Tag: Travel writing

Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Château de Biron and more

by prey1, posted in Europe, France, Villeneuve-sur-Lot

January, 2023

This house sit is indeed special. Every day we explore the grounds and find more hidden corners and even a small chapel!

Junior the cat, still avoids her mother. Though she sits on our lap, likes to be stroked and feels safe in our presence!

The cleaning lady comes twice a week and we get french lessons from her. She just loves to talk and talks fast! On occasions we totally miss the conversation, but who cares!

We get our bread from the boulangerie (bakery) in Duravel. If the bakery is closing, they bring their ‘leftovers’ to the tobacco store. The last place where we would look for bread!

Even in winter time there is plenty to discover in the Lot and Dordogne region.

I am not really prepared for the cold weather, therefor we decide to go to Villeneuve-sur-Lot to buy some warmer clothes. We finally spend more time exploring this lively medieval city, instead of shopping! I do buy a nice warm coat. (No, no fur!)

 

 

 

 

Villeneuve-sur-Lot, founded in 1253, was once an important trading town. In former times, a fortified wall, six towers and eight gates surrounded the city. The Porte de Paris and the Porte de Pujols are still there. We admire some important landmarks; Le Pont Vieux (the old bridge), from the 13th century, Place Lafayette (where the open market takes place) and Notre-Dame du Bout du Pont Chapel, dedicated to the mariners. The remarkable red brick Sainte-Catherine Church was built in Romano-Byzantine style and finished in 1937. Somewhere in an old facade, we notice a huge picture of Brigit Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg.

PLace Lafayette
Sainte-Catherine Church
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Villeneuve-sur-Lot

In the Dordogne department we visit the 12th century Château de Biron. Once of important military significance and nowadays a popular tourist attraction. The Gontaut Biron family owned it for 24 generations, until 1978, when it was sold to the State. It consists of a diversity of buildings and normally it is open for the public, but not now in January!

Just outside the gates is a hamlet of a few very old houses and a church.

Chateau de Biron

According to Biron’s legends, Charles de Biron was beheaded in the courtyard of the Bastille in the 17th century. He was suspected of plotting against King Henri IV!

Chateau de Biron

The Komoot app shows us great hiking possibilities. We decide to undertake a diverse three hour walking tour in between two villages. Via a scenic drive over a curvy road, we arrive at Blanquefort-sur-Briolance. The surrounding fields and forests are still covered with a small layer of snow. This makes the trail very slippery and at some point I am stretched out in the mud! Also, nowhere a bench to rest and not one café open in the two small communities! Still, we fully enjoy the different loops through open fields, along small streams and dense forests.

Blanquefort-sur-Briolance

Our winter stay in France is one to remember. Quiet roads, no busy marketplaces, no queues in the supermarket, at times pretty cold, but often with crystal clear skies! Above all, plenty of opportunities to enjoy the peaceful scenery, good food and great local wines!

Château Bonaguil
Château Bonaguil
Puys l’Évêque
Puys l’Évêque

House and cat sitting in a château in France

by prey1, posted in Europe, France, Puys L'Eveque

January, 2023

Our winter holiday will be extended, as we get an unexpected opportunity to house and cat sit in a château in Southern France. A couple of years ago, I also had a ‘sit’ in the same area and I love to go back. We drive straight from the Costa Brava to a small village in the vicinity of Puys L’Eveque and enter the long driveway towards the old and impressive mansion. The landlord welcomes us with a very tasty supper and he gives us a tour over the grounds and through the different buildings. Later in the evening, we try to find our bedroom, but we get lost immediately!

Early in the morning, our host is leaving and for the next two weeks we have the responsibility to look after two cats and 19 bedrooms! We live mainly in the kitchen, which is heated by a separate unit. Temperatures will not reach over 17 degrees Celsius, but with a few sweaters on and a cat on your lap it is warm enough. My partner finally gets the huge fireplace in the kitchen going, but it doesn’t give us any heat.

the kitchen fireplace

The wood stove in the living room works great, so by the time supper is finished, we switch rooms.

The cats are mother and daughter, but it turns out that the little girl is afraid of mum; she is most of the time hiding behind the books in the library. Mum goes wherever we go; she follows us in the garden and sits close to us in the kitchen.

