gandhi. In1968 he was invited to a world congress and died afterwards.
Was born in Garcia but became exiled in Prades. He wrote the "Grammar of the LLengua Catalana" which is the official referance book for the Catalan language.1939 he became exiled in Prades fleeing the Franco Regime, and continued to work on the Catalan language until he died.
We stayed in Villa Lafabregue, with Nick and Kate as our hosts. It was built for a Catalan banking family around the 1870's in an acre of ground. The house became the German headquarters in1943. It was taken over by the French resistance (Maguisard) in1944, and the allies 1945. It is overlooked by the Pyrenees. Guests were encouraged to bring food back and eat on the terrace and free tea and coffee was provided in the rooms as well as in the open room downstairs. They were always welcoming, helpful in every way possible. Their home was our home while we there. We always looked forward to the cuppa which Kate kindly provided on return from walking, that's service! The pool in the grounds was used frequently by several members of the group an added enjoyment. When we arrived the first night May 8th, Kate provided us all with a delicious meal. All the ladies were looking for the recipes. Nick made sure our glasses were full, what an introduction to our new home!
Guides for our holiday were: Nick, Richard, (Ford), John and Carol when possible and most importantly Indy the chochalate brown Labrador. They ensured we were all safe throughout our walking trips, spoke to us about the local area we happened to be in at the time, were always available for questions, and Indy reminded us to keep hydrated, because when she got too hot she went for a swim in the canals, and took to the drink!
WEDNESDAY 9th May
10.00 A.M.
Walked through the park of the Chateau Palms. Full of rare species and old trees such as redwoods, cedars magnolias, linden trees plane trees, chestnuts, oaks and mimosas.
Walked by poppy lined road ways, peach and cherry orchards, through forest trails up to Abbey Saint-Michel-de-Cuixa. This Benedictine Abbey is one of the most important ancient monuments of France. It dates from the 10th century; alas it was closed so we could not see the Byzantine arches. The bell tower from the early Romanesque period was visible, but not the crypt, remains of a cloister and a gallery. We saw the remains of this year's collection of irises which bloom in the spring in the abbey garden. The monastic life of this monastery continues today by some monks from Montserrat.
There is a system of canals at the base of the mountains which collect the melted snow, and thus crops of fruit and vegetables can be irrigated. Each house has a canal running at the bottom of it in order to water the garden, water charges 16 Euros per year! Water is also collected from the mountains for electricity We crossed a ridge down to Taurinya then back to Prades having walked 12k.
THURSDAY 10th May
9.00A.M.
Cars took us up to Fontpedrouse/Saint Thomas Les Bains to catch THE YELLOW TRAIN at an altitude of 1050m. We were all looking forward to a train journey with a difference and were not disappointed! This particular railway (Cerdagne) is an extension of the SNCF national French line. The open carriages we travelled in were referred to as les bains or the bathtubs that give the full effect of the fresh mountain air, and one could experience the engineering marvel of getting a track through this mountainous countryside. The dramatic alpine scenery over towering bridges, tunnels, and viaducts over forested valley floor were clearly seen by us. This train only stops at more major stops unless signalled by the passenger to stop, or prebooked with company before travelling. The speed limit is 55km/h. The 100 small villages are no longer isolated because of the railway.
Building of the railway started in 1903
1910 first section from Villafranche to Mont Louis was opened.
1911 the train climbed to Bourg Madame
1927 the last part Latour-de-Carol was completed establishing a link with the Transpyreneen..
It is the highest railway in France (altitude of 1592 meters at Bolquere Eune). There are 19 tunnels and 2 bridges in the architecture style of the 1900's.
The Sojourner Viaduct which is entirely of granite is 65m high, 230m long and is composed of a main arch of 30m wide supporting 16 smaller arches in Gothic style, above the Tat River.
The Giscard Bridge, built between 1905 and 1908, was considered at the time as a real technical revolution. The central span of 156m and 2and a half spans of 39m. Its deck stands at 80m. The 32m high piers support pylons of 30m. At the top of the pylons some guys and retaining cables are fixed to the dilation fitting. These cables are fixed in the mountain. Albert Giscard, the inventor of this new concept, was a mathematician and engineer born in Nimes. Unfortunately he was killed during the official test ride. His train left earlier than scheduled and was yet to be equipped with the electric breaking system chosen by the service.
