Medieval city collioure france. The town of Collioure: a quiet French province in the off-season
The charming little Collioure is located just 25 km from the Spanish border. This seaside resort mainly in demand among the French and Catalans and little known outside the country. Sometimes organized groups of tourists from the Costa Brava are brought here for an introductory tour. But is it really possible to understand in an hour or two what kind of place this is, appreciate the beauty of architecture, nature and feel the atmosphere? Collioure should be “savored” slowly and with taste, basking in the soft rays of the sun, walking along the streets and green hills, looking into cozy cafes.
The fate of Collioure is closely connected with the name of the famous Fauvist artist and sculptor Henri Matisse - it was thanks to him that Spanish and French painters began to visit the fishing village in the early 20th century in search of new ideas and inspiration. Pablo Picasso visited the town more than once, and Salvador Dali, who lived nearby in Figueres, was a frequent visitor.
How to get to Collioure
The closest airport to Collioure is located in Perpignan, where direct flights from Russia do not fly. Air France offers flights from Moscow with a transfer in Paris, and with an independent change of airport. First we arrive in Charles de Gaulle), then we go to Orly and from there we fly to Perpignan. The minimum travel time one way is 8 hours 35 minutes.
Between the two air hubs of the French capital, there is a direct shuttle bus "Air France" and commuter train RER B (official site of the French Railways (in English)) with a change at the Denfert-Rochereau metro station on OrlyBus. Travel time from 1 to 1.5 hours.
From the railway station of Perpignan (which can be reached from the airport by bus number 7 or by taxi for about 55 EUR) a direct TER train runs to Collioure with bus station located next to the railway - buses No. 400, 404. The prices on the page are for October 2018.
From Paris to Collioure are reached by direct train (one flight a day, the rest - with transfers) from Gare de Lyon, to which RER B runs from Charles de Gaulle Airport with a change to RER D at Gare du Nord.
Search for flights to Paris (nearest airport to Collioure)
Transport
There are only three towns in Collioure bus routes linking the center with the outskirts. From the railway station, suburban TER trains connect with neighboring Argelès-sur-Mer and Port-Vendres. Several taxi agencies offer their services. The price of a trip around the city is 10-15 EUR, to Perpignan Airport, located 30 km away, they will take you for 55-70 EUR.
For tourists arriving by car, there are about 10 large paid parking lots and three free parking lots for 40-50 places. Bicycles are rented in Argeles-sur-Mer (Velocacion, Argeles Velos agencies), while ATVs, scooters and boats are rented in Collioure itself. On two-wheeled transport it is allowed to move along the streets, highways, national parks.
Collioure Hotels
Most of the hotels are located in the area of the port and the Old Town. The price of double accommodation in a two-star hotel or apartment - from 60 EUR, in a three-star - from 72 EUR per day. Le Relais Des Trois Mas 4 * is considered one of the best, where they offer rather modestly equipped and small rooms (but with a terrace and magnificent sea views). It has swimming pools, a panoramic restaurant and its own park area. Prices start from 172 EUR per night.
There is nowhere for budget travelers to “walk around”, since there are no hostels in Collioure (the nearest one is in the neighboring Port-Vendres, 3 km away) and inexpensive hotels.
Beaches
The main beaches of Collioure: pebble Boramar, located right under the walls of the royal castle, and St. Vincent next to the church of the same name, the sandy Port Aval with a gentle entry into the sea, the North, consisting of a mixture of pebbles and sand, as well as Butig, where a diving school operates.
All swimming places are free, equipped with toilets and showers, restaurants and parking lots are within walking distance. In the high season, the beaches are supervised by a lifeguard. Sunbed rentals and water rides are available only in St. Vincent and Port Avale, in other places you need to bring your own “equipment” and look for entertainment on your own.
The beaches of Collioure are rather modest in size and are not designed for a large number of people. The length of the longest Boramar does not exceed 150 m.
Cuisine and restaurants
In the past Colliure is fishing village, therefore, sea dishes “rule the ball” here (soups with seafood are especially good). The local restaurants are dominated by classic French, as well as Catalan cuisine with a large number of cold appetizers, the same Catalan lamb and the Catalan Creme dessert. The true "king for culinary experts" is the Collioure anchovy, which is considered almost the most delicious on the coasts of France and Spain. In every cafe, dishes from this fish are necessarily included in the menu; in some establishments, delicious pizza is prepared with it.
