Costa Brava--Palamos

The esplanade to the left, the harbor, the beach and the church on the hill

I was lucky enough to be invited to spend a few days with friends who had rented an apartment in Palamos, right on the Mediterranean, on the Costa Brava of Spain.  I took the train to Girona where they met me at the station and we then drove to Palamos.  We took the "scenic" route, and I will pst those photos later.

Our building, and top floor second balcony from the right

Spain's Costa Brava is lovely and is in the Catalonian region of the country.  This area of Spain has been suing for independence for years and things have gotten heated and quite serious in the past several years.  Catalonian flags fly everywhere here, and not necessarily beside the flag of Spain. More likely than not, the Catalan flag flies alone.  Yellow ribbons hang from fences, and yellow ribbons are painted on the sidewalks and in the crosswalks of the streets in Palamos.  Catalan is the preferred language. Barcelona is the capital, and is intensely separatist.  Spain, however, is not going to let this vibrant part of their country secede without putting up a fight and things have turned ugly in recent times, with separatist leaders being jailed.  This fight has been going on for centuries, and will not be easily solved.

On the beach

View from the balcony

Palamos is a working fishing port and also welcomes tourist cruise ships, although I am not sure at which dock.  There were none in evidence while I was there, but then again, it is very much off-seson.  Some, maybe even most of the restaurants were closed for the season, but many shops were open for the holiday crowd.  A lots of people, like my friends, escape the chill of northern climes for the sunny and relatively warmer beaches for the holidays.  There are some "high rise" apartment buildings farther down the coast (to the west), but most of the buildings on the stretch of beach where we were are no higher than 5 stories.  I expect all the places are fully rented out in season.  

Statue at the town end of the walkway

Statue at the west end of the walkway

There is a lovely esplanade for walking that runs the length of the beach.  I made plenty good use of that, and I also got a nice workout walking in the sand.  I spent some time looking for beach glass and shells, but had little luck.  The sand was clean with no debris, no plastic, no cigarette butts.  Even in January, in various degrees of bundled up, moms pushing stroller, power walkers (and non-Power walkers), joggers, scooters, bicyclists and dog walkers were all using the walking path.  

I have to do some research, but I think there is a hiking path that runs along this beach that is also part of the pilgrimage path of the Saint Jacques de Compostelle walk.  The red and white markings are the same.  The map indicated a trail that ran along the coast, but if it were leading to Compostelle, I would think it would have to turn inland soon, as to cut across central Spain would be unbearably hot in the summer.

Red and white blazings--and It probably was 14 minutes back to Palamos

Map of the hiking trail

There were lots of children all awaiting Sunday's arrival of the Three Kings Epiphany is much more important there than it is in the States.  The weekend's festivities were kicked off by fireworks on Friday evening.  Sunday the Kings will arrive by boat and then lead a parade through the streets, tossing sweets to the children and leading the processing to the creche in Our Lady of the Sea church, up on the hill.  It would have been fun to see that, but as Sunday, Epiphany was also the last day of school vacation, the trains would have been crazy packed getting back to France.  I returned on a Saturday and they were crowded enough then.

 The Creche

All sorts of characters and stories here

Love the Brussels sprouts

Light at the manger

Tin foil river

Campfires

This is one of my favorite photos

Statue of Our Lady of the Sea at the front of the church

I loved seeing the different way the shops were decorated for the holidays.  Here in Carcassonne, the city provides small, maybe 3 foot high trees for the merchants to decorate.  In Palamos, the deal is to have three logs or log segments and they are tied together and then decorated.  Saw lots of them in plaid or sporting scarves...very cute.  The church had a beautiful creche, not just at the altar, but in one of the side chapels, they's set up an entire hillside village.  I loved the Brussels sprouts used as  cabbages in the garden.  I also saw more pointsettia than I have seen since leaving the United States.  It made me remember how much I like it.

Sun lights up the produce at one of the outdoor market stalls

Logs decorated for the holidays

Fresh fish and "blue" crab!

I could have spent hours puttering around the town, exploring shops and the market, even though it wasn't the "Main" one of the week. Veronica kept remarking that we had not "gotten very far."  So what?  We stopped for a drink, where we met up with Georges.  They had vermouth and I had a pina colada, which I haven't had in maybe 30 year!  Yum.  We got a chicken for lunch from a shop that rotisseries the chickens over wood coals.  It was delicious, and all the more so because we ate it out on the balcony in the sun.  In January!  This is the way to live.  I had a bite--yes, just a bite-- of a local pastry that was something like a churro filled with a vanilla pastry cream.  Seafood abounds, and it is unbelievable fresh.  The fishermen will sell directly to the public, but that market was closed when we went by.  I think it was just the wrong time of the day.