We arrived at Mont Louis/La CABANASSE altitude of 1510m stunned by the beauty that this most unique train ride offered. Richard and Nick informed us that Mont Louis was listed as a UNESCO WORLD HERTIAGE SITE as part of the 'Fortifications of Vauban' group.
The world's first Solar Furnace was built there in 1949 by Tombe.
It is also is the first Ski Resort approaching the Pyrenees from the Mediterranean side.
Just above Mont-Louis is an area known as the Cerdagne, a vast plain of pastures, trees, and villages surrounded with peaks covered with snow. The largest river in Roussillon, theTet arises from Pick Carlit 2921m the highest point in the Pyrenees almost beside Andorra. There are also several beautiful lakes here. These are used to collect water for sea-planes if a forest fire occurs. The river is 116K long and flows from west to east to enter the Mediterranean Sea near Perpignan.
We then started our descent back down to St. Thomas les Bains. The track was sandy and steep and difficult in parts. We were trying to get some shaded areas along the paths as the weather was very hot. We passed through a Nature Reserve one of the many in this region, and below the bridge we had travelled by train. We climbed out of the valley floor following the narrow track, and then had lunch. Our concentration was better after this and eventually we completed the last bit of the difficult descent having walked 12k. Some folk took the sulphur baths. The natural and thermal hot waters are amongst the warmest coming out of the ground at 58 degrees C before the water is cooled down to 34-38 degrees C. Chromatherapy (natural light and phototherapy), Turkish baths, Jacuzzis and messages are offered too. Some preferred a cool drink. We returned home by car relaxed and delighted to have had such a great day.
Evening meal was taken by the whole group at a nearby restaurant, owned by a German, with a Belgian chef, with Spanish food, in France!
FRIDAY 11th May
9. A.M.
We started our trip on a coach to Le Racou Plage. Racou which means corner in Catalan. It is a beautiful sandy beach the last one before the rocky outcrops of the Cote Vermeille.
Walking at the back of the beach past the car park, we headed east. As we browsed the 'table d'orientation' we could clearly see Racou beach and back towards port Argeles. Following the footpath which plateaus out along the costal hill we meandered down to the next cove, the Anse du Portell. This is a shingle beech and is very secluded. Along the path the Alberes hills and impressive tower at Madeloc are visible.
Steps are cut into the rock in places and almost look like a natural feature. We continued climbing on the rocks until we reached the well-marked path along the top of the low cliffs. As we passed the camp-site of les Criques du Porteils on our right the waves were crashing dramatically on the rocks below on the left, until we descended to the Plage de l'Ouille. Draped over the cliffs were flowering plants and cacti.
As the old sea-level cliff path to Collioure is so weather damaged, we took another climb from l'Ouille which took us up to the highest point in the walk. We crossed more cliffs, below Fort Carre(1758) which was perched on top of a hill, then along grassy slops until we reached Fort Miradou, the most northern part of Vauban's defensive wall of Collioure. This is an active military base, so we walked through a car-park along the road into the back streets art galleries and cafes to Collioure. 6K
This walk was a first for the trekkers, a costal walk by the Mediterranean.
Collioure (Paradise Reclaimed)!!
We were all charmed by this sea-side village, only 26K from the Spanish border. It is situated in a small harbour where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean Sea and is overlooked by a castle and surrounded by small coves and pebble beeches.
As Henri Matisse said 'In France there is no sky as blue as the one in Collioure … I just have to close the shutters of my room and I have all the colours of the Mediterranean before me.
We had time to have lunch (Catalan Menu) and taste some of the famous local wine (red, rose, or/and Banyulus aperitif or dessert wine). Afterwards we explored the old town, and the ladies shopped!!
Dinner was in down town Prades.
SATURDAY 12th May
Free Day!
A group of us decided the visit Villefranche-de-Conflent. We travelled by local bus as there was no local pathway. We discovered all local train and bus journeys are 1Euro!
This medieval town is only 6K from Prades, and is built in pink marble. It was fortified by Vauban who was a military engineer at the end of the seventeenth century, and is classified as world Heritage site by UNESCO. It is one of the 50 most visited sites in France thanks to a unique architectural heritage: the ramparts with 8 towers built in the 11-13th century, pink houses built in 13th century, the St Jacques Romanesque church, and the 2 main narrow streets. The houses were narrow and tall, shops at lower level, 1st floor professional level, and 2nd floor living quarters. The shops were full of crafts, time to shop again! The Monumental Gateways were added in the 18-19th century. Fort Liberia above Villefranche is connected by a tunnel of 775 steps. Everyone did their own thing, had coffee, did shopping, climbed up to Fort Libra. No one visited the 3 sets of caves across the road the Small and Large Canalettes, and the Prehisto-grotto.