Our huge bedroom has tall windows with amazing views over the river Lot. It feels like living on the water. The weather changes and the river changes too. Instead of calm flowing waters, the river gets wild and noisy!

river Lot
river Lot
view over the chateau
marble stairway

After the rain, we get snow! This will happen only a few times in the winter, according to some locals. It changes the grounds into a winter wonderland. The rooms are getting colder too. To reach our bedroom, we have to climb enormous marble stairs and pass the music room. Nothing is heated, except our bedroom and bathroom. I try to play the piano, but my fingers get frozen!!!

the old watermill
the garden bordering the river Lot

On one of these mornings, the sun suddenly comes out and the wind is waving the grasses bordering the river Lot. My partner looks out of our bedroom window and sees a kingfisher rapidly flying along the waters. The bright blue wings are glittering in the sunlight. I quickly grab my camera and open the window. Our room is situated high above the water and my presence doesn’t disturb the kingfisher. Maybe not 100% clear, but I am able to get this beautiful creature on camera.

Kingfisher
Kingfisher

Although it is winter time, we fully enjoy the experience of looking after this huge mansion. It also gives us time to explore more of the Lot area and discover other medieval villages.

exploring the grounds of the chateau
view from the garden of the chateau
the cat always follows us

 

Some last impressions of the Costa Brava

by prey1, posted in Costa Brava, Europe, Spain

January, 2023

One whole month we explored the Costa Brava and fully enjoyed the winter weather, the scenery, the culture, the hikes and the food! During these last days we combine nice hikes with good local food and I will mention a few of our favorite restaurants. In winter time some popular eateries are closing their doors for a long holiday, but there was still enough choice.

Early one morning we hike in the woods behind Masos de Pals. It is still cold and misty and slowly some sunrays are trying to lighten the trees.

We continue our hike to Restaurant Mar Blau at Platja El Racó. This is the only place at the beach open during the winter months and always busy. Today it is time for Paëlla!

From the centre of Pals we discover a trail which brings us via a tunnel all the way to the other side of the main road.

It is circular road through the woods and on the way back we walk over an old rocky riverbed. It is a hike of around 2,5 km, but with an elevation of 230 mts. You will be rewarded with a stunning panoramic 360 degree view over Masos de Pals, Pals and Regencos!

Can Bassalis

Once back in Pals, it is time to go for lunch. Can Bassalis in Masos de Pals is a Hostal-Restaurant run by the family. It is pretty basic, but the food and house wine are great value! They serve a three-course menu for 13 euro, including the wine.

If you like snails, then go to Ca La Teresa in Pals. A very popular restaurant among the locals with a menu to choose from.

La Vila, on the square, at the entrance of the ancient town centre, is our favorite tapas bar. The perfect spot to catch some winter sun and enjoy homemade tapas and wine of the region.

Tapas

On a Tuesday we visit the huge market in Palamos. If you need clothes and want some bargains, then this is the place to be! Combine shopping with a stroll along the promenade and a tasty lunch. There are plenty of eateries! At the end of the afternoon, the fishing boats are returning to the harbour and the fish auction starts.

Palamos
Palamos

Many people travel to the Costa Brava only for the beach, but the coastline and the backcountry are offering so much more.

We will return!

Girona, the historic capital of Catalonia

by prey1, posted in Costa Brava, Europe, Spain

January, 2023

Girona (Gerona) is just a short drive inland from the coast and a lovely city to explore! It lies on the banks of the Oñar river and has a rich history.
We park the car just outside the centre, close to the famous department store El Corte Inglés. It is the time of the “Rebajas” or Sales and we first go hunting for some bargains. From the parking place it is an easy walk into the old town.

After crossing the Pont de Pedra bridge, we can start our sightseeing tour along the heritage buildings and all the famous landmarks. Girona offers more than 2000 years of history and was ruled by Iberians, Romans, Muslims and many more. Their influences are still visible.

We walk up and down the streets and discover impressive plazas, many bridges, the Basilica of Sant Feliú and the Cathedral of Santa Maria, which has the widest Gothic arch in the world!

La Força Vella or fortress dates back to the Roman foundation. The city walls had been extended during the 14th and 15th centuries. While walking over the wall you get superb views over different parts of the city.çç

There was a thriving Jewish community until 1492. We find the quarter or Call while exploring a labyrinth of old, narrow streets.

Girona is also a popular market town. Many years ago, we used to go on a Tuesday or Saturday to the open-air Ribes del Ter market in the Devesa Park. A variety of produce is always available; fruit, vegetables, clothes, shoes and gifts.