Make way for ducklings

I saw lots of boating activity.  A fleet of tiny sailboats followed two larger catamarans out of the channel, looking for all the world like a flock of ducklings trailing after their mothers.  There were fishing trawlers coming in with their catch and along the docks, there is a space for the fishermen to lay their nets on the ground to dry.  I am told that there's an old guy who comes along and mends them as needed.  

Sunrise from the balcony

And as always, the Mediterranean showed nearly every shade of blue in the spectrum.  At Palamos, because the cove is so sheltered, the sea is calm and nearly flat.  Out on parts of the exposed coast, the waves crashed and spray flew.  I cannot imagine that even at its worst, it can compare the to storms of the Pacific (and what can?) but the power is there. 

I had not realized how much I missed the sea until I spent some time at its edge.  I will be going back there, and it will be soon. 

Waiting for the season

International "Thanksgiving--Preparations

Table is ready

Last year, I cooked  a more or less traditional Thanksgiving dinner for some French friends.  It was such a hit that there were inquiries as to whether or not there would be a repeat this year.  Additionally, I owed a dinner to one couple,  had some guests coming in from out of town, and a French friend had, after declining a Fourth of July picnic invitation, had asked about Thanksgiving.  So, I decided to go for it.

The guest list was very fluid and kept me in suspense until the last minute, which makes planning, shopping and cooking a bit of a crap shoot.  I also have a very tiny oven, with only one rack, so only one thing at a time can be placed there.  I also did not have enough flatware, glasses, plates, or even chairs for the 13 we turned out to be.  I do have a table that can seat that many, though....which is nothing short of amazing.  That's my 59 euro antique table with the two extensions.  What a deal that has turned out to be. Plus I adore the way it looks and fits into my living/dining room.

Cooking cranberry mincemeat relish

Getting the French addicted to "hot" spiced nuts..as in cayenne spicy.

I ordered a turkey from the poulterers, Les Mixicots, here in town.  Whole turkey is something of a rarity here in France; most of the time you order pieces: a breast filet that's been rolled for even cooking, and either a drumstick or a turkey thigh for those who prefer dark meat.  Getting a whole turkey is a big deal, both for me and for Les Mexicots.  We consulted and discussed the size I would bbeed (at this point in time, I thought we would be only 10) and I ordered one that was about 5 kilos.  We agreed that should feed us all quite amply.  Then I also ordered two whole tourtwaux--crabs--from the fish monger.  I like dealing with him; he always splits the shell for me.

New flatware

I spent the two weeks leading up to the 25th shopping.  I scored a great deal on some flatware.  I had been wanting to get a nicer set than what I have been using.  What I had was a set for four people.  It had plastic handles that are much the worse for the wear and the excessively hot water I use to wash them.  I was bound and determined not to  present my guests with plastic cutlery, no matter how nice it is.  I had to buy a few more dinner plates; nothing matches, but it all coordinates and looks nice and holds enough.  I also scored a great deal on real crystal goblets---champagne coupes, 2 wine glasses and a water goblet for 10 people....and I had enough other wine/water glasses to fill in.  I had enough cloth napkins...so I was able to set a really pretty table.  

Antique--real crystal goblets

I had found some fresh cranberries at Grand Frais, a relatively new grocery store out at one of the commercial zones.  It reminds me of Whole Foods (a.k.a. Whole Paycheck) back in the States.  I had a can of Libby's pumpkin  and had some Nonesuch mincemeat, so i was set for all the pies.  All other ingredients are available here in France.  

I also went to the caviste on Rue Verdum for her advice as to what wine to serve with cream of crab soup--a white, of course--and what red to serve with the turkey.  We had bubbles from Limoux with our aperos, and i bought a bottle of Armagnac for the after dinner digestif.  And I had locally sourced sunflower bread, which I love, and there was no way I would have time or energy to make homemade rolls.  And there was a cheese plate after the mean, before the pies.......I do live in France, after all and this Thanksgiving meal has evolved into a Franco-America dinner.

Simple pretty centerpiece

Because Thanksgiving is not a holiday here in France, there is no day off, and some of my French guests had to work.  So, I scheduled the dinner for Sunday afternoon.  I cleaned, and scrubbed and polished until I was satisfied that my home was presentable.  I set the table on Friday. I did as much cooking and preparation in advance as I could.  I have a tiny refrigerator, so some of the wine and sodas had to sit outside on the windowsill two stories up to stay chilled.  It's okay, there was no wind and no passers-by below were ever in any danger of being conked on the head by wayward white wine.

