Each time we are in Collioure we make several day trips to different places around the region. We love to explore the historical sights and places of interest. Our region certainly has no shortage of history, culture and fascinating locations – all within a short distance of our lovely town.
 
One of our sightseeing adventures this time was to the Abbay de St Michel de Cuxa. First some history - the original Benedictine Abbey was founded in 840. After a series of misfortunate events, including flooding and a changing of hands that ultimately destroyed the abbey, the structure that is currently there was created in 940 and the main alter was consecrated in 974. The age of the abbey is significant since it is the largest preserved pre-Romanesque church in France.

We walked through the crypt with a Nativity church in the centre. The architectural vaults display characteristics of Romaneque art from the 11th century. Walking through the magnificent cloister we able to marvel at the beautiful horseshoe arches and stone work that leads you into the church.

​The church has a long nave and large cross section through the middle that reminded us of the huge churches in Rome. A very beautiful structure that must have been very grand in earlier years.

​There is an impressive display of stone artifacts that are labelled and well preserved. There are pieces of the original façade and columns that you can observe and only imagine their original form.

​While it isn’t a particularly large site, it is remarkable and a lovely spot to walk around. It was a little chilly the day we were there but it would make for a lovely spot to walk around on a sunny afternoon. Just another fascinating piece of French history that is within easy distance of Collioure.

Barcelona is our regular transatlantic destination coming from Toronto on our visits to Collioure and it also happens to be one of our favourite cities in the world.  It is dynamic, bustling, and boasts superb food, dramatic architecture and a warm and inviting community.  We will occasionally try and spend a day or two either on our arrival or prior to our final departure from Europe to enjoy this wonderful seaside city.  When we do stay over, Las Ramblas (the city’s central boulevard that starts near the sea port) is a must stop for us.  It is lively, entertaining and a great venue if you are into people-watching.

When we first purchased our property in Collioure in the summer of 2013, our intention was to eventually retire and stay 4 to 6 months per year (from the late fall to the early spring) and then the remainder of the year in Canada.  This plan had been formulated based on our desire to spend the winter months in the mild Mediterranean climate with the opportunity to easily access other parts of Europe using Collioure as our home base. 

Well, it has been two full years now and while we have been back to Collioure several times since 2013 for one to two week stints, we still haven’t spent any significant time during the “real” winter.  Most of our forays have been in the spring, summer or fall, and with the area boasting over 300 days of annual sunshine, we have encountered perfect weather every time.  We did spend a few days in January 2014 to prepare the apartment for our first rental, but that doesn’t really count because, according to the locals, winter in Collioure is really from the middle of January to the middle of February (by the way, that is when many of the local merchants, shopkeepers and artists take their vacation and close up shop).
 
In an effort to get a mini winter experience in our chosen future home, we decided that our annual apartment assessment would occur during the first part of February this year (February 2 to February 9), right in the heart of the Mediterranean winter.  With that in mind, I took our normal trans Atlantic route flying from Toronto, Canada to Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona was basking in sunshine and 13 degrees celsius when I landed in the late afternoon and picked up a rental car at the airport for the 2 hour and 15 minute drive to Collioure.  It is early evening when I finally pull into the Municipal parking lot beside the medieval Royal Castle, about 300 metres from our apartment. 

The sun is just beginning to set behind the Pyrenees to the west as I walk along Boulevard du Boramar.  What strikes me most is how incredibly quiet and serene it is - on other visits during the mid-peak and peak seasons, this stretch is bustling with activity.  The calm Mediterranean is lapping gently at the edge of the empty beach, the seaside cafés have closed for the night and the soft yellow overhead lights along the boardwalk buzz and blink to attention as they begin to wake for their nightly watch. 

I am in Collioure for a week and at the end of each day I reflect on how restful and relaxed the village is at this time of year.  There are a smattering of tourists ambling about during the weekdays and slightly more on the weekend.  The balmy temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees celsius during the day, coupled with bright blue skies and perennial sunshine have exceeded all the expectations I had for this brief offseason interlude. 
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On my last day in Collioure before the long flight home, I get up early so I can take my morning coffee on Saint Vincent beach and watch the sun rise above the chapel, painting strokes of gold and pink and orange between the shimmering black sea and the deep blue sky.  I close my eyes and imagine our future winter sojourns here.

When in Collioure, it is recommended that you visit the Modern Art Museum.  Nestled in the hill under the windmill, this museum is a lovely building from the outside and houses a peaceful courtyard where you can sit and admire the surrounding gardens.