The Languedoc-Roussillon region, which includes Collioure, is one of the most extensive wine-growing regions in France, where quality drinks are produced. A glass of locally made red, rosé or white wine is a great accompaniment to meat and fish dishes.
The cost of a lunch menu in a restaurant is from 20 EUR per person, a full lunch or dinner is from 30-40 EUR with drinks, you can have a snack in a pizzeria or a small burger cafe for 10-15 EUR.
Attractions
Several exciting routes have been developed for tourists:
- "Fauvism Road", laid through the places where A. Matisse and A. Derain created their masterpieces;
- Walk through the fishing quarter of Le Moure;
- "Tourist train" to Port-Vendres, passing through the vineyards and Fort St. Elmo (there is an audio guide in Russian);
- POINTS 2 VUE - 12 art installations along Ansa de la Balleta bay.
It is also worth visiting the Royal Castle of the 7th century, adjacent to the beach of Boramar, the Museum of Modern Art on the street. Port-Vendres, Museum of Fauvism with paintings by A. Matisse on the street. Omi Pond and an ancient mill near Fort St. Elmo, located on a hilltop overlooking beautiful view to the city and the sea.
The city of Collioure (Collioure) is located on the coast of Vermilion mediterranean sea 20 km from Spain. This picturesque city of Languedoc will not leave anyone indifferent!
There are only about 3,000 inhabitants in this city, but how rich it is in historical and cultural events, how many were captured in their paintings by Collioure.
This city was known about 300-250 BC, first the Celts occupy this area, then the settled Iberians, the constant raids of the Phoenicians and the occupation of the land by the Romans, Goths and Visigoths. Devastation by the Saracens and the Normans under the Kings of Aragon and Mallorca, French or Spanish ... and so it was until the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), in which Roussillon would already be permanently attached to France.
Fortifications were built around the city (glacis, which are still preserved), Fort Mirador was erected. All the difficulties and disorders in the city began during the revolution and at the beginning of the nineteenth century (droughts, epidemics, powder magazine explosions ...).
The rapid development of trade with North Africa takes place mainly in Port-Vendres, which becomes the center will contribute to the economic revival of fishing, salting and winemaking. Finally, a fruitful year for the city is the stay of the artists Henri Matisse and André Derain (Henri Matisse and d'André Derain - the founders of Fauvism and other followers like Albert Marquet, Juan Gris, Georges Braque, Picasso, Raoul Dufy, Foujita, Othon Friesz, Paul Signac) in 1905, after which the city will change its status: "small fishing port" to "city of artists" and acquire a flagship tourist resort on the Mediterranean coast…
What interesting things can be seen in this city?
Every year from 14 to 18 August, the medieval feast of Saint Vincent takes place in the streets of Collioure. The procession on the sea on August 16 is the main event of the holiday. This holiday originates in 1701 due to the arrival of the relics of St. Vincent in the city. This holiday took place every year until the establishment of the law of separation of church and state in 1905, but since 2001 (on the occasion of the tercentenary of the holiday), the procession on the sea has revived!
-Be sure to look at the rock overlooking the sea the chapel of St. Vincent (1642).
-Fort St Elmo is a fortress located on a hilltop between Collioure and Port-Vendres. Thanks to its strategic position, it covers all the surrounding towns and enjoys stunning sea views. The first tower "La Guardia" was built in the 9th century.
- The "torre de la Madeloc" fire tower is a signal tower of the 13th century, is part of the defensive system that was created by the kings of Mallorca and was implemented in Roussillon - this is a system of lights of special light signals: a fire is lit at night, the day is used to produce smoke . The tower is located at an altitude of 656 meters above sea level on a rocky cliff.
Medieval mill Collioure, located in the mountains.
Look above Collioure unique complex Round Fort and Square Fort (Fort Rond and Fort Carré) built between 1726 and 1770.
-Overview of the Hermitage of Our Lady of Consolation of the 17th century (Notre Dame de Consolation) in the heart of the forest, 3 km from the city you will find this church for hermits.
-On the waterfront of the city, the Notre Dame des Anges church with the tower of the old lighthouse was built. The church was built in the Southern Gothic style, surrounded by the sea on three sides.