White wine chilling on th ewindowsill

I picked up the turkey, the bread, and the crab on Saturday at the market.  I had shopped for the vegetables at the Thursday market, so there wasn't so much to carry on Saturday. 

Pies are done

I thought I had everything in hand.

Alet-les-Bains

Alet-les-Bains

I took a little 1 Euro train/bus trip recently  to Alet-les-Bains, the first bus stop south, which is up river and up the valley from Limoux.  It used to be that you could take a train from Carcassonne to Quillan, which it the terminus at the Upper Aude Valley, in the foothiis of the Pyrenees.  But SNCF has stopped running the train that far.  Now, you take the train as far as the station in Limoux and then hop the big bus to go the rest of the way.  And it's all available for only 1 Euro...and 1 Euro to return.  For less than the price of a coffee, you can have a lovely outing, get to see some countryside color, and explore some of the little towns along this way.  They are rich in history, especially in the annals of the Resistance during WWII.  I had vowed to make each one of the stops between Limoux and Quillan, both of which I have visited a number of times, a separate day trip.  It was a lovely autumn day, the flood waters had receded and I was feeling energized, so off I went.

 

Aude looking upstream

Bridge from the highway into twon

I was a little confused by the reader boards above the windows on the front of the bus.  It read "Quillan," but it really meant Limoux...I had to change buses there.  The bus that had come in from Quillan whose sign said "Carcassonne" was actually going back to Quillan.  Normally we can take the train from Carcassonne to Limoux, but because of flood damage, the tracks must have been compromised, because SNCF was bussing us down to Limoux instead, and several of the towns where there are normally stops were unreachable that day...the bus couldn't get in.  I am assuming there was road damage.  I know some of these little villages were really hit hard by the prior week's disastrous flooding.  (I am saving those little towns for other days.)

 

Roadside memorial to the Spaniards

After being directed by the driver to the correct bus to take me to Alet, I settled in for what is less than a ten minute bus ride.  It's not long after leaving Limoux that you begin to realize that you are headed into mountains.  The road winds and curves and follows the Aude River.  I signaled to the driver that I wanted a stop at Alet, he pulled over to the side of the highway, opened the doors and out I stepped into the early noon sunshine. 

Scoured by the flood

One of the reasons I wanted to visit Alet was to find the tomb of an American soldier, the only one killed in the area while fighting with the Resistance.  His dying wish was to be buried where he fell.  His family honored this last wish and with the help and consent of the town, his body was laid to rest between Alet and Limoux.  There is a memorial at the side of the busy Aude River highway to mark his final resting place.  I have learned that the town of Alet, and its citizens are his guardians.  I wanted to visit it, pay my respects and maybe sweep it and place some chrysanthemums there for All Saints, in keeping with French tradition. 

 

spot for lunch

I had not been able to locate it on any of my prior bus rides there, maybe because at those times, I was unaware of him, Lt. |Paul Swank, and his tomb.  But I did see it this time, and was disappointed because it seemed too far to walk to from either Alet or Limoux.  Now that I reflect on it, I think I was wrong; it's a long walk, but not too far to accomplish.  This August will mark the 75th anniversary of his death, a major milestone, and I plan to be there.  In the meantime, I will visit it soon and put some chryssies on it.

 

Narrow, dark dead end alley

Half-timbered building on the main square of the medieval city

each story sticks out over the one below

At the bus stop there is a memorial to the Spanish guerillas who fought with the French Resistance.  I read a book that opened my eyes to just how much the French owed to the Spaniards who fought beside them.  The Spanish had already set up networks to get people into and, more importantly, out of Spain during the Spanish Civil War, which had barely ended before WWII broke out.  They knew the routes over the Pyrenees and help conduct escaped prisoners and downed airmen into Spain from where they could make their way back to their military regiments.  Spain really isn't that far from Quillan and all these little towns, from Limoux south were way stations on a sort of underground railroad to get these fugitives out of France and the clutches of the Germans.  Oh, I do find it all so interesting.

 

Old timbers holding up the story

narrow, twisting streets

You have to cross over the highway and then take the road into town, across the stone bridge that spans the Aude to get into the town of Alet-les-Bains.  There were many traces of the floods of the prior week; downed trees and debris, and the river had scoured the banks and the island in the middle.  I love the beauty of the Aude further up the valley.  It's swift and it sings as it tumbles over the rocks.