The museum was founded in 1930 by the artist Jean Peské (a Russian born painter) when he offered 190 pieces of work for display. Over the years unfortunately the museum wasn’t maintained.   Eventually a group of dedicated artists created an association and worked to restore the museum and built it in it's current building that was the residence of a previous Senator.   Fully supported by a group of artist enthusiasts, the foundation has increased the works of art to more than 1400 pieces. 

Many people in the Collioure community are promoters of contemporary art and have established scholarships and prizes to encourage artists in residence who present their work in public showcases.

With a strong history of modern art dating back to the early 1900’s, when Matisse and Derain arrived there and started the Fauvist movement, Collioure has remained a hub for artists and continues to host numerous exhibitions and festivals during the year.

Be sure to take a walk up to this site.  It is worth the visit.

Enjoy this video of an interview with the curator.

If you are looking for something interesting to do one day – a 45-minute drive from Collioure are the Orgues of Ille Sur Tet.  These fascinating sand formations resembling organ pipes are really worth visiting.

Just outside town is the natural site that spreads out in the shape of an amphitheatre.  The gigantic columns (also known as hoo doos) reach up 10-12 metres high and while they look frozen in time, they are actually constantly changing.  Every time it rains, large quantities of sand is being washed away resulting in some of the shapes disappearing and others forming. 

This place is an erosion masterpiece.  Millions of years ago the area was originally a hill and as you look up at the tops of the columns, you can see the hard rock layer called chimneys, and envision how much actual material has been removed over the years.  The rock caps provide a protective layer that eventually deteriorates and causes the column to collapse.

Rain is of course a detriment to the formations – it is a good thing there is not a lot of rain in this region.  Another factor that impacts the site is periods of heat and moisture causing the clay rocks to swell and contract like sponges.  This causes cracks in the sides resulting in additional erosion.

The site is well maintained and has been established as a protected natural monument.  This designation assures that continued preservation of the site is undertaken.

We found this geological formation to be fascinating.  Since it is literally disappearing – make sure you visit soon!

Spring has sprung in Collioure.  Our guests are telling us how beautiful and sunny the days are and how they are enjoying strolling the streets and eating on outside patios.  The temperatures have definitely been on a steady incline and are consistently at the 20 degree point each day. (and that is not an April Fool's joke!) This is a lovely time to be in Collioure.

We thought we would share some of the images you might see while walking around the streets.  Every corner you turn you see something different, artistic or just plain cute.  Please enjoy some of our favourite nooks and crannies in our neighbourhood.

Where we live in Ontario, there is a wonderful wine region called Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Over the years we have thoroughly enjoyed exploring both large and small wineries and their distinct wines that are unique to this area.  We actually even thought of retiring to this lovely area that enjoys a slightly milder winter and has many charming homes on the banks of the Niagara River.  However when we really thought about our goals for retirement, they included extensive travelling which prompted us to research locations in Europe and eventually led us to purchase in France.  Collioure has so much to offer from a climate and culture perspective but they also have some really fantastic wines.  For us, this just sealed the deal!

Collioure is located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  This region happens to be the single largest wine producing area in the world with 700,000 acres of vineyards and provides the grapes for more than a third of France’s total wine production.  That is one massive region and a whole lot of wine! 

The region has an extensive history with grape vines being traced back as early as the 5th century BC and were planted by the Greeks. The Languedoc region has belonged to France since the 13th century and was initially producing very high quality wines.  Unfortunately the area was hit very hard in the 19th century by an insect infestation and during the recovery period, many lower quality grapes were planted.  This resulted in the focus being directed towards quantity versus quality.  Starting back in the 1970’s new winemakers started shifting the direction back to quality wines and began experimenting with new varietals.   This resulted in a raising of the reputation and implementation of a classification system in the 1990’s leading to a flourishing of the area once again.

While visiting Collioure, you may decide you would like to do some sightseeing around the area.  If you are interested in a slightly longer drive up the coast, perhaps 2 ½ hours, you can visit the Pont du Gard.  We made an overnight trip to Uzès and stopped to see this magnificent structure on our way.

The Pont du Gard is a Roman Aqueduct bridge built in the 1st century.  When you arrive to the location, you see only the ticket office and museum building.  It is not until you travel the tree-lined path and you come out into a clearing when you see the enormous structure in front of you.  It is truly awe inspiring to look at this impressive bridge that is so incredibly preserved.

The bridge is actually part of a much larger underground aqueduct system that spans more than 50 kms and was built by the Romans to carry water from Uzès to Nîmes.  Part of its path to Nîmes included crossing the Gardon River, which required a bridge to be built.  The structure itself has three tiered arches and stands almost 50m high and 275m long.  It is said that the aqueduct carried 200,000 cubic metres of water to Nîmes each day!  This supplied the fountains, baths and homes of the residents of Nîmes until sometime in the 6th century.