-Castle Collioure, a great citadel whose foundations go into the sea, was built on the ruins of Roman buildings, then transformed, following the time of the Visigoths, and is mentioned for the first time in 673. Then it was conceived to be rebuilt as the summer residence of the royal court of Mallorca. It was turned into a prison in 1939 or a disciplinary camp for refugees from Spain. Exhibitions are often organized there now. It is sometimes called the castle of the Templars, but this is a mistake, since it was built long before the arrival of the Templars in Roussillon.
The small French town of Collioure (Coliour) on the so-called Scarlet Coast of France (Cote Vermeille) is located 26 kilometers from the Spanish border. This is a very picturesque fishing village on the Mediterranean coast, which would have lived its completely separate life (anchovy fishing and winemaking), being “preserved” in its own beauty, if famous artists had not discovered it at the beginning of the 20th century.
"Discovered" Collioure by Henri Matisse in 1905. It is believed that it was here that Fauvism was born - in the very summer that Henri Matisse and fellow artists Andre Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck spent in the village, walking around the neighborhood and working on landscapes. The attractiveness of Collioure in the eyes of creative personalities was also given by the very visible “trace of the Templars”, which remained in these parts since the Middle Ages. Many French and Spanish artists came to Collioure from time to time - Georges Braque, Paul Signac, Raoul Dufy, Albert Marquet and others. Matisse himself was inspired by almost everything in Collioure: streets, roofs and colorful houses, the port, the bell tower, vineyards on the surrounding hills and, of course, the sea ...
In the 1950s, Pablo Picasso climbed into Collioure, and Salvador Dali, who lived very close, from 1953 to 1957 regularly attended the Collioure City Festival in August.
With the development of mass tourism, Russian tour operators have included Collioure in a familiarization route around France as part of a one-day bus tour from popular Catalan resorts - the Costa Brava. By the way, apparently, it is the representatives of the Russian tourism industry who own the translationvermeillenot as "scarlet, bright red", but as "purple". Hence the incorrect names of excursions to this part of the coast as the “Purple Coast of France” came from. scarlet (vermeil) in the original, in the imagination of travel agency translators, for some reason it was transformed into a completely different color - purple, apparently to make the trip more attractive. Unfortunately, its format, like the format of most tours put on stream, does not allow you to fully appreciate the beauty of Collioure: tourists are brought here for a maximum of an hour, during this time, of course, you can run around a small town, but it’s unlikely that you will really enjoy visiting . However, if you doubt whether it is worth going here at all, even for a short time - do not hesitate.
There are a lot of attractions here (for a town with a population of just over 3 thousand people), and in summer Collioure is popular as a place for a calm beach holiday, there are several sandy and pebble beaches. It is chosen mainly by the French and Spaniards, although many tourists who travel to the Eastern Pyrenees and Catalonia come to look at this picturesque place.
How to get to Collioure
Collioure is easily accessible by train(usually with a transfer in the larger Perpignan) from many cities in Europe. From Barcelona there are several trains a day, you can also get here by railway from Spanish Figueres. There are TGV trains from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Strasbourg, Lille, Toulouse, Geneva, Brussels.
By plane: airport in Perpignan (30 kilometers from Collioure), however it only accepts domestic Air flights France from Orly Paris and flights of British low-cost airlines.
By car: from the A9 highway (if you are coming from the north of Europe, exit from the Perpignan Sud highway, then follow the signs for Collioure, from the south, for example from Spain - exit from the Le Boulou highway)
You can choose in advance and book a car for traveling in Spain here
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What to see in Collioure
The architectural heritage of the town and its surroundings can be divided into religious and military buildings - forts, castles and fortresses. Art lovers will love the many small museums, private art galleries and salons that are as charming as they are on the entire Mediterranean coast of France.
The symbol of the town can be called church Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Anges in the harbor of Collioure. This church was erected between 1684 and 1691, initially at the end of the 17th century it also served as a lighthouse, but by order of the French Marshal Vauban, this function was abolished.
Former Dominican monastery, founded in 1290 on the initiative of King Jacques II of Mallorca. Today, its territories serve as cellars for Collioure winemakers.
Chapel of Saint Vincent(Vincent of Saragossa) is located on the site former island, where, according to legend, this early Christian saint was martyred in 303. The chapel was built before the arrival of the saint's relics. This is a small and simple room with a cross, located on the seafront on a rocky cliff, next to the church Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges.