Besides the historical highlights, the markets and the many museums, there are plenty of restaurants to enjoy great local food and tapas! A visit of one day to this gem in Catalonia is way too short!

Teatre-Museu Dalí and Caldes de Malavella

by prey1, posted in Costa Brava, Europe, Spain

January, 2023

Do not leave Catalonia without a visit to the Teatro-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí! The famous surrealist artist was born in the cultural town of Figueres, situated on the plains of the Alt Empordà. In the centre of this lively market town, you will notice the remarkable museum immediately!

The holiday season is not over yet and the museum is popular. People are lined up in front of the entrance. We buy our tickets and it shows the time you are allowed to enter. It means a short wait of fifteen minutes; not bad! A study of the building itself and the statues around are keeping us busy.

I have always been an admirer of Salvador Dalí. His work represent many different art movements; Realism, Surrealism, Cubism and Abstract Expressionism. Around 40 years ago, I visited this museum for the first time.

 

Dalí was born in 1904 and died in Figueres in 1989. His tomb lays in the crypt of his Theatre-Museum. The artist spent most of his time together with his wife Gala in their house in Port Lligat. Later, Salvador Dalí bought a castle in Púbol for his muse and he was only allowed to visit with her special permission. After Gala’s death, Dalí moved to the castle, where she was entombed. All these places are situated in Catalonia and worth a visit!

 

On another occasion we drive to the sleepy Spa town of Caldes de Malavella. It is nestled on the plain of La Selva, away from the coast line.

In the first century AD, the Roman discovered the natural healing springs. They founded a settlement, which they called Aquae Calidae. The remains of the baths are visible in the centre. The municipality has three mineral-medicinal fountains. Here, the water emerges from underground at an average temperature of 56 degrees Celsius.

 

There are two prestigious Spas; The Balneari Prats (1840) and Balneari Vichy Catalán (1898), built in art nouveau and neoclassical architectural forms.

The Balneari Prats

We visit both, just to see the buildings and relax for a moment on the terrace. In the near future, we might go back and stay for a few overnights. Prices are very reasonable outside the season! The small town also offers plenty of hiking and biking trails, the chapel of Sant Maurici and the ruins of the castle of Malavella.

The name Caldes (hot mineral springs) de Malavella comes from a local legend about an old, malicious aristocratic lady, who lived in the now-ruined castle. Mala means “bad” and vella means “old”. The thermal springs of the old evil one!!!

 

Hiking in between the volcanoes of the Garrotxa

by prey1, posted in Costa Brava, Europe, Spain

January, 2023

Our neighbour in Begur told us about the fabulous hiking possibilities in the Natural Park of the Volcanic Zone of the Garrotxa. In between Olot and Santa Pau, some 40 dormant volcanic cones and more than 20 lava flows can be found. The last eruption occured about 11,000 years ago.

Today, the 7th of January, the perfect weather invites us for a long hike; a clear and sunny sky and cooler temperatures. We decide to take the circular route of around 15 km, with a height difference of 240 mt. It will bring us to Volcán de Santa Margarita and Volcán del Croscat.

Just outside Olot, direction Santa Pau, we park the car on a designated parking place. At this time of the year it is free parking. The information board tells us all about the different loops. The Natural Reserve covers a rough 120 km², which means there are many more starting points.

We fully enjoy our hike, as it is very divers! Pretty easy in the beginning, with marvellous views over different volcanoes in the far distance. Later, the wide path becomes smaller and goes steep up towards the extinct Santa Margarida Volcano. Ash layers are still visible in the walls of the cone. Nestled right inside the caldera, lies the Santa Margarida de Sacot Chapel. A very unusual but special place!

Leaving the volcano, the trail gets extremely narrow and brings us all the way down. We appreciate the beauty and stillness of the countryside. A totally different landscape lies in front of us, with here and there a ruin, a farmhouse and a small church.

 

Suddenly, we arrive in a beech wood forest that stands on the lava flow of the volcano Croscat. Here the sun-rays get plenty of chances to play around….