After the Roman Empire collapsed, the Pont du Gard functioned as a toll bridge and for centuries the lords of the area charged a toll to travelers in exchange for maintaining the bridge.  For many years it was abandoned, until the 18th century when the government of France started a series of renovations.   Over many 100’s of years, the bridge was restored and attracted a lot of interest from tourists.  This resulted in it becoming an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 because of its important historical significance. Finally in 2000 all traffic and buildings were removed from the surrounding area and it became an official tourist destination. 

We spent a lot of time just marvelling at the construction of the arches.  They were built with almost no clamps or mortar and it is estimated that there were more than 50,000 tons of limestone used to finish the bridge.  With some of the blocks estimated to weigh more than 6 tons, it seems impossible to imagine how something so huge was built back at a time when there were no modern machines. And not only was it a construction phenomenon but the structure has remained relatively intact for so many years.  The museum exhibits do an excellent job of explaining the history of the Romans and their industrious ways along with providing a detailed explanation of the plans and probable construction process of the bridge using life-sized models.  The displays are well laid out and the entire visitation area is modern and creatively designed.  Be sure not to miss this part, which is included in your admission price.

We found this to be an amazing place to visit and would highly recommend it to everyone to see at least once.  The visitor website is quite extensive and can be accessed by clicking here.

One of our favourite things to do is to visit Port-Vendres.  You can walk from Collioure along the main road to this next town or it is an easy drive of only 5 minutes.  As you come over the hill, it is obvious that Port-Vendres is a working fishing village.  Being a deep-water port, you will see a variety of ships – everything from small fishing vessels to freighters to cruise ships.  Many use this location as their access point to the Côte Vermeille.

The Romans, who called it Portus Veneris after the goddess Venus, originally developed port-Vendres.  It went on to be ruled by the Kingdom of Majorca and was used as a mainland port between the Balearic Islands.  The French took it over in 1659 when the Roussillon area changed hands.  In the late 1700’s there was extensive work done to open up, enlarge and modernize the area.   As a result it is the only natural port along this rocky coastline.

Port-Vendres offers visitors much to do.  There are numerous sea activities including fishing, scuba diving, boating, jet skis and swimming.  The wonderful Banyuls wineries sit in the hills atop Port-Vendres and are a must do for anyone enjoying the sweet unique wine of the region.  Port-Vendres also enjoys many festivals during the year including fishermen and Catalan celebrations along with painting and artist’s exhibits.  But one special thing about this town is that they are really known for their excellent seafood restaurants.  Having the benefit of the catch of the day literally at their doorstep, many small restaurants line the streets and water’s edge.

One place in particular that we enjoy – isn’t a typical restaurant but a café that is located above the fish market.   When we first visited this location, it was in the back of a warehouse with simple counters where you could choose from a menu on a blackboard.  Recently the Port-Vendres fish market has built a new building just to house their seafood storefront and they created a stylish café on the second floor with wonderful views of the harbour.  The store has absolutely everything you would ever want to purchase.  All freshly caught that day.  Fish, seafood and delicacies that are unique to the region and incredibly tasty!

We love to order fresh oysters along with a flute of sparking wine and sit for a casual snack.  We tell everyone that visits Collioure to add this to their list of things to do.  It is a real treat to experience the tastes of the area.

Check out the Port-Vendres website for all the things you can experience in this small but bustling fishing town.

It’s time for another restaurant review! One of the things we love about Collioure is the pride of ownership that is evident within so many of the restaurant owners.  In France, it is difficult to start a business and make a living from a sole proprietorship.  So when you see someone making a go of it, you can really feel their individual pride when they serve you something special that they have created.  We felt this when we visited Casa Gala, a terrific tapas place.  The restaurant is located on a very pretty artist's street – rue de la Fraternite. It is a little way back from the main road but that is part of its charm. It is a tiny little place with only 8 tables inside and a few outside.

We arrived early and were seated immediately at a high top table inside.  The owner, who also makes the food and serves the wine, served us.  They have a good selection of tapas plates that he described in detail so you know exactly what you are ordering.

After placing our order, the owner then suggested wine that would compliment the specific dishes we had ordered.  He was quick to make some lovely suggestions that fit both our tastes.

We enjoyed sharing the small plates of each dish since they were so flavourful and so carefully prepared. We had the tomato bread, manchego cheese, garlic chicken wings, a charcuterie plate, ham croquettes and the house specialty fideua negre (a Catalan black noodle dish). All the dishes were terrific.

It was a lovely evening in a wonderful atmosphere.  We quite liked it and will definitely being going back again.  This is one of those places we would recommend to our guests if you would like to experience something that is Catalan inspired with an additional hint of Spanish influence. 

Be sure to check it out when you are next in Collioure.