Powerful Royal castle-fortress of Collioure was built on the seashore in the 7th century and was rebuilt several times between the 13th and 17th centuries. The foundation on which the castle stands is attributed by historians to around 672. The next important page in its history was the beginning of the XIII century, when the Chateau was rebuilt and thoroughly fortified by the knights of the Knights Templar - one of the most mysterious, rich and powerful orders of the Middle Ages. After the Templars, the castle was rebuilt in accordance with their needs by the kings of Mallorca, who constantly moved between their possessions in these parts. To whomever Château Collioure passed during its rich history, he always performed defensive functions.
In the vicinity of Collioure there are several more forts with ancient history which will be of interest to all lovers of military installations. Detailed information they can be obtained from the tourist office located in the very center of the town.
Gastronomy
The fishing village naturally prepares seafood and fish dishes, including a variety of soups. It is believed that the most delicious "export" anchovies are caught in the coastal waters of Collioure, so you should definitely order something with local anchovies in restaurants, at least pizza. The cuisine is mainly Catalan, with a lot of snacks - tapas, local snails (cargolada) are worth a try. From meat - lamb in Catalan, from desserts - cream catalan.
Collioure is also traditionally strong as a producer of AOC red, white and rosé wines, so it's worth checking with local winemakers or just asking the waiters which wine they recommend.
In Collioure all year round there are some local entertainment events, but in the summer it is best to time a visit here to Feast of the patron saint of the city - Saint Vincent, which usually takes place from 14 to 18 August. In fact, this is a fun city festival with performances, dances and fireworks.
Collioure photo
I will not regret for a second that we went to France to Collioure. The way from Tossa de Mar is not close - 147 km, but this trip was worth it.
Collioure is located in the south of France in the Lagendoc-Roussillon region. Once a fishing village, but its border position with Spain left its mark on history - the city was ruled by Majorcan, Aragonese, Spanish and French kings.
Arriving in Collioure, we parked the car near some hotel on the outskirts and went into the city. This is how he first appeared before us. From the place where we parked, there was a great view of the city, the bay with emerald water, the castle and the lighthouse chapel.
Now from the fishing village of Collioure has become "St. Tropez". The city became famous when Matisse, Picasso, Derain arrived here at the beginning of the 20th century. These places inspired them so much that they painted not a single picture. It was at this time that Fauvism was born and Collioure became known as the city of Fauvism.
Henri Matisse, who worked with pure colors, filling his canvases with straight lines and stripes, rectangles diluted with bright flashes, described Collioure as “Nowhere in France is the sky bluer than in Collioure. all the colors of the Mediterranean."
Collioure has over 20 art galleries. And even now in the city you can meet many local artists who paint and immediately sell their paintings.
Walking towards the city center, we pass along the hotels located on the rocks, where ladders descend directly to the sea. It is difficult to imagine how people swim here during the restless sea, but judging by the number of tourists in the city, the hotels clearly do not experience a shortage of tourists.
One of the most famous attractions of Collioure - the Royal Castle - on the left in the photo. The castle was originally built in the 7th century, while the current castle was built between the 13th and 14th centuries.
Initially, the castle served as a royal residence, and since the 15th century it has been used as a garrison fortress. Its walls are strengthened, especially in the 16th century during the reign of Charles V, by his son Prince Philip II, to protect their territories.
And in 1939 the fort was turned into a prison. From a distance, when you look at the castle, it seems small, but being at the foot of its powerful walls, you feel how huge.
Entrance to the fortress costs 4 euros.
Another attraction is the Church of Notre Dame. Previously, this tower served as a lighthouse, now it has an orange dome with bells.
Now this tower is the most photographed object in Collioure, and it can be found in many photographs of the city.
From Notre Dame, you can follow the path to the chapel of Saint Vincent. The church is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Vincent, whose day is celebrated annually on August 17th.
In the descriptions of the city, you can often find a description that this is a city of anchovies. Even on many houses you can find the inscription "anchois". Here, anchovies can be found in every cafe, restaurant, every shop and trading shop. They are sold fresh, pickled, salted, canned. Serve as a separate dish, as an addition or as an appetizer. Variations - mass. The fish are so delicate that they cannot be processed mechanically, even the manual process of their processing is still used.
We tried marinated anchovies with croutons as an appetizer.
Another gastronomic feature of Collioure is oyster farms. There are many of them along the waterfront. I read that they are offered in different dishes, but after studying the menus of many restaurants, we came across only one serving option - traditional - raw oysters with sauce, lemon and toasted butter.
And of course, in the sea city, a lot of seafood is served in restaurants.
In the photo below, on the right side, you can see the mill. Mill from the 14th century, used to grind black olives to produce olive oil.
Well, the most important thing in the city that attracts crowds of tourists, what inspired many artists, and, in principle, where the concept of Fauvism came from, is the brightly colored facades of houses, with bright multi-colored shutters and balconies. And these colored shutters are entwined with bright colors. The picture is simply amazing. Even no, it does not strike, but explodes.
The walls are decorated with ceramic pots.
Street signs in Collioure.
How beautiful these colored houses look, pressed close to each other with facades. The city seems so cozy and summery at any time of the year.
Three hours of uploading photos will not go in vain, and I can finally write about Perpignan and Collioure, who fell in love with me at first sight. Two incredible cities on the border of France and Spain, a special atmosphere, smells, air, energy - rose bushes, pretty houses, bright ceramic dishes, sea spray, mussels with lemon, grilled squid, white wine, all this is woven into one ball of wonderful french day.
The bus brings us to the very center of the town. Collioure, a small resort town, just like in "Chocolate" by Joanne Haris, well, after it was transformed by Mademoiselle Rocher. The first thing we see is the exploding colors of the market. The very French market, about which pictures are written, filmed, sung in songs (they sing about markets in songs, don't they?), which, perhaps, even became the main attraction of this day.
Bright ceramic dishes of all colors of the rainbow, polished, it shines in the sun and it is impossible to take your eyes off, fabrics, colors typical for this region - multi-colored stripes of different thicknesses, jewelry, colorful scarves, dishes lined with glass mosaics. There are an incredible number of people and everyone accumulates near the most interesting points.
I still go back to the dishes and leave with a beautiful terracotta bowl, I'll beat the squirrels in it :)
There are a lot of paintings in Collioure, beautiful paintings for ridiculous money, it is a pity that the dimensions of the suitcase do not allow you to spend money on this luxury. So I advise everyone who arrived in Collioure to keep this in mind.
The architecture of the city is very artistic - masonry, seashore, boats with colorful sails, cyclamen roses on lush green bushes, low houses of various colors. Now it's warm and sunny here, I'm trying to imagine this town in December, but I can't do it well. With the influx of tourists, Collioure looks so busy that even the air is buzzing. French here sounds completely different, more rude and perky. The sellers, of course, are trying to connect five words in English, and they will calculate the amount for you without problems in a non-native language.
We go to the epicenter of events and go to the food market - seafood, cheeses, sausages, incredible beauty tomatoes, spices, fruits. Is this haven? Sure it is. I so wanted to wander around the French market with a camera in hand, there is something to photograph here. Surprisingly, this is the most ordinary French market, it seems fabulous to me.
I award the title of the most beautiful shop to a colorful Frenchman with spices. It seems that nothing has changed since the 16th century - copper scales and scoops in spices are polished to a shine, everything you want is in baskets and bags - from ginger, saffron and cumin to lavender, dried rosebuds and cinnamon sticks. Either really old, or made "antique" signs, craft bags with a picture. La Route des Epices, on the sign of the ship of the era of the Greats geographical discoveries. I am sure such a ship once sailed to the shores of Asia or India for gold, silver and spices. Incredibly colorful shop!, We buy up there with the whole group.
Having bought delicacies, wine and fruits for dinner, we go to have lunch in a cute restaurant. It was only when I saw the restaurants during lunch in Collioure that I realized what it meant to be steamy in the kitchen. There is literally no empty space. We had to wait a good hour to seat 20 people. But we have lunch with a gorgeous view of the coast. From the second day our trip turned into a gastronomic one. Neither yielded to this principle until departure.
Collioure has an incredibly colorful coastline where you want to capture every piece. I promised myself to return here with a new lens and new hands, because I have not yet learned how to shoot landscapes, and leaving such a place without fantastic pictures is blasphemy. But you can see how happy we are in this bright. sunny place.
With our photo session we draw the eyes of all tourists, strength 18 beautiful girls simply undeniable. With a light walk we return to the center for dessert, where we also noticed a shop. We are accompanied by palm trees and cute couples walking hand in hand, really this place is so suitable for a romantic getaway.
Monsieur Bajar's shop is looked at eagerly, every detail, because we arrived here even before we met the chef personally. The exterior is absolutely consistent with the city - masonry, laconic logo, but inside Monsieur Bajar is not inferior to himself - black glossy marble surfaces, stylish packaging, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. We take pictures of everything, for dessert we take ice cream. Behind the counter is a smiling woman, I know from Tanya that this is Madame Bajar's sister, that's really a family business.
Mango, coconut, raspberry, blackcurrant sorbet, pistachio ice cream, with praline, with pralines roses, I don’t even remember everything from memory. We take all kinds and arrange a tasting. Ice cream and sorbet are simply divine, is it worth saying again that I haven’t eaten tastier?)
Next, we sit on a pretty train to climb the most high point Collioure. On the way to a breathtaking view, without remorse I photograph other people's balconies, they are simply made for this - all in colors, with forged elements and wooden shutters a little burnt out in the June sun. We climb to the top along the serpentine, enjoying the green vineyards, everything is like in a movie, it is impossible not to fall in love with this place.
The view is really amazing. Picasso, Chagall and Matisse painted here, this is such an artistic, energetic and inspiring place that I understand them very well. I so want to remember every moment and every centimeter of the place that I take 100 pictures and nothing bothers me. For a beautiful portrait, this is the perfect place.
We return to the city in order to wander through the narrow streets and various shops before leaving. There is an incredible amount of marine-themed souvenirs here - magnets, paintings, dishes, anchors, lifebuoys, boats, seagulls - you can’t list everything.
We find a shop for the soul - a pretty chocolate house. Real Chocolate, that's what it was called, and the nice saleswoman communicated with us in English quite well. Beautiful pieces of chocolate bars, chocolate dragee, caramel, sweets. This is really a paradise for all chocolate lovers, that is, for almost 99% of girls. At the back of the store, the wall is lined with jars of caramel of various flavors, and perhaps this is what I remember the most. With bergamot, with ginger. with pralines, with crushed nuts, with sweets exploding in your mouth, you remember when you were a child they sold them, with cardamom, with fleur de sel. All types of caramel can be tasted, especially with bergamot and ginger. I could not resist buying a jar of bergamot, I love it too much. I couldn't even imagine. that caramel goes so well with so many other flavors.
While walking we found another confectionery shop. There was an incredible amount of nougat and all kinds of cookies. And also very beautiful marmalade and candied fruits. I didn’t remember the name exactly, but it is located very close to Real Chocolate.
One day in Collioure flew by at the speed of light, but became unforgettable. This warm place left the warmest memories and the desire to return.
In Perpignan, the biggest attraction for me personally will forever remain, but the city center is also worth seeing. After school, we arranged there half-hour hiking to dine in a cozy restaurant.
Perhaps the most beautiful place in Perpignan, the small fort Le Castillet, located on the banks of the River Tete. The road to it really seems to have left the picture - everything is in flowers and greenery, lush trees, tall palm trees, openwork bridges. The architecture in this place is much more Spanish, it would fit for a dramatic, but beautiful, film about the Inquisition :)
On the fort, the flag is the prototype of our cake from the Le Sang et Or program, the translation into Russian is much more prosaic - Blood and Gold. What else I remember is the marble slabs with which the sidewalks are laid in the center. Polished to smoothness and brilliance, on such you will no doubt then perfuse chocolate, the group of confectioners unanimously agreed:)
Our cafe is very close to the fort - Le Grand Cafe de la Paix. It has good cuisine, I advise you to it if you find yourself in Perpignan. Excellent oysters, an unusual salad with foie gras and phyllo dough envelopes with baked goat cheese, pasta and pizza with seafood are also well cooked here. Drink all the prosecco and you will be happy.
The time is nearing dinner and the fast is over. I sigh with a sense of accomplishment. I solemnly promise to re-read it later, I don’t have the strength to correct mistakes and wipe out stupid phrases now.
Slowly but surely I am returning my blog to myself and to you. I was very pleased to read all your comments on, I am glad that you are my old and new friends with me. I am already preparing new posts about the exciting Barcelona, which really has something to say, and about the best baker in France, such an unusual person that a post is simply inevitable.
xoxo or as we French say, bisou bisou :))