The confluence of the 2 rivers Cady from the North and Tet is at Villefrenche hence its name. During the 11th century is acted as the border between Spain (Cerdagne Region) and France (Roussillon Region).
We had time to relax when we arrived back to the villa, where we were welcomed with a nice cup of tea made by Kate.
Le Galet - enjoyed Gourmet Meal; the French waitress was trying to explain the menu in English, but just couldn't make us understand. Guess who comes to the rescue …. a man from Mayo who is now living in France!
SUNDAY 13th May
10 A.M.
Plans changed due to weather conditions, 30 degrees C! We had intended to do a circular walk around Eus, where John and Carol live. It is the hottest village in France, having the most sunshine - 320 days per year. It is one of the four villages in the Conflent region named 'Most Beautiful Villages of France'. This label is proof of the quality and desire to preserve and promote rural heritage. John informed us that it was one time fortified, with an 18th century church built on a ruined castle. The village is pedestrianised and artists, artisans, and local producers live there. Population 400!
It was decided that we do a forest walk instead. We started out from Le Bach and walked upward through a forest path bypassing several villages in the distance to Mosset.
Mosset
Originally developed around a 12th century castle (now divided and used for private dwellings) which help defend the border between France and Aragon. We soaked up the medieval atmosphere, narrow streets, some towers, entranceways and ramparts which are left. The views of the surrounding countryside were magnificent. Mosset is classified as one of the' most beautiful villages of France. Because of its natural forests and agricultural land the region has a great biodiversity of flora and fauna. A European directive awarded this protected area a 'Habitat-Natura 2000'. We weren't surprised to learn perfume is made there.
After coffee we took a forest trail back down to the thermal station of Molitg-les-Bains. It is situated in a gorge in full view of Le Castile which lies in the village 600m higher up. The spa is in a beautiful park, and the baths are offered in a chateau now a luxury hotel that is actually part of the mountainside. The treatments offered are tailored to the various properties of the waters. It is a very peaceful and quiet place, and we all enjoyed a break there. Taking one of the hiking trails we returned to the cars for a relaxing afternoon having walked 10K
Richard's (F.) wife Jenny was singing in a Catalan choir competition. It was an opportunity to experience Catalan culture first hand. Each village was represented as far away as Barcelona. Those of us who went enjoyed it immensely.
Most of the group ate together, as there were only 2 restaurants open in Prades, and we all chose the same one!
MONDAY 14th May
We were taken by car to Vinca. Here Carol explained the local history and met her uncle down the main street! We walked on through this medieval village, and walked by olive groves, fruit orchards, and fields of vines, also enjoyed by the other places we passed through. We then walked through Finestrat, Joch, and Rigarda. These small hamlets had an open communal washing area, showering facilities still left from the long ago. Walking back to Vinca we could appreciate one of the natural lakes and protected parks of the region. Further along the way, we discovered a man made beech, that allow water sports and swimming for locals. We felt like a dip after the 9K walk in the hot sun.
Dinner (the last supper) was a beautiful meal made by Kate and served by our hosts and guides in Villa Lafabregue. Nick had kindly prepared a surprise! A CD photo show, photos taken by him during our walks. Paddy had an additional surprise, pictures of John when he walked with the trekkers!
Dick especially thanked John on our behalf of all of us. Without him we could not have experienced so much in the few days we were in the Pyrenees. It was he who planed our itinerary. He has such a relaxed manner he hid all the hard work he had done. His concern that we were enjoying ourselves was shown to each personally during our stay. Our holiday couldn't have happened without him.
Dick also conveyed our appreciation to our guides, Richard F, Nick, John and Carol and of course Indy. The weight watchers programme she had been on (exercise and no treats!) certainly worked.
Last of all he thanked our wonderful hosts, Nick and Kate. They were always available to our needs, and nothing was too much for them.
Noreen echoed all the above sentiments and acknowledged Dick and Joan for organising our visit to John to the Pyrenees.
TUESDAY 15th May
After breakfast, most of the group went down to the local market, which had literally everything on offer, more shopping for some. After lunch we boarded the bus for the airport and home. We all had a wonderful holiday, with plenty of special memories to treasure.