It is called La Fageda d’En Jordá and it always has been an inspiration for artists, such as Joan Maragall. He immortalized it in a poem, that gave the forest its fame;

The traveller on foot, entering this place

begins to slow his walk, counting his steps, in the great silence

he stops and hears nothing, and feels lost

A sweet oblivion of wordly things comes over him

in the silence of this profound place

and he thinks not of leaving

or he thinks in vain

he is a captive of La Fageda d’En Jordá 

a prisoner of the silence and the green

Oh, company

Oh, liberating prison

 

 

 

 

 

Traditions during the holiday season in Cataluña

by prey1, posted in Costa Brava, Europe, Spain

25th of December and 5th of January, 2023

One of my most vivid memories of the Christmas holidays in Cataluña, is the ‘pessebre vivent’ in Pals or the Living Nativity. As darkness falls, the medieval village comes alive for a couple of hours. Hundreds of visitors flock over the old cobblestone road.

On every corner of the street, the church square and the old market place, the inhabitants of Pals are representing Nativity scenes. Torches are illuminating the historic buildings. More than 200 participants are guiding the visitors through different passages of the old and new testament.

pessebre vivent Pals

Our children were very small, when we took them for the first time to the Christmas celebrations in Pals. I remember their glowing faces in the soft light of the street lanterns. Now, 30 years later, we see the same glow on the face of other people’s children. This time I don’t recognize any of the participants anymore; another generation replaced the older inhabitants of Pals. The event has grown bigger with more Nativity scenes. The only thing I miss are the donkeys!

Another important festivity for the children, is the arrival of The Three Kings or Los Reyes Magos on the 5th of January. Melchior, Balthazar and Caspar enter the town on their horses (or camels), late in the afternoon. In most big cities in Spain it is celebrated with a huge parade. Here, in ancient Begur, the ceremony is intimate. Candies are thrown to the children and in the early hours of the 6th of January, the Three Wise Men are leaving presents under the Christmas tree. The “clip clop” of the horses, the colourful costumes and the sound of the drums are just like a fairy tale. The decor of the 17th century ‘Església Parroquial de Sant Pere’ makes the story complete!

Hiking the Camino de Ronda on the Costa Brava

by prey1, posted in Costa Brava, Europe, Spain

December, 2022

Tamariú is known for the lovely fish restaurants, but it is also the starting point of a fabulous two-hour hike. We park the car close to the bay and follow the coastal path. From time to time we look back to enjoy the view over the small fishing village.

At some point the trail stops and in front of us are enormous sea rocks. We carefully hop from one rock to the other and sometimes you need hand and feet! After the rocky part, a pine forest starts and from here a narrow winding path goes steep down and all the way up.

 

The coastal views are impressive and more towards the light house of San Sebastian, the rock formations become higher and higher. Maybe not a hike for very small children, but we, as seniors these days, are doing fine!

Until now, we only met two other hikers. This is why we love going to Spain during winter time!

Lighthouse San Sebastian

From the light house, the road continues to Llafranc, a very pretty fishing village with a gorgeous beach.

view from the lighthouse
Llafranc

After passing the promenade of Llafranc, the coastal trail brings us towards pictoresque Calella de Palafrugell. I fell in love with this gem a long time ago. Even in winter time many restaurants are still open, to welcome visitors from Barcelona, a few tourists and residents from the area.

We have an early supper outside, while the sun is slowly going down. The owner of the restaurant will order a taxi for us, as it will be too late to walk all the way back to Tamariú.

Another part of the Camino (or Cami) de Ronda starts at La Fosca, just North of Palamos. Over the past years many hiking trails are renewed and improved. Nowadays, people can enjoy hours of walking along the Mediterranean coast.

We arrive around 10.00 a.m. on the quiet car parking close to the beach. I don’t think I ever visited this secluded place and we are surprised to see a very pristine bay in front of us. A few people are swimming in the cold water and some others are sipping their morning coffee on a terrace.

La Fosca

After crossing the beach of La Fosca, the footpath starts towards Calella de Palafrugell. First you pass the ruined Castell de Sant Esteve de Mar, with views over the Roca Fosca, and then the loop continues to the fisherman’s village S’Alguer. The weather is perfect and the colorful houses are eye-catching!

Soon the path guides us through a pine and cork oak forest, with some steep climbs all the way up. Not many hikers are leaving the coast and we enjoy the stillness of the environment. Finally, the road joins the coastal trail again and Calella de Palafrugell is visible in the far distance.

The days are short this time of the year and we do hope to witness the sun going down on the beach of La Fosca. So it is time to return, and walk via another forest loop all the way back. Later in the afternoon, we treat ourselves on some tapas and a drink, while soaking up the last sunrays!