 

medieval construction

I think a soccer fan lives here!

I headed on into town.  I had a choice; I could explore the town or I could head straight to the baths and the fountain where people have been coming since the Romans (and probably before that) to fill their vessels with the mineral water of the springs.  I think the baths are closed, maybe for the season, maybe for good.  I am not sure and need to learn more.  I know people who drive up here to get the mineral water to have to drink in their homes.  I am not a fan of "gassy" water; I prefer flat; I brought no container to bring a liter or two of the mineral-y stuff home.  It was lunchtime, so I followed the signs into the center of town.  Surely there would be a place for lunch or maybe a picnic.  I did have my camera and sketch pad with me, after all, and was not opposed to spending a nice afternoon having a jambon beurre along the river bank.

 

What songs are locked in these arches?

ruins of the abbeys

What a discovery.  I knew about the two ruined abbeys, and the mineral springs, but had never stopped to think that Alet was a walled medieval town in its won right.  Many of the buildings are half-timbered and each storey is cantilevered over the one below.  If you do that on both sides of these narrow, narrow streets, pretty soon, the buildings are in danger of meeting at the top. Some of the buildings are in great repair, others are in dire need of some money and TLC.  I cannot begin to imagine what is required to bring buildings that are 300+ years old into the 21st century.  How do you put in plumbing, wiring?  It must cost a fortune, because you can't just knock things down and start from scratch, even if you wanted to.  The Historical Monuments branch of governments had something to say about THAT!

 

My lunch spot

I sat in this beautiful wondow

I finally understood the Romantics' objections to restoring Carcassonne.  The ruins of the 9th and 13th century abbeys have not been restored, and I felt a stronger connection with the past there than I have ever felt from most of the places in the walled city of Carcassonne.  The stones seemed to speak more directly to me for not having been re-positioned and replaced.  The vaulted arch is open to the sky, as the rest of the roof has fallen in. I walked to the end of the wall and entered the city through the Calvary Gate--there was some scaffolding and I think repairs were being made to the wall of the medieval part of the city.  I fully understand the need for safety, and it did appear that the repairs were not changing the face of the wall, merely keeping it from falling down, possibly on an unsuspecting tourist. 

a bit of autumn color

I went looking for a place to have lunch, which was a surprisingly difficult task.  There aren't many restaurants that I could find, although I will admit that I don't think I saw all of the commercial district.  I ended up at at hotel/restaurant on the grounds of the old bishop's headquarters.  The stone walls are thick and comforting.  It was open, so I went in and was seated.  

"Manhole" cover caught my eye

I had the special of the day, which I nearly always order, unless it's fish! It was a chicken in a wild mushroom sauce. and with the glass of rose was a delicious lunch.  I could look out onto the river and grounds of the property, which abutted the old abbey.  The grounds hand mature, old growth trees, spreading their branches over the newly green lawn (all that rain made the grass green and lush).  It will be a lovely spot to come for lunch in the spring, when the birds are in full throat.  As I was paying my bill, I asked the lady in charge if they were open all year, and sadly, the answer is no.  They were closing on October 31 for the season.  As with so many businesses here, the "season" begins with Easter.  2019's season will start late, sometime after April 21, since that's the date for Easter.  My lunch was less that 15 Euros, including wine and I had a strawberry mousse for dessert.  I will be sure to return again next season.

Last of the season roses on the grounds of the bishop's headquarters

I dallied over lunch for too long, and didn't allow myself enough time to get down to the other edge of town to see the baths and the pump.  I didn't want to risk missing the bus, since I had heard horror stories of getting stranded in these outlying towns.  I had plans to catch the 3:30 bus back to Limoux and then to Carcassonne.  I wended my way back across the bridge to the bus stop.  It was a little bit odd standing all alone beneath a blue sign with the outline of a bus drawn on it on the side of a busy highway.  Several logging trucks whizzed by--I recognized and remembered them from my time in Oregon.  I don't think automatically of logging trucks when I think of this region, but it just proves that |I still have a lot to learn about my newly adopted region. And sure enough, right on time, the bus came around the bend, the driver saw me and drew to a stop. 

Broken  "See around the corner" mirror-

I plan on visiting another of those little hamlets this week.  I will definitely be back in Alet.  I would like to take my camera there in the winter and get some photos.  The abbey is open only in the afternoon, except on the weekends when it opens in the morning for a couple of hours as well.  I want to get in there and walk about the ruins, opening up the pores of my spirit to the breath of the stones' stories.

Modern among the ancient

What a lucky find this region of France has been